Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers San Francisco

San Francisco Injury Lawyers > Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury usually results from a sudden, violent, traumatic blow to the spine that fractures or dislocates vertebrae, the bones that make up the spinal cord. Many of the injuries to the spinal cord do not completely sever the nerve, but rather cause fractures and compression of the vertebrae (the individual bones that make up the spinal cord), which then crush and destroy the "axons," the extensions of nerve cells that carry signals up an down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of the body. The paralysis is either complete or incomplete. Complete injuries result in total loss of sensation and function below the injury level. People with incomplete injuries keep some motor or sensory function below the injury.

There are approximately 13,000 new cases of spinal cord injuries in the United State, not counting the persons who died of a spinal cord injury at the scene of the accident. Every 41 minutes, a new person sustains a spinal cord injury. Paraplegia (which involves the losses of movement and sensation in the lower body) affects 42.6% percent of the spinal cord injury population, while 56.4% are affected by quadriplegia or tetraplegia (losses of movement and sensation in most of the body, including the arms and legs). The leading cause of spinal cord injuries is automobile accidents (44%), followed by violent assaults (such as gunshot or knife wounds; 24%), falls (22%), and recreational sporting activities (8%, two-thirds of which are caused in diving accidents). If you have suffered significant trauma to your head, neck, or back, you should seek immediate medical evaluation for the possibility of a spinal cord injury. In fact, it is safest to assume that a trauma victim has a spinal cord injury until proved otherwise.

Men account for 80% of spinal cord injuries, while women account for only 20%. The majority of spinal cord injuries occurs in people aged 16 to 30. People over 60 are the second likeliest group to sustain a spinal cord injury, mainly from falls. Over 85% of persons who sustain a spinal cord injury and survive the first 24 hours are still alive 10 years later, compared with 98% of the non-injured population of similar age and sex. The most common cause of death in people with spinal cord injuries is respiratory problems, followed by renal (kidney) failure. People who suffer a spinal cord injury will most likely have medical complications such as chronic pain-especially an intense stinging sensation caused by damage to the nerve fibers in the spinal cord; loss of movement; loss of sensation, including the ability to feel heat, cold, and touch; loss of bladder and bowel function; changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity, and fertility; respiratory problems, including difficulty breathing, coughing, or clearing fluid from the lungs; and heart problems.

Spinal cord injuries are expensive to treat and often run into the millions of dollars during the victim's lifetime. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury due to another person's carelessness ("negligence"), you should promptly consult an experienced personal injury law firm so the lawyer can start an immediate investigation of the incident, before conditions change and so that he or she can get statements from witnesses while the event is still fresh in their minds.

San Francisco Injury Lawyers > Spinal Cord Injuries