Claims for Spinal Cord Injury
 

Approximately 12,000 new spinal injury cases occur each year in the U.S., not including those that result in a fatality.

About 450,000 people in the United States have a spinal cord injury. To cope with the challenges of a spinal cord injury requires significant resources. If the spinal cord injury was the result of another's negligence, that person or entity may be liable for these expenses.

Spinal cord injury victims need experienced legal advice to determine what legal claims they may wish to pursue, and we at Chalat Hatten & Koupal PC offer that experience. We have represented numerous spinal cord injury victims throughout the course of our practice. Contact an attorney at our firm today to further discuss your options if you have experienced a spinal cord injury.

What is a spinal cord injury? A spinal cord injury consists of damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function, such as mobility or feeling. The spinal cord does not have to be severed for a loss of function to occur. In fact, for most people suffering these injuries, the spinal cord remains intact. Many spinal cord cases result in patients suffering paralysis of one or more limbs.

Since 2005, the average age at spinal injury is 39.5 years, and over three-quarters of spinal cord injuries occur in males. Over the last two years, motor vehicle crashes account for 42% of reported spinal cord injury cases. The next most common cause of spinal cord injury is falls, followed by acts of violence (primarily gunshot wounds) and recreational sporting activities. The proportion of injuries that are due to sports has decreased over time, while the proportion of injuries due to falls has increased.

Spinal cord injuries can be divided into two types of injury - complete and incomplete. A complete injury means that there is no function below the level of the injury: no sensation and no voluntary movement. Both sides of the body are equally affected. An incomplete injury means that there is some functioning below the primary level of the injury. A person with an incomplete injury may be able to move one limb more than another, may be able to feel parts of the body that cannot be moved, or may have more functioning on one side of the body than the other. With the advances in acute treatment of spinal cord injury, incomplete injuries are becoming more common.

The medical expenses that arise after a spinal cord injury are almost always astronomical. Overall, 85% of spinal cord injury patients who survive the first 24 hours are still alive 10 years later. This typically means expensive accommodations are needed over a long-term period. Other expenses which arise include future medical expenses, often coupled with a loss of income if the victim was previously employed. Frequently other family members lose time away from work as well.

Read how we helped a family win a spinal cord injury case.