Helping Florida Residents Obtain Compensation for Spinal Injuries
After an accident, the physical, emotional, and financial toll that a spinal cord injury can have on a victim and their family is incalculable. A spinal cord injury is often permanent and forces a victim to change the way they live their life. Because many spinal cord injury victims require at-home care, oftentimes their family members will have to adjust their lifestyles in order to care for them. All of these costs can be monumental, but if you were injured by a negligent individual or entity, you may be able to recover these damages by filing a personal injury claim with the help of Ginnis, Krathen, & Zelnick, P.A.
When you work with our spinal cord injury attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, you can expect to receive a high level of personalized care and respect that comes with a prestigious and trusted law firm. We can walk you through the claims process and handle the details of your case so you can concentrate on healing, whether you’re at home or in the hospital. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us after you’ve been injured, whether in a car accident or after a slip and fall.
Contact our team today for a free consultation in English or Spanish online or by phone at (954) 905-4600. You can trust our Fort Lauderdale spinal cord injury lawyers to provide you with support and guidance.
What Comprises the Spinal Cord?
The spinal cord refers to the group of nerves that are located in your backbone and are tasked with carrying messages between your brain and body. The spinal cord comprises three regions, including the cervical region (neck), thoracic region (chest), and lumbar region (lower back). Bones known as vertebrae protect the spinal cord, but when they’re shattered upon impact in an accident, they can expose the nerves and cause permanent damage.
As a result, a spinal cord injury can impact both the central nervous system and the body, causing a loss of sensation of motor function to the areas of the body located below the affected area. Victims may be partially or fully paralyzed, depending on the nature of the injury. A victim is paraplegic when they’re paralyzed from the waist down and quadriplegic when all four of their limbs are paralyzed.
Other forms of paralysis include:
- Spastic quadriplegia: Severe spasms that occur in limbs
- Hemiplegia: Paralysis that occurs on one side of the body
- Triplegia: Loss of feeling and/or function in both legs and one arm
How to Determine If You Have a Spinal Injury
Because a majority of reported spinal cord injuries are caused by violent blows to the vertebrae, there are a variety of accidents that can contribute. Motor vehicle accidents, for example, are a common cause of spinal cord injuries because drivers and passengers alike can easily be jostled in their vehicles or thrown from their seats. Motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are also far more likely to experience spinal cord injuries because they’re not protected by seat belts or airbags. Slip and fall accidents that lead to victims falling on their backs or onto objects can lead to paralysis, too.
While it may be obvious to some victims when they’ve suffered an injury in an accident, some spinal cord injuries take time to become known. You may have an injury if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Back pain or pressure in your back, neck, or head
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty walking or balancing
- Weakness or paralysis in any part of the body
- Changes in sexual function
- Numbness or loss of sensation in digits
- Tingling sensation in limbs or digits
Because numbness can often come immediately after an accident, you may not realize you have a spinal cord injury until hours or even days after your accident. This is why it’s crucial to seek medical attention if any part of your back, neck, or head was injured in an accident. If you’ve been injured and suspect immediately that you have a spinal cord injury, keep still and don’t move, and have someone call 911 to get you the help you need.
Damages You Can Recover In a Spinal Injury Lawsuit
A spinal cord injury falls under the category of catastrophic injuries, which refer to severe injuries that have lifelong impacts. Spinal cord injury victims who are paralyzed have to worry about their medical bills because they include future costs as well as emergency costs. People living with paralysis have to undergo rigorous physical therapy, as well as provide for medical equipment like wheelchairs and lifts so they can move around. Victims may also have to quit their jobs if they can no longer perform their tasks, especially if their work requires manual labor.
Our attorneys know how devastating this life change may be, and we can ease the transition by securing the compensation you need to pay for both current and future costs of care. We can also recover your lost wages and diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, and any property damage you’ve accrued. At Ginnis, Krathen, & Zelnick, P.A., your future matters to us.
