Abogados especializados en lesiones medulares en Cleveland

What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?

The spinal cord consists of nerves that transmit impulses to and from the brain around the rest of the human body.

The Cleveland Clinic describes spinal cord injuries as direct or indirect damage to the spine or “the bones, soft tissues, and vessels surrounding the spinal cord.”

Back pain from pinched nerves or ruptured discs is serious on its own, and our Cleveland back injury lawyers handle those cases too. A spinal cord injury goes further: it can cause permanent changes in strength, sensation, and other functions, particularly in the parts of the body below where the injury happened.

You could be experiencing limited motor skills, mobility, lost sensation, and other physical restrictions. As a result, this can have a lasting impact on the body and a person’s mental state.

Complete vs. Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries

Doctors describe spinal cord injuries as complete or incomplete. A complete injury means there is no feeling or movement below the level of the injury. An incomplete injury means some signals still get through, so a person keeps some sensation or movement. Where on the spine the injury happens decides which parts of the body are affected.

Paraplegia

Paraplegia is paralysis or loss of function in the legs and lower body. It usually results from an injury to the middle or lower back. Many people with paraplegia use a wheelchair and need help with bladder and bowel care, and our paralysis lawyer team handles the lifetime needs these cases involve.

Quadriplegia (Tetraplegia)

Quadriplegia, also called tetraplegia, affects the arms, hands, trunk, and legs. It results from an injury to the neck. Injuries high in the neck can also affect breathing and may require a ventilator and round-the-clock care.

Incomplete Injuries

Incomplete injuries are the most common kind. People keep some movement or feeling, and many regain more function with therapy, but recovery is hard to predict and can take years. Because the outcome is uncertain at first, it is a mistake to settle an incomplete injury claim before doctors know how much function will return.

Spinal Cord Injury Causes, Symptoms, and Long-Term Effects

Whether an injury is complete or incomplete, the questions that come next are much the same: how it happened, how to recognize it, and what it will mean for the years ahead. Those answers shape both medical care and the value of a legal claim.

Common Causes in Cleveland

Direct impact on the spinal cord can displace and disconnect spinal nerves, causing pain, neurological problems, and loss of body functions. Nationally, vehicle crashes are the leading cause, followed by falls, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center.

The spinal cord injury cases we see in Cleveland most often involve:

• Car and truck crashes on I-90, I-71, I-77, and I-480, where high-speed and rear-end impacts can fracture vertebrae.
• Motorcycle crashes, which throw riders with nothing to protect the neck and back.
• Falls from height on construction sites, from ladders, scaffolds, and roofs.
• Slip and falls on ice, wet floors, and broken stairs at stores and apartment buildings.
• Diving and pool accidents, including shallow water and poorly marked pools.
• Violence and negligent security, when a property owner fails to provide reasonable security and someone is assaulted.

Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries

Unless the trauma was significant, a spinal cord injury may not be instantly recognizable. According to the Mayo Clinic, spinal cord injury symptoms include:

• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Paralysis, even minor loss of mobility
• Loss of sensation
• Tingling: a pins-and-needles feeling or numbness in the hands, fingers, feet, or toes.
• Weakness of back or limbs
• Limb incoordination: trouble controlling the arms or legs, or keeping your balance when you walk.
• Impaired breathing: difficulty breathing, coughing, or clearing mucus from the lungs.

If you are experiencing any of these, you should contact a medical professional immediately.

The Cost of Spinal Cord Injuries

The costs are staggering. Based on figures from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, first-year costs for the most severe neck injuries can top $1.3 million, with more than $230,000 in expenses every year after that. This includes spinal cord surgeries, trauma care, rehab, medication, medical equipment, and other expenses associated with treating spinal injuries.

Virtually no one is prepared to deal with such costs alone. KNR can help you evaluate your situation and what you will need to recover.

Let us file your claim and document your losses. This can be the difference in getting the best care possible.

Long-Term Effects of Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can cause serious and long-term damage. For instance, you may be in physical pain, unable to work, going into debt, or unable to fully participate in your life. Spinal damage often requires major surgery and months of physical therapy. Long periods in bed or a wheelchair also put many patients at risk of complications like pressure sores.

In some cases, your limitations can be permanent or lead to life-threatening illnesses.

While institutions, like the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Spine Health and other organizations, are pursuing better treatment for spinal injuries, the ability to fully treat your spinal cord injury may depend on your level of injury.

Secondary Complications

A spinal cord injury affects much more than movement. Many people face complications that need ongoing medical care, and each one adds to the cost of the injury:

• Pressure injuries: skin breakdown from sitting or lying in one position, which can lead to serious infections.
• Bladder and bowel problems: loss of control often requires catheters, medication, and a daily care routine, and raises the risk of urinary tract infections.
• Breathing problems: injuries high in the neck can weaken the muscles used to breathe and cough, increasing the risk of pneumonia.
• Chronic pain and muscle spasms: nerve pain and spasticity are common and can last for years.
• Blood clots and blood pressure changes: reduced movement and changes in how the body regulates itself can cause dangerous swings.
• Depression and anxiety: adjusting to a life-changing injury takes a toll, and mental health care is part of a full recovery.

A fair settlement has to account for these complications, not only the injury itself.

Our Cleveland Spinal Injury Attorneys Will:

• Investigate, collect evidence, and find those at fault for your spinal injury.
• Entrevista a testigos, profesionales sanitarios y expertos para demostrar cómo se ha visto afectada tu vida.
• Ponte en contacto con la aseguradora, aclara quién es el responsable y intenta conseguir la máxima indemnización.
• Determine your injury’s full and fair value, what you lost and deserve.
• Te mantendremos informado y te haremos partícipe. Puedes contactar con KNR por teléfono, mensaje de texto, correo electrónico o Zoom.
• Defiende tus derechos y, si es necesario, lleva tu caso ante los tribunales.
• Nunca te cobraremos por adelantado. Si no se consigue la indemnización, no hay ningún coste.

How We Build a Spinal Cord Injury Case

Spinal cord injury cases are won with medical proof and a clear picture of the future. To build yours, we gather:

• Imaging: MRI and CT scans that show exactly where and how the cord was damaged.
• Treating physician testimony: your surgeons and rehab doctors explaining the injury, the treatment, and the prognosis.
• Life care planners: experts who lay out every service and piece of equipment you will need and what it will cost.
• Economists: who calculate lost earning capacity and the present value of future care.

With that evidence in hand, we can show an insurer or a jury what the injury really costs. Call (216) 658-1330 for a free consultation.

Cleveland Spinal Cord Injury FAQs