Your spinal cord is an essential component of your central nervous system. Any harm it suffers could result in loss of sensation or function, making these wounds catastrophic injuries that could alter your entire life. If you have suffered a spinal cord injury because of another party’s misconduct, you may deserve compensation.
At Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers, our Atlanta spinal cord injury lawyers understand how to pursue personal injury claims that address all of your losses. Learn more about the levels of spinal cord injuries and how our team can make a difference if you were hurt in Atlanta, Georgia. Call (770) 390-7550 for a free consultation about your case.
How Can Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers Help After a Spinal Cord Injury in Atlanta?
Whether you have been in a severe car accident or fall or were the victim of medical malpractice in Atlanta, GA, sustaining a spinal cord injury can leave you with significant worries about how you’ll handle life from now on. What will happen if you can’t work or if you need ongoing medical care? One of the options you may have is to file a personal injury claim to recover your losses.
When you hire Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers, our Atlanta catastrophic injury attorneys can:
- Assess your claim to understand how we can help you
- Investigate the incident that led to the spinal cord injury
- Collect evidence to start determining fault
- Calculate your economic and non-economic damages
- Negotiate with insurance companies for a fair settlement
- Litigate, if it’s impossible to reach a settlement
We’ve been helping the people of Atlanta, Georgia, for over 60 years. We pride ourselves on being a compassionate and dedicated group of attorneys who will fight for the compensation you need to cover medical expenses, missed income, future care, and the pain and suffering you have suffered.
Contact us to speak with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer about your claim for free.
Spinal Cord Injuries by Location of the Damage
Spinal cord injuries can be classified in more than one way. One way to describe a spinal cord injury is by the location of the damage along the spinal cord. To do this, the spinal cord is divided into four main sections:
Cervical Area
The cervical area refers to the neck region of the spinal cord. Cervical injuries are the most severe because they impact everything below them. They can cause quadriplegia (tetraplegia), which is paralysis of the torso and four limbs. The pelvic organs will be impacted, too.
Sustaining a spinal cord injury to vertebrae C1 through C4 could result in breathing problems severe enough to require a ventilator. You will likely not have control over your legs, arms, or torso.
An injury to C5 could mean that you can raise your arms but have no wrist or hand control. This makes numerous daily tasks impossible. C6 injuries may permit arm rotation and wrist extension, which could make eating and grasping items possible.
An injury to C7 or C8 can allow you to straighten your elbows, but hand control may be an issue. Bowel and bladder control are also affected.
Thoracic Area
Spinal cord injuries to the thoracic area, or the chest and upper back, can affect the legs, chest, and trunk, typically causing paraplegia. Arm and hand movement remains unaffected in most instances.
For injuries involving T1 through T5, hand function is normal, but there will be a lack of abdominal and upper-trunk control that could affect stability. Injuries involving T6 through T12 allow better control of your chest and abdominal muscles, but lower-limb paralysis will remain.
Lumbar Area
Lumbar spinal cord injuries affect the hips, legs, and pelvis. With these injuries, your trunk and upper-body movement remains stable, but the movement of your quadriceps and hips is usually very limited. In some instances, it may be possible to use braces or manual wheelchairs to improve mobility.
Sacral Area
Sacral area spinal cord injuries affect the base of the spine. Hip, lower leg, and foot movements are typically not impacted severely. The areas that are most affected are bowel and bladder control, as well as sexual function.
What Is the Difference Between Complete and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries?
The other main way to describe a spinal cord injury is by the extent to which movement and sensation below the injury site are affected. By this method, spinal cord injuries can be defined as complete or incomplete.
With a complete spinal cord injury, a person generally loses all motor function and sensation below the affected area. The resulting limitations depend partly on where the injury occurs. For example, a complete cervical injury may affect both the arms and legs, while a complete thoracic injury may primarily affect the lower body.
An incomplete spinal cord injury means some communication between the brain and the body remains intact. A person may retain some movement, sensation, or both below the injury site. The amount of remaining function can vary considerably, even among people with injuries at the same level of the spinal cord.
Contact Our Atlanta Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you have sustained a spinal cord injury because of another party’s misconduct, filing a personal injury claim can allow you to recover your losses. A spinal cord injury is a serious matter, and catastrophic injuries like these require experienced representation. Get the help you need to build a strong case.
At Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers, we can assist you through this complex process so that you have one less thing to worry about. We’ll fight to obtain the settlement or award you deserve after such a serious injury. Contact our Atlanta spinal cord injury attorneys for a free consultation.
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