Of all injuries, spinal cord injuries are among the most serious and life-changing. Spinal cord injuries vary in severity, with the most severe types resulting in quadriplegia, paraplegia, and triplegia. Injuries to the neck and spine can occur in a number of ways, including in car accidents, slip and fall accidents, or accidents at work.

If you have sustained a spinal cord injury that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you have the legal right to file a personal injury claim to recover damages. Speak to one of our attorneys as soon as possible after you have been injured to review your case. You can schedule a free consultation today by contacting us.

There are two types of spinal cord injuries: complete and incomplete injuries. Complete injuries occur when the spinal cord is completely severed, whereas incomplete injuries occur when the spinal cord is only partially severed or compressed. Some of the most common complete and incomplete injuries include anterior cord syndrome, which affects the front of the spinal cord, central cord syndrome, which affects the center of the spinal cord, and Brown-Sequard syndrome, which affects only one side of the spinal cord.

Back injuries can be very challenging to treat. Minor back injuries can be treated with heating pads, ice packs, and anti-inflammatory medication. A doctor may recommend that you try physical therapy or yoga exercises to stretch out the muscles and regain motion.

However, serious spinal cord injuries are much more difficult, and often impossible, to treat. If you are rushed to the hospital with a spinal cord injury, doctors may need to perform emergency surgery to fuse broken spinal bones, or remove any fluid or inflamed tissue that is pressing against the spinal cord. Administering a steroid within eight hours after the injury was sustained has helped some patients see improvement in their condition, but it is not effective for all spinal cord injuries.

Most spinal cord injury victims will need to attend physical therapy, recreational therapy, and occupational therapy as they recover from a spinal cord injury. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for many spinal cord injuries, and the victim may have to suffer from the consequences of his injuries for the rest of his life.

It’s impossible to prevent every back injury, but there are a few steps you can take to reduce your risk of sustaining one of these painful injuries. First, get in the habit of stretching out the muscles in your back, core, and legs so they don’t remain in a tight, contracted position. You are also less likely to sustain back injuries if you have strong back muscles, so it’s important to incorporate strength training into your exercise routine.

Avoid doing things that could cause back injuries, including lifting objects that are too heavy for you to carry or sitting in a hunched over position for a prolonged period of time.

One of the first questions that many spinal cord injury victims ask their attorneys is how much they will be able to recover by filing a claim. The amount that you will be able to recover will depend on a number of factors, including the severity of your injuries and the impact your injuries have had on your life.

You may be entitled to economic damages, which compensate you for medical bills and lost wages, non-economic damages, which are awarded in cases where the plaintiff has suffered emotional pain, and punitive damages. However, punitive damages are only awarded in cases where the defendant acted with extreme malice or negligence. Unlike many other states, the state of Georgia does not have a cap on damages that a personal injury victim is able to recover.

There’s no way to tell how long a spinal injury case will take because the answer can vary so greatly. Cases that settle out of court will not take as long as those that go to trial. If your case goes to trial, it could be months or even over a year before your case is resolved.

The complexity of the case and severity of your injuries could also affect the time it takes. An attorney may not want to begin negotiation talks until he knows exactly what type of medical treatment you will need now and in the future. If your injuries are severe, determining what you will need down the road right after the injury occurs may be challenging.

Because of the severity of these injuries, spinal cord injury victims are often greatly compensated, but not without an attorney’s help. An attorney will be able to work with your healthcare providers to understand how much compensation you will need to cover your current and future medical expenses. The attorney will be able to gather evidence of your injuries, identify the party that is responsible for your injuries, and negotiate with the at-fault party to help you recover the compensation that you deserve. Having an attorney handle all of these responsibilities allows you to focus all of your energy on recovering from this traumatic event.

Have you sustained a spinal cord injury in an accident that was not your fault? If so, you will need the help of an experienced attorney at law if you want to recover the compensation you deserve. Our personal injury teams has experience in a number of different practice areas, including brain injuries, premises liability, medical malpractice, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, truck accidents, and motor vehicle accidents. Contact our law office today to schedule a free consultation so you can learn general information and ask questions about filing a personal injury claim. We don’t charge any fees unless we are able to reach a settlement or win a verdict on your behalf.

You can reach us by calling 415-655-9478 or emailing us at russ@goodrowlaw.com. Or, fill out the form on our website by visiting the “Contact Us” page. To learn more about our law firm, read some of the reviews left by former clients right here on our website.