Spinal cord injuries are devastating. It’s OK if you feel completely overwhelmed right now. We’ve got you. Our Atlanta spinal cord injury lawyers will help take the weight of the world off of your shoulders.
At Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers, our Atlanta injury lawyers have successfully represented spinal cord injury victims for decades. We’ll deliver the best customer service and the greatest result. Our prior victories and our 5-star client reviews validate that promise.
Call us today at (404) 939-9470. Also, you may fill-out our online contact form to schedule a free case review with an Atlanta spinal cord injury lawyer. If you’ve got questions, we’ve got the answers.
What Is The Spinal Cord?
The spinal cord is a bundle of 31 nerves that transmit brain signals to your body organs and limbs. Those nerves enable you to move your arms and legs. They also control your vital organ functions.
If you damage your spinal cord, you may lose the ability to move your arms and legs. Some spinal cord injury victims’ hearts and lungs also fail. Even a moderate spinal cord injury may cause a victim to experience chronic pain, numbness, and stiffness in their neck and back.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are frequently caused by:
Spinal Cord Injury Diagnosis and Treatment
Common spinal cord injury symptoms are muscle weakness, fatigue, loss of sensation, and bladder control issues. You should get your spinal cord symptoms treated immediately. That way, you’ll significantly increase the chances that you’ll recover from your injuries.
Spinal cord injuries are initially diagnosed during a physical exam. Your doctor will test your muscle strength and sensation during that exam. They’ll also get a history from you so that they understand how you were injured. Next, your doctor will order x-rays, CT-scans and MRIs. Those images help identify the injury site.
Sometimes, steroid injections decrease spinal cord swelling and inflammation. You’ll typically know whether they’re effective within eight (8) hours. Surgery is also an option in some moderate spinal cord injury cases.
There are two primary spinal cord surgery goals:
- Relieve spinal cord pressure
- Stabilize the spine
Rehabilitation is the next step. Physical therapy may help you regain muscle strength and flexibility. However, it’s expensive. Your Atlanta spinal cord injury lawyer will help you find medical providers that can treat you on a lien basis. That way, you don’t have to pay them until your case settles.
Common Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are more common than you think. 17,900 people injure their spinal cord every year in the U.S., through blood clotting, tumors, loss of blood supply, or trauma. Here are the most common spinal cord injuries:
Paralysis
There are two types of spinal cord injury paralysis: paraplegia and quadriplegia. Quadriplegics lose control of all bodily functions below their neck. Paraplegics lose control of all bodily functions below their waist.
A complete spinal cord injury occurs when a victim loses muscle function below the damaged nerve. Those injuries typically impact both sides of the body. An incomplete spinal cord injury enables muscles to function below the damaged nerve. Also, they typically impact both sides of the body.
Cervical Spinal Cord Injuries
Cervical spinal cord injuries damage the top seven spinal cord nerves. They are the most life-threatening spinal cord injuries. They often cause quadriplegia. Many cervical spinal cord injuries are fatal because those nerves control the body’s vital life functions.
Spinal Stenosis
Traumatic accidents frequently cause the spinal discs to compress spinal nerves (stenosis). Sometimes stenosis also develops over the course of time through bone overgrowth, tumors, or deterioration of the cartilage between nerves. Your treating orthopedist or neurosurgeon will determine whether your stenosis was “traumatic” or “degenerative.”
Our Atlanta Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers Can Help You
If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury, you may receive compensation for your losses. Our spinal cord injury lawyers will help you rebuild your life one step at a time. Just give us a call. We’re here to help you.
Call us today at (404) 939-9470. Also, you may fill-out our online contact form to schedule a free case review with an Atlanta spinal cord injury lawyer.
