Miami Spine Injury Attorney
A spinal cord injury can cause loss of sensation and motor control in different parts of the body and can result in severe, permanent impairments such as paraplegia and quadriplegia. The medical expenses associated with treating a spinal cord injury can be exorbitant, and the additional lifetime costs of living with a spinal cord injury are considerable as well. If you or a loved one suffers a spinal cord injury because of the negligence or wrongful conduct of another, such as in an automobile or truck accident, construction accident or case of medical malpractice, it is essential that you obtain legal representation from a qualified and experienced lawyer who has experience helping catastrophic injury victims. The Miami spine injury attorneys at Alan Goldfarb, P.A. have decades of experience representing accident and injury victims in all types of cases.
Types of Accidents That Cause Spinal Injuries
There are numerous ways that a personal injury victim could suffer a serious back injury. Some of the most common accidents that cause spinal injuries include:
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Motor vehicle accidents. One of the leading causes of spinal cord and back injuries are motor vehicle accidents. A negligent driver could cause an accident, or a defective part of the vehicle could break during use and could cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle. Accidents involving cars, trucks, semi tractor trailers, motorcycles, boats, all terrain vehicles, jet skis, etc. can cause serious injuries, especially to the spine. This is largely due to the sudden force that is placed on the spine during an impact or a collision. Usually a victim is traveling at some speed when an impact happens, and the inertia places a lot of stress and strain on the spine.
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Accidental falls. There are many ways in which a personal injury victim could fall and injure their back. A person could slip on something slick, trip over an object that is on the ground or fall from a height. Falls happen to a variety of different people. Whenever a victim falls and injures their back due to the negligence of others or unsafe premise conditions, the victim should seriously consider pursuing a personal injury claim to recover for their back injuries.
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Medical malpractice. When a patient goes in for a medical procedure, they expect adequate treatment, and not to wake up more injured than before. A doctor could negligently cause a victim to suffer a back injury if the doctor makes a mistake during surgery or fails to administer anesthesia to the patient correctly. Some patients can wake up during surgery and spasm, which can cause back injuries. Back injuries can also happen to victims during childbirth. These injuries could occur to either the mother or the child.
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Sports injuries. A lot of back injuries are the result of rough play while engaging in sports. A player might tackle the victim too aggressively, or the victim might be shoved to the ground in an unsportsmanlike encounter. Being forced to the ground suddenly can generate sufficient force to cause a back injury, as can being shoved to the ground in an awkward position.
Spine and back injuries can happen in a number of ways, and these types of injuries often take a very long time to heal. Recovery is often a delicate thing, and it takes a long time to make progress. Some back injuries are so serious that you may never fully recover the same use of your back as you had before the accident. Many victims suffer paralysis or permanent or temporary disability as a result of a back injury. If you have suffered a back injury due to the negligence or intentional acts of another, you may be entitled to damages through a personal injury lawsuit.
Effects of Spinal Cord Injury
If the spinal cord is cut, all communication between the brain and the nerves below the injury is severed, resulting in paralysis, or a loss of feeling and muscular control. Therefore, the higher on the spine that an injury occurs, the more severe is the resulting paralysis. For instance, an injury to the spinal cord in the neck, or cervical vertebra (C1-C7), will nearly always cause partial to complete quadriplegia. A person who is injured high in the neck (C1-C3 injury) may not be able to breathe or swallow without mechanical assistance, such as a ventilator or feeding tube. Spinal cord injuries of this type are often fatal if the person is not reached in time with the proper emergency medical treatment.
Injuries lower on the spine may result in paraplegia, or paralysis of the legs and lower body. In addition to the loss of the use of the legs, a person with paraplegia may also lose control over bowel and bladder function and sexual ability. With rehabilitation, vocational training, modifications to the home and work space, and assistive technology, persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia may have various different degrees of mobility, independence and ability for self-care. Medical complications can continue throughout life, however, and spinal cord injury victims and their caregivers must be vigilant to prevent and treat urinary tract infections, bedsores and fractures, all of which can lead to serious or fatal consequences if not treated properly.
Spinal Cord Injuries Involve Significant Costs
Spinal cord injuries require an initial period of emergency medical treatment and intensive care to stabilize the person and stop bleeding, usually followed by surgery to repair as much of the damage as possible. A lengthy and intense period of rehabilitation often follows. Ongoing care often involves a combination of drug therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and counseling, all of which can max out a person’s health insurance and continue to incur significant costs. In addition, adaptations to the home and work environments, modifications to make vehicles accessible, and a variety of assistive technology may be necessary to enable the person to live with the maximum in independence, mobility and self-care.
Talk to a Miami Spine Injury Attorney About Your Case
At Alan Goldfarb, P.A., we understand all the costs and challenges a person with spinal cord injury faces over a lifetime, and we fight to get those costs compensated by the party or parties responsible for causing the injury. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury due to an auto accident, construction accident, boating or jet ski accident, a slip and fall or other type of accident or medical malpractice, please contact Alan Goldfarb, P.A. to speak to one of our caring and compassionate Miami personal injury attorneys.
