A spinal cord injury could be permanent, which means victims could be left with a variety of permanent physical limitations and ailments. People often think about paralysis and loss of sensation, but there can be many other problems associated with a spinal cord injury, from pain to loss of ability to regulate body temperature and trouble managing the bowels and bladder. Unfortunately, these injuries are often the result of another person or party’s negligence and could have been prevented. Victims of these preventable injuries may have legal recourse through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. The Hillsboro personal injury lawyers can take your case on contingency, which means you will not owe us anything unless you are compensated. We have helped many victims of negligence obtain the compensation they deserve. We can represent you at every stage of the legal process, handling all filings with courts and insurance companies, negotiating compensation, thoroughly investigating your accident, determining the value of your case and keeping you informed.
Your consultation with our Hillsboro spinal cord injury lawyers is free and comes with no obligation to move forward with legal action. In this consultation, we will explain how you could pursue compensation, the value of your case, and how we will aggressively go after negligent parties to obtain fair compensation.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form or call us at 503.342.0783.
What are the Different Types of Spinal Cord Injuries?
When people think of spinal cord injuries they often think about accidents that caused blunt trauma to the spinal cord, resulting in a serious injury. These account for a large percentage of spinal cord injuries.
These are also known as acute spinal cord injuries. They occur suddenly in different types of accidents, such as car accidents (passenger vehicle accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents), skiing accidents, or even slip and fall accidents. These accidents could also occur on bicycles or boats.
Some types of acute spinal cord injuries may include:
- Sprains and strains – When the muscles or tendons get twisted, pulled or torn it can result in a sprain or strain. Some people may think these are not that serious but they can cause considerable pain and could affect you for a prolonged period of time.
- Quadriplegia – This occurs when one or more vertebrae in the spinal cord break and the nerves are damaged. Victims lose sensation and function in both the arms and legs. The higher up the break, the more problems the victim is likely to have, such as trouble breathing. Quadriplegia is also likely to cause a loss of muscle control in the bladder, bowel and legs.
- Paraplegia – This is similar to quadriplegia except damage is inflicted much lower on the spinal cord, so the victim loses function in the legs and lower body. However, sometimes the extent of the damage is incomplete, and in these cases victims may have some degree of movement or feeling below the level of the injury.
- Ruptured or torn discs – When discs in the back are torn, a portion can stick out, causing severe pain on the surrounding nerves. If there is a rupture, there can be compression of the spinal cord, resulting in numbness and more pain.
If you suffered one of the spinal cord injuries above or another type in a car accident, contact our Hillsboro car accident attorneys for a free legal consultation.
Other Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
There are many other spinal cord injuries that are not caused by an accident or one single event. These are also known as overuse injuries, and they result from common, everyday activities that are done over a long period of time on a daily or regular basis. For example, workers who lift heavy objects on a regular basis could suffer damage to the spinal cord.
Symptoms of overuse injuries to watch for include muscle spasms and stiffness in the back. This may cause people to walk less because of the pain. Spasms occur when the muscles involuntarily contract, which can be very painful. Unfortunately, these issues can last for a prolonged period of time, including months or years.
Our Hillsboro spinal cord injury lawyers can carefully evaluate your situation to determine the damages you have suffered, including the cost of future and ongoing medical care. You will need compensation for this care to be able to afford it and try to move forward with your life.
Call our firm today 503.342.0783 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form.
How Are Spinal Cord Injuries Treated?
Some spinal cord injuries can be treated with medications, surgeries and physical therapy. In some cases, the pain and limited mobility can be lessened or eliminated almost completely.
However, if there is a break, or you suffer from a condition like quadriplegia or paraplegia, there is no cure. You may need to make a wide variety of modifications to your life to deal with all of the physical challenges you now have. This could include using a wheelchair to get around because you can no longer walk, using a bladder catheter, modifying your shower and other aspects of your home to accommodate your wheelchair and inability to walk, among many other things. You may also need prescription medication to manage pain and other issues caused by your injury.
If the spinal cord break is high enough, you will lose any ability to feel or function below the level of the injury and may need a breathing tube because you cannot breathe on your own. You will also need 24-hour care for everything.
However, even with a severe spinal cord injury, some level of rehabilitation may be possible, as long as the injury is not complete. For example, victims may be able to do a variety of exercises to develop or maintain range of motion and improve strength, redevelop fine motor skills and learn different techniques to accomplish daily tasks now that there are physical limitations.
Our Hillsboro spinal cord injury lawyers understand the damages experienced by spinal cord injury victims. We will review your medical records, consult experts, evaluate bills and receipts and take other appropriate steps to evaluate the full cost of your medical expenses, both now and for the rest of your life. We know how important compensation can be in helping you attempt to move forward after such a devastating injury.
We will also pursue compensation for non-economic forms of compensation, such as physical pain and emotional suffering caused by your injury. We know this can be just as valuable, if not more so than the economic damages victims suffer.
There is a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit, depending on the specifics of the situation where your injury occurred. This is why you should get started on the legal process right away. Our spinal cord injury lawyers in Hillsboro can help ensure your case is filed before any deadlines pass.
Contact us today for your free, no obligation legal consultation.
Contact Rizk Law’s Hillsboro Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers Now
Have you suffered a spinal cord injury?
Contact our firm today to find out how we can guide you throughout the legal process. You should not have to manage this on your own, particularly now that you are dealing with a spinal cord injury. Our spinal cord injury lawyers in Hillsboro can review your case in a free legal consultation. There is no risk to you because you are not obligated to take legal action. You will also not be charged for our services unless you receive compensation.
Call Rizk Law right now for a free consultation at 503.342.0783