Spinal cord injury lawyer in Denver, Colorado
Accidents that cause spinal cord injuries can result in bulging or herniated discs, pinched nerves, numbness, pain, or even paralysis. There are many causes of spinal cord injuries, including car accidents , semi-truck accidents , drunk driving accidents , and motorcycle accidents. Construction site accidents , medical malpractice , and birth injuries can also lead to spinal cord injuries. If you have been involved in an accident that has resulted in a spinal cord injury, it is important to have an experienced spinal cord injury attorney from the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya on your side.
With our extensive network of specialists and experts, we take a team approach to spinal cord injuries, which can often require a lifetime of costly care. Following a spinal cord injury, rehabilitation therapies, surgical interventions, and even assistance with daily activities may be necessary, and at the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya, we believe we can help you get the support you need.
What are spinal cord injuries?
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistics Center , there are approximately 54 cases of spinal cord injury per million people in the United States, or about 17,700 new spinal cord injuries each year. It is estimated that 288,000 people with a spinal cord injury are living in the United States at any given time. In the 1970s, the average age at the time of a spinal cord injury was 29; however, today the average age at the time of a spinal cord injury is 43. Other facts about spinal cord injuries
- 78% of new cases of spinal cord injury are male.
- Vehicle collisions are currently the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, followed by falls.
- Acts of violence – primarily gunshot wounds – and sports and recreational accidents are also major causes of spinal cord injuries.
- The average length of hospital stay after a spinal cord injury has decreased from 24 days in the 1970s to about 11 days today.
- There are approximately the same number of incomplete and complete paraplegias resulting from spinal cord injuries.
- More than half of the people who suffer a spinal cord injury are single or have never been married at the time of the injury.
- Nearly a third of spinal cord injury victims are readmitted to the hospital one or more times during the year following the injury, and the average hospital stay is about 22 days.
- Excluding lost wages, the estimated costs of a severe spinal cord injury during the first year range from $359,000 to $1,100,000. For each subsequent year, the estimated costs range from $43,700 to $141,936. A 25-year-old who suffers a severe spinal cord injury can expect that injury to cost them between $1.6 million and $4.8 million over their lifetime.
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What types of spinal cord injuries?
The severity of a spinal cord injury depends on the area of the spinal cord affected. The higher the spinal cord injury, or the closer it is to the brain, the more likely the injury is to be severe. Spinal cord injuries that occur lower down the spine often leave the victim with more movement, voluntary control, and sensation. Tetraplegia ( also known as quadriplegia) can occur when the spinal cord is injured in the cervical region and is associated with loss of muscle movement in the arms and legs. Paraplegia occurs when the spinal cord is injured in the lumbar or thoracic regions and is associated with paralysis of the legs and lower body.
A complete spinal cord injury can result in a total loss of all motor and sensory function below the level of the injury; half of all spinal cord injuries are considered complete. In a complete spinal cord injury, the loss of function is more likely to be related to a contusion or hematoma of the spinal cord or to compromised blood flow to the spinal cord than to a complete severing of the spinal cord. An incomplete spinal cord injury usually leaves victims with some level of function below the level of the injury. A person with an incomplete spinal cord injury may move one arm or leg more than the other.
Concussions can also occur , and they can be complete or incomplete; however, the dysfunction caused by the spinal cord injury usually resolves within a couple of days. Spinal concussions or contusions are often seen among American football players and can produce symptoms such as burning, tingling, or numbness in the extremities, or sensations similar to electric shocks in the extremities.
An open or penetrating spinal cord injury—such as one caused by a firearm—can present distinct challenges. Depending on the location and type of injury, the patient may need to be immobilized with a brace or neck brace for weeks or months to allow the injured spinal cord to heal. Removing a bullet can carry additional risks, so in some cases the bullet may be left in place.
What are the causes of spinal cord injuries?
According to the Mayo Clinic , the most common causes of spinal cord injuries in the United States are:
- Motor vehicle collisions, including motorcycles and large commercial trucks, cause the greatest number of spinal cord injuries.
- Falls cause more than 15% of all spinal cord injuries: among those over 65, a fall is the most likely cause of spinal cord injury.
- Violent acts cause about 12% of all spinal cord injuries, mostly gunshot and stab wounds.
- Athletic activities, such as diving and impact sports, are responsible for about 10% of all spinal cord injuries.
- It is estimated that alcohol is a factor in up to 25% of all spinal cord injuries.
- Cancer, arthritis, spinal cord inflammation, and osteoporosis are also causes of spinal cord injury.
Although spinal cord injuries are usually the result of an accident, specific factors can increase the risk of injury, such as being over 65 or engaging in risky behaviors. Having a bone or joint disorder can turn a relatively minor injury into a serious spinal cord injury, especially for those with arthritis or osteoporosis.
What are the effects of spinal cord injuries?
Victims of spinal cord injuries will see their physical abilities change, in most cases drastically. Some of the symptoms experienced by people with a spinal cord injury include:
- Numbness or tingling sensation;
- Difficulty in sexual function;
- Difficulty with libido;
- Difficulty with fertility;
- Difficulty controlling bowel or bladder functions;
- Pain at the site of the injury;
- “Phantom” pain that radiates to places beyond the site of the injury;
- Gastrointestinal problems;
- Difficulty breathing without assistance;
- Changes in breathing;
- Partial or total loss of control over parts of the body;
- Abnormal sensations in the form of a band across the chest;
- The development of sleep apnea;
- Pressure ulcers;
- Difficulty maintaining balance and walking;
- Other skin problems;
- Increased vulnerability to skin infections;
- Higher likelihood of developing respiratory infections that may progress to pneumonia;
- Mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety.
What types of medical treatments are available for spinal cord injuries?
Currently, there are no known ways to reverse the damage caused by a spinal cord injury, but researchers continue to work on new treatments, particularly those that show promise in regenerating nerve cells. Prompt medical attention at the scene of the accident is crucial to minimize spinal cord trauma. The spine should be immobilized quickly but gently using a rigid cervical collar and a rigid backboard. Once the spinal cord injury victim is in the hospital, doctors will focus on maintaining the person’s breathing capacity and keeping the neck and spine immobilized.
Surgery may be appropriate to remove fluid pressing on the spinal cord, to extract bone fragments or foreign objects, or to fuse broken vertebral bones. The patient may be placed in traction to align the spine and may be given Medrol, a steroid medication that, if administered within 8 hours of the injury, can help many patients improve by reducing nerve cell damage and decreasing swelling at the injury site.
Rehabilitation for victims of spinal cord injury may include the following:
- Occupational therapies that improve fine motor skills;
- Adaptive devices used for communication;
- Muscle strengthening physiotherapy;
- Use of assistive devices, such as leg supports, walkers, and wheelchairs;
- Techniques to aid bladder and bowel management;
- Personal hygiene assistance techniques;
- Strategies for coping with pain;
- Vocational therapies to help people return to work with the help of assistive devices;
- Recreational therapies, including social and sporting activities;
- Strategies to help spinal cord injury victims exercise and eat a healthy diet, and
- Electrical stimulation to help restore sensory, neuromuscular, bladder, bowel, and respiratory functions.
As you can imagine, these treatments and therapies are expensive and require years of surgery, rehabilitation, and home care. Therefore, people whose spinal cord injury is due to the negligence of another person or entity should seriously consider filing a lawsuit to obtain compensation to help pay for their spinal cord injury treatments. Compensation could include medical expenses, lost wages, lost future wages, and pain and suffering. If your spinal cord injury was caused by criminal conduct—such as drunk driving—you may also be entitled to punitive damages.
How a lawyer can help you with your spinal cord injury
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury due to the negligence or misconduct of another person, you are fully aware of the emotional and physical devastation that spinal cord injuries bring. The compassionate spinal cord injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya understand that spinal cord injuries can disrupt lives and shatter families, and we want to help victims of such injuries. Our team works to help you regain your function and dignity, as well as to find the responsible party and hold them accountable. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, contact the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya for a free spinal cord injury case evaluation. There is no obligation: if we work together, we will not charge unless you receive compensation.