According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), approximately 17,000 people suffer a new spinal cord injury every year. Spinal cord injuries can significantly impact your health, future, and lifestyle. While you may be negatively affected by a spinal cord injury, you do not have to go through this alone. A San Marcos spinal cord injury lawyer may be able to help you pursue compensation for your injury if someone else’s negligence caused it.
If you or a loved one recently suffered a spinal cord injury, contact a spine injury attorney at Burch Law Firm for help.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the majority of spinal cord injuries are due to preventable causes, including motor vehicle accidents, falls, or violence. The NSCISC reports the following common causes of spinal cord injuries:
- Vehicular – 38.6%
- Falls – 32.2%
- Gunshot wounds and other forms of violence – 14.0%
- Sports or recreational activities – 7.8%
- Medical/surgical – 4.2%
- Other – 3.2%
If another person’s negligence caused your spinal cord injury, an experienced San Marcos spine injury attorney from Burch Law Firm can investigate your case and gather evidence to show how the defendant’s wrongful conduct caused your injury.
Are There Different Types of Spinal Cord Injuries?
There are many different types of spinal cord injuries. One of the most significant consequences of some spinal cord injuries is paralysis. Paralysis may be partial or complete. Partial paralysis is when you have some feeling and control over the paralyzed part of your body. Complete paralysis is when you do not have feeling or control over the paralyzed part of your body.
Some common forms of paralysis include:
- Generalized paralysis – Widespread paralysis throughout your body
- Localized paralysis – Paralysis that affects one area of the body, such as your face, hands, or feet
- Monoplegia – Paralysis that affects one limb
- Hemiplegia – Paralysis on one side of the body
- Diplegia – Paralysis that affects the same body part on both sides of the body, such as both arms or legs
- Quadriplegia – Paralysis of all four limbs and possibly organs
- Paraplegia – Paralysis from the waist down
What Type of Impact Can a Spinal Cord Injury Have on My Life?
Spinal cord injuries can have a significant impact on your life. Individuals with a spinal cord injury are two to five times more likely to die prematurely than those without a spinal cord injury, according to WHO. Additionally, spinal cord injury victims’ lifestyles can be dramatically affected. Some victims lose all control of parts of their bodies. They may also suffer the loss of bodily functions.
Spinal cord injuries are also extremely expensive to treat. NSCISC reports that the first year of a spinal cord injury costs, on average, between $375,000 and $1.15 million. These costs only consider the health care and living expenses victims suffer. Victims may experience various types of losses. A spine injury lawyer in San Marcos can help you pursue compensation for:
- Medical expenses – You may be able to recover compensation for hospitalizations, emergency room treatment, medication, rehabilitation, attendant care costs, specialist visits, surgeries, and other medical expenses related to your spinal cord injury, now and in the future.
- Lost wages – Many spinal cord injury victims become permanently disabled and can never return to work. A San Marcos spine injury lawyer can work with an economic expert to determine the lifetime loss of wages you or your loved one may experience.
- Pain and suffering – Spinal cord injuries can be extremely painful, as can some medical treatments. You have the right to pursue compensation for your physical and mental pain and suffering.
- Reduced quality of life – You can also seek compensation for the negative impact the injury has on your life and your relationships with loved ones.
A knowledgeable San Marcos spinal cord injury attorney can work closely with you to determine how the spinal cord injury affects you and demand fair compensation for all your accident-related losses.
Contact Our San Marcos Spinal Injury Lawyer Today
For years, Burch Law Firm has represented spinal cord injury victims in San Marcos and surrounding areas. We can fight for the justice you deserve after you suffer a spinal cord injury another’s negligence has caused. Contact us today to speak to an experienced San Marcos spinal cord injury lawyer about your claim.
