The spinal cord connects the brain to the rest of the body, allowing us to move, breathe, digest, and coordinate our reflexes. Any injury to this sensitive pathway can cause serious long-term repercussions to our health, our physical capabilities, and our lives.
A serious spinal cord injury can lead to astronomical medical bills, impair your ability to work or care for your family, and more.
If your spinal cord injury was the result of another person’s negligence, you may be eligible to legally receive compensation to support your recovery. A New York spinal cord injury lawyer from Buttafuoco & Associates can help you file a claim and gather evidence for a successful case.
Read on to learn more, or call 1-800-NOW-HURT to see if you have a case.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries typically occur after a sudden, severe blow to the back or neck. This impact can dislocate or fracture the protective vertebrae around the spinal cord.
While your vertebrae are strong enough to protect your spine from many common accidents, they are often no match for something more catastrophic.
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the leading cause of spinal cord injuries is car accidents at 35.64%. Other leading causes include slip and falls (32.67%), acts of violence (16.12%), sports injuries (7.18%), and medical or surgical errors (3.6%).
In any of these cases, your injuries could be due to another person’s negligence, which would qualify you for compensation under New York Law. Buttafuoco & Associates has handled many such cases; we can tell you more about your rights during a free consultation.
Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms and Long-term Consequences
Any fractured or displaced vertebrae can bruise or cut into your spinal cord, causing compression and loss of sensation or motion.
In severe cases, bone fragments or pressure from the impact can sever the cord and cause permanent paralysis. The symptoms of a spinal cord injury depend on the severity of the damage and location of the injury along your spine:
Spinal Cord Injury at the Neck (Vertebra C1-C4)
A severe case can leave a person with little or no movement or sensation in the parts of your body below the neck. This can result in tetraplegia, leading to loss of movement or feeling in their arms or legs and might difficulty breathing unassisted. It will also leave a person dependent on others for self-care such as feeding, bathing, and using the toilet.
Spinal Cord Injury at the Upper Back (Vertebra C5-C8)
An injury in this area can lead to low tetraplegia. These patients may be able to flex their elbows but will likely be unable to grasp or manually manipulate objects. Victims often lose all other movement and function below the shoulders. Victims with this injury will likely require assistance with self-care.
As the injury site moves further down the spine, the upper extremities are less impaired. Victims with an injury at C8 should be able to continue full use of their hands and arms and will have more independence than a high tetraplegia patient.
Spinal Cord Injury at the Lower Back (Thoracic and Lumbar Vertebra)
Injuries in this area can lead to paraplegia. These patients often function normally from the waist up and maintain normal independence in most self-care needs. Lumbar injuries may allow the person to walk short distances with or without the need for braces or assistive devices.
Costs of a Spinal Cord Injury
Life for a person after a serious spinal cord injury will change drastically. Depending on the severity of your injury and the type of work you did, you may or may not be able to work, cover your healthcare costs, or your typical lifestyle.
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation estimated the yearly cost of healthcare expenses for each level of injury:
- High tetraplegia can cost $1,064,716 the first year and $184,891 for subsequent years.
- Low tetraplegia can cost $769,351 the first year and $113,423 for subsequent years.
- Paraplegia can cost $518,904 the first year and $68,739 for subsequent years.
- Incomplete motor function at any level can cost $347,484 the first year and $42,206 for subsequent years.
These are only estimates of healthcare costs. When combined with lost income and benefits, the annual damages can increase the average by $71,961.
Costs also vary greatly depending on each person’s individual circumstance. If you do have a case, our team will work with a team of financial and medical experts to see exactly how your injury has affected you and will continue to affect you for years to come. This will allow us to put an accurate dollar amount to your injury.
Can I recover compensation for my spinal cord injury?
Paying for these injuries, especially if your ability to work has been diminished or erased completely, can seem impossible. If you can prove that your injuries are the result of another party’s negligence, you may be able to recover all the costs of your spinal cord injury.
Heed our warning, though: insurance companies will not be willing to part with the millions of dollars in damages these injuries can cause.
Proving negligence can be complicated, but a team of personal injury lawyers familiar with both your type of accident and the nuances of a permanent spinal cord injury can be useful.
At Buttafuoco & Associates, we have decades of experience representing injured individuals against insurance companies. We have handled many of the cases that commonly lead to spinal cord injuries and understand the long-term repercussions of these devastating situations.
We want to help you in any way we can; you just need to schedule a free consultation with us.
Contact us at 1-800-NOW-HURT to schedule your meeting with our New York spinal cord injury attorneys.