Spinal cord injuries are often catastrophic personal injuries that severely and permanently reduce the quality of life for the individual. In cases in which the spinal cord injuries are caused by the carelessness or recklessness of another, it is critical to contact an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer to protect your rights.
Frequency of Spinal Cord Injuries
Recently, the air-supported tent that covers the practice field at the Dallas Cowboys’ training facility collapsed during a strong thunderstorm. Twelve people were injured in the accident, and one of the injured suffered a severed spinal cord, causing paralysis from the waist down. Tragic “accidents,” such as this one, are often preventable.
The University of Alabama-Birmingham Spinal Cord Injury Network Facts & Figures at a Glance 2008 estimates that there are 12,000 spinal cord injury cases a year from auto or truck accidents, falls, violence such as gunshots, recreational sports and other accidents.
According to the UAB Spinal Cord Injury Facts & Figures, 42% of spinal cord injuries are the result of an auto or truck accident. 27.1% of spinal cord injuries are a result of falls, such as on the job at a construction site.
The Impact of Spinal Cord Injuries
Symptoms associated with a spinal cord injury include pain or an intense stinging sensation, difficulty breathing or coughing, or exaggerated muscle spasms. Paralysis may also occur, in all or some extremities, depending on the location of the injury.
Though spinal cord injuries that result in severing of the spinal cord are rare, all spinal cord injuries are serious.
Spinal cord injuries take not only an emotional toll on the individual and his or her family as they try to cope with such dramatic change, but such injuries also take a financial toll. Spinal cord injuries can require a lifetime of treatment, and the more severe the spinal cord injury, the higher the cost of care. The UAB Spinal Cord Injury Network Facts & Figures estimates an average health and living expenses, for the first year of a C1-C4 injury, to be $775,567.
If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic personal injury, such as a spinal cord injury, consult with an experienced Chicago catastrophic personal injury attorney.
And for more information on spinal cord injuries, visit the MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, for an interactive tutorial on spinal cord injuries: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/spinalcordinjury/htm/_yes_50_no_0.htm
