Obviously, these kinds of life changes are devastating in a number of ways, but one of the most frustrating is the frequent inability of victims to hold jobs and make money at a time when their medical bills are skyrocketing. If you or your loved one suffered this type of injury due to the negligence of another person or organization, you deserve compensation for what you’ve lost.
Get Help for Your Florida Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries are devastating. There’s just no other way to put it.
Your spinal cord is what allows your brain to send messages to the rest of your body, and when it has been harmed, there are always serious consequences involved. Depending on the severity of the injury, someone who has been hurt might have difficulty working, engaging in physical activity, or even living a normal life. And because there is no cure for spinal cord injuries people who suffer from them have to live with the issue for the rest of their lives, often undergoing continuous treatment and rehabilitation to continue functioning as normally as they can.
How Do Spinal Cord Injuries Happen?
The short answer is that people hurt their spinal cords by hitting them really hard in the wrong way. Of course, that doesn’t tell you a whole lot, so here is a list of some of the most common ways people suffer from spinal cord injuries.
- Experiencing a fall
- Getting hit violently in athletic competition
- Being involved in a motor vehicle accident
- Suffering physical abuse
- Combat injuries involving explosives or otherwise being tossed around
- A bullet that impacts the spine
- A knife or other blade that impacts the spine
- An error in a medical procedure
- Industrial accidents
Additionally, injuries to the spinal cord can be the result of certain diseases like spina bifida and polio, and other conditions such as arthritis can weaken the spine and make it more susceptible to serious injury if something does happen.
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What Kinds of Medical Issues Arise from Spinal Cord Injuries?
This depends, in large part, on what kind of spinal cord problem has occurred – a complete or incomplete injury. There is a simple but very important difference between the two types of injuries. In an incomplete injury, the victim still retains some of the feeling below the spot where the problem occurred. So if you hurt your spine in the middle of your back, you’d still be able to feel your legs, waist, and so on. Those who have complete injuries lose all feeling below the point of impact and won’t be able to control those extremities.
Of course, that only tells you one big issue that can result from a spinal cord injury. Those who have to undergo this kind of trauma may find themselves experiencing:
- Severe headaches
- A period of shock
- Difficulty walking
- A reduction in overall strength
- Periods of unconsciousness
- Tingling in their arms, legs, fingers, and toes
- Numbness that spreads through their extremities
- An inability to control their bowels or bladder function
- Trouble breathing
- Problems with sexual functioning
- Complete or partial paralysis
It is also not uncommon for those who have suffered spinal cord injuries to go through periods of anxiety and depression, as well, as they attempt to reconcile themselves to their new life and all of the changes that they’ve undergone. This isn’t a complete list, and unfortunately it’s impossible to know exactly how your injury will affect you because each case of spinal cord damage is different. The one thing that is certain is that your life won’t be the same.
Types of Potential Lawsuits for Spinal Cord Injury Victims
If you believe that your spinal cord damage was caused by someone else’s negligence, there are a number of different potential kinds of lawsuits that you can file with your attorney depending on how the injury occurred.
- Car accident injuries. People hurt in car crashes have two potential options for filing lawsuits and receiving compensation. Those whose injuries were due to the reckless driving of the other person involved in the accident can sue that person for damages. If your spinal cord was hurt because of a mechanical defect in either car, the manufacturer may be able to be held liable.
- Medical errors. Doctors are trained experts who often very literally have our lives in their hands, but that doesn’t mean they are infallible. In fact, medical errors are one of the leading causes of death in our country, and many experts still believe that the number of incidents are underreported! If you or your loved one was the victim of a physician’s mistake and this caused your injury, you deserve compensation.
- Product liability. Companies that make and sell products to the public have a duty to make sure that those products are safe and that they warn us about any potential issues. People who suffer a serious spinal injury because a product didn’t work the way it was supposed to should immediately contact us about how to move forward and make sure they’re taken care of and this doesn’t happen again.
- Premises liability. Just like businesses have to make sure their products are safe, property owners have to make sure that their buildings and the surrounding areas don’t pose any dangers. Anyone who has slipped and fallen due to a property owner’s negligence has a right to sue to get the compensation that they deserve.
- Work injuries. While workers’ compensation prevents you from filing a lawsuit against your employer if you are hurt while on the job, it doesn’t stop you from suing a third party. That means if another worker caused your injury due to negligence or a defective product caused you to get hurt, it’s still possible to get further compensation.
Talk to a Firm That Understands Spinal Cord Injuries
Because of their serious and specific nature, when you look for an attorney to represent you in your spinal cord injury lawsuit, it’s important to find lawyers who’ve handled cases like this before in South Florida. The first thing the Law Offices of The Injury Law Firm of South Florida will do when you come in for your free consultation is to put you in contact with Florida’s Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program. Lawsuits can take time, but this program is designed to make sure that you get the immediate help that you need as well as continuing care.
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Call Toll Free: (800)-ATTORNEY® (288-6763)
There’s no obligation to continue working with us after your free consultation, and we don’t get paid unless we’re able to get you the compensation that is rightfully yours. Our firm serves residents of Boca Raton, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Deerfield Beach and Fort Lauderdale, and we’re ready to take your call 7 days a week, day or night.