If your spinal cord is severed or injured in a traumatic accident, your life will be altered dramatically. As a result of the trauma, you are likely going to suffer a permanent and disabling injury such as paraplegia or quadriplegia. Here, your mobility will be restricted completely leaving you confined to the use of a wheelchair.
If this has happened to you or your loved one, you need help. At Cellino Law, you can get help from a Manhattan spinal cord injury lawyer. We will guide you through everything after undergoing an accident leaving you disabled. We have enough experience and resources to get you the compensation you need to live a financially secure and comfortable life after the accident.
We can’t alter the past but we are here to offer you a compassionate and personal service. We are devoted to ensuring your best interests in the future. Feel free to contact our Manhattan injury law firm at 888-888-8888 and get a free consultation.
What Is A Spinal Cord Injury?
It refers to an injury resulting in the damage of the spinal cord. The spinal column is made up of vertebrae and if they are injured, you can suffer long-term effects on your health. Some of these issues affect the nerves controlling various bodily systems in your body such as urinary, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and respiratory systems. Any injury to the spinal cord might affect your mental health in a negative way causing anxiety and depression.
Research estimates that the lifetime cost of care for a spinal cord injury ranges between $500,000 to $3,000,000+.
What Are The Common Causes Of Spinal Cord Injuries?
Spinal cord injuries are usually caused by different types of accidents, especially if you are hit at the wrong place. It could also happen if you are jumping on a trampoline at a friend’s house. However, some types of spinal cord injuries are more likely compared to others. These include the following.
Vehicle Collisions
Vehicle accidents are devastating for anyone involved. They often result in different types of injuries, including spinal cord injuries. The high speeds nullify the best protective measures in place in a vehicle. If a vehicle accident happens because of the negligence of other drivers, then they are liable for the pain, suffering and all the medical expenses the spinal cord victims incur.
Slips And Falls
Slip and falls are dangerous accidents, especially for the elderly. They are likely to lead to different kinds of injuries, especially involving the spine. Depending on the cause of slip and fall, someone else might be liable for the results. For instance, if a landlord doesn’t repair the stairs in the building or fails to light them properly, then he/she is liable for spinal injuries resulting from their negligence.
Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle injuries can be very serious since a cyclist often has minimal protection when riding at very high speeds. A helmet doesn’t offer enough support for the back of the neck leaving that area susceptible to spinal cord injuries. You can reduce the risk by riding your bicycle responsibly. However, some accidents might be caused by the reckless behavior of another individual. For instance, if a motorist strikes a cyclist, he/she is responsible for the expenses and the injuries as a result of the accident.
Sports Injuries
When people are participating in sporting activities, spinal injuries are also likely to happen. These include activities such as high-contact sports where participants slam into each other frequently or diving. If you dive into water that’s very shallow, you are likely going to suffer spinal injuries because the spinal cord will be violently compressed. On the other hand, improper training or poor supervision can result in spinal cord injuries. Eventually, negligent parties end up paying for the care.
Violent Acts
Acts of violence such as physical fights or using firearms can result in spinal cord injuries. Here, it’s very easy to identify the responsible parties after spinal cord injuries occur. Note that, these aren’t accidents but deliberate acts of violence. However, proving negligence and liability in a court of law will be handled by an experienced lawyer who understands that costs will be recovered in civil lawsuits besides potential criminal charges filed against the responsible party.
What Are The Symptoms Of Spinal Injuries?
Spinal injury is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment. The symptoms of a spinal cord injury include the following.
- Sensory changes
- Numbness
- Paralysis or weakness
- Pain
- Spasticity (increased muscle tone)
- Loss of bowel and bladder control
- Loss of feeling at the area of the injury or below it
If the spinal injury happens around the neck, the symptoms are likely going to affect the arms and the legs. If it happens high up in the back, it will affect the muscles used for breathing. If the injury happens around the chest area, you are likely going to suffer from issues with blood pressure, abnormal sweating, and trouble maintaining proper body temperature.
How Do You Diagnose Spinal Injuries?
Spinal cord injuries are tough to identify in most cases. However, you should be properly assessed if you suffer any of the injuries listed below.
- Pelvic fractures
- Injuries from falls
- Head injuries (especially trauma to your face)
- Penetrating injuries close to the spine
If you experience any of the symptoms listed above after suffering any of these injuries, you might have suffered a spinal cord injury. Contact emergency responders immediately. They will immobilize you to prevent further damage to the spinal cord. They will also transport you carefully to the nearest trauma center or emergency room. Once you get there, doctors and other healthcare providers will do a physical examination to determine the location of the injury. They will also perform additional tests such as:
- CT Scan (CAT scan)
- EMG (Electromyography) to check the muscles and the nerves controlling them
- X-Rays or Myelogram (where dye is injected before an X-ray of the spine is done
- MRI for the healthcare providers to get a proper picture of the injury
How Do You Treat Spinal Injuries?
The outcome might be affected by the time of the injury and the time you receive treatment. To reduce the long-term effects of spinal cord injuries, it’s important to act fast. Treatment for spinal cord injuries include:
- Medication to reduce inflammation
- Traction to stabilize the spine
- Depending on the type of trauma that caused the spine injury in the first place, surgery might include the following.
- Removal of the disc or bone fragments
- Removal of fluid or tissue to reduce pressure
- Fusing of broken vertebrae
- Implantation of spinal braces
- Removal of foreign objects
Rehabilitation for spinal injuries include the following:
- Physical therapy for mobility, muscles and communication skills
- Learning how to use assistive devices such as wheelchairs or walkers
- Occupational therapy to improve motor skills
- Vocational therapy to help people resume work through the aid of assistive devices
If you don’t recover feeling or movement in the affected area after 6 months, you are likely going to suffer permanent loss of function. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimates that 30% of people who have suffered spinal injuries are often re-hospitalized one or more times in any given year after the injury with an average hospital stay of 22 days.
Types Of Paralysis Injuries & The Estimated Cost Of Care
Victims of paralysis and their loved ones in Manhattan, NY, and the surrounding areas have to handle the challenges that come with a modified lifestyle. They also have to pay for expensive medical treatment and assistive care. Here’s what you need to know about the cost of living.
Paraplegia
If your lower spine is injured, you are likely going to suffer from paraplegia. It is a condition involving the loss of any motor function in the lower limbs. As a paraplegic, you will have use of the upper body. As such, you can use a wheelchair for partial mobility.
Caring for paraplegia injury in one year might cost as high as $500,000 in NY. There will be an ongoing yearly expenditure of $70,000 every year after that. The lifetime care for a paraplegic who was 25 years old when the accident happened will cost more than $2.5 million.
Quadriplegia And Tetraplegia
These are conditions of paralysis in both the lower and upper body. Tetraplegia happens in two varying forms with the limitations in movement and sensation varying depending on where the spinal injury is located.
Low tetraplegia patients have limited motor function in their upper body. High tetraplegia patients rely exclusively on caregivers for the rest of their lives. The cost of care for low tetraplegic patients can go as high as $800,000 in one year while for high tetraplegia patients, the costs can go higher than $1 million.
A person who was injured at 25 years of age will probably face lifetime costs of care of about $3.5 million to $5 million. By considering the high cost of living with paralysis, the lost wages, pain and suffering, you need to hire a reputable personal injury lawyer in Manhattan, NY to help with your case.
What Are The Costs Associated With Spinal Injuries?
The costs of care for living with spinal injuries can be very high. About 43% of people with these injuries are considered paraplegic while 57% are quadriplegic. As such, they will require living and medical assistance for the rest of their lives.
Depending on the severity of the injury or the age at which the person suffered the injury, the cost of care might vary. The minimal lifetime cost is about $450,000 for any individual who loses motor function because of a spinal cord injury at 50 years of age. The maximum costs are about $3 million for a 25-year-old individual suffering from quadriplegia.
How Can A Manhattan Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Help A Claim?
Spinal cord injuries result in a lot more damage than health issues. They are likely going to lead to financial hardships such as medical bills and lost wages. If this happens to you or your loved one, you need to get legal aid from a personal injury attorney at Cellino Law.
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, about 36.5% of spinal injuries are caused by vehicle accidents. At Cellino Law, we have accident attorneys who have extensive knowledge of the traffic laws in New York State. We will pursue any violations of the traffic law that might have caused your spinal injury. We also handle other areas such as motorcycle accidents and auto accidents.
If you or your loved one need our spinal cord injury, auto accident, or motorcycle accident legal help, we are here to help. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, 28.5% of spinal injuries are attributed to falls. On the other hand, 9.2% of these accidents are attributed to sports while 14.3% happen because of violence. Any spinal injuries resulting from these causes could have happened because of the negligence of another party.
If your spinal injury was caused by a fall it could have been because of a lack of compliance with the safety regulations or insufficient maintenance. If the fall happened on a commercial property, public space, or private residence, Cellino Law is ready to help. We are dedicated and willing to work diligently to identify any legal violations or negligence leading to your spinal cord injuries. We handle slip and fall accidents at Cellino Law and we have the right attorneys for the job.
If your spinal injury happened as a result of an act of violence, you need to get help from a Cellino Law injury attorney. The party or parties that did the violent act to you thereby causing the spinal cord injury could be liable for the injury. As such, there is a possibility of settlement.
If you or your loved one suffered a spinal injury from playing sports, the owner of the property where you or your loved one suffered the injury will be liable for injuries. If you believe that the property owner was liable for the injuries, you should get in touch with us and get legal help for slip and falls.
Compensation For Spinal Cord Injuries
At Cellino Law, we work with professionals to prove liability against defendants and ensure maximum damages during the trial. After suffering a spinal cord injury, the impact is devastating because you must deal with prolonged medical and physical therapy as well as rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, and severe conscious pain and suffering.
After a spinal injury, you are likely going to receive the following types of compensation.
- Pain and suffering (past and future)
- Future medical expenses such as surgery, physical therapy, and any related medical costs
- Other types of recovery charges depending on the specific facts of your case
What Trial Experience Do You Have With Spinal Injury Cases?
Cellino’s Law attorneys have handled various types of spinal cord injury cases in New York. We work with lead professionals including the following.
- Medical doctors who can prove the spinal cord injury, especially neurosurgeons and orthopedic spinal surgeons.
- Economic representatives who can prove the past and future lost wages, union benefits or any other benefits such as fringe, retirement and salary increases, the value of household services, and other economic damages.
- Vocational rehabilitation authorities to explain why the patient can’t work in a different profession or vocation.
- Life care planning connoisseurs who can come up with a plan for caring for the patient for the rest of their life including physical therapy, prescription medication, 24-hour rehabilitation, medical visits, any future surgery, and other considerations and factors. A claim can be made for the past and future medical costs and other life care planning costs associated with the patient and their next of kin they must pay because of the accident.
All these professionals and the family of the client will explain the negative impact of the spinal cord injury on the victim’s life.
How Do We Achieve The Highest Possible Compensation For You And Your Family?
Through the years we have been in business, we have come to realize that in the most serious spinal injury cases, taking the case to trial rather than accepting a settlement is the best choice. It’s the best decision in cases where the insurance provider or defendant doesn’t play fair during negotiations.
The right law firm should have the negotiation and mediation skills. That’s why you need to hire an injury lawyer who is not afraid to do the dirty work in the courtroom. At Cellino Law, we have a lot of trial experience in handling personal injury cases. We have also handled back injuries and spinal cord injury cases over the years we have been in business.
Contact Cellino Law Today For A Free Case Review
We have recovered millions of dollars for our spinal cord injury victims over the years we have been in business. We are proud to negotiate the top settlements and verdicts in the history of personal injury cases in New York state. We know that personal injury is often life-changing and you might have a hard time meeting your basic expenses after a catastrophic injury to your spinal cord or back.
We are personal injury lawyers in Manhattan and always strive to ensure that you get the compensation you are entitled to. As such, you can recover the expenses associated with pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages. If you or your loved one are looking to get a free consultation about your rights and options after a spinal cord injury, contact us now at 888-888-8888.