Your Legal Options Following a Spinal Cord Injury
Those who have suffered a spinal cord injury as the result of another's negligence should not have to bear the brunt of these expenses on their own.

April 08, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Your Legal Options Following a Spinal Cord Injury

There is no such thing as a minor spinal cord injury. Every spinal cord injury is serious and many result in life-long consequences for the injured person. Spinal cord injuries are also expensive. From hospitalization to surgery, medication and rehabilitation costs, spinal cord injury survivors face tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses or more, which may exceed coverage limits under even the best health care insurance policies.

Those who have suffered a spinal cord injury as the result of another's negligence should not have to bear the brunt of these expenses on their own. When a spinal cord injury is caused by another person's negligent acts, the victim may have legal options available to them including the right to file a civil lawsuit to recover full damages for their injury.

Basic Anatomy of a Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries can occur for a variety of reasons. The most common cause of spinal cord injuries is trauma to the spine resulting in damage to the delicate spinal cord tissue and nerves. Since the spinal cord is responsible for carrying messages from the brain to the rest of the body, any disruption of the nerves can have serious consequences. The severity of the spinal cord injury depends on the extent of the damage to the tissue and nerves as well as the level of the spine that was injured.

There are four distinct levels of the human spine. From the base of the skull down, those levels are known as follows: cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral. The bones that make up the spine are called vertebrae. The tissue between the bones in the spine, or vertebrae, are called discs. The spinal cord, which consists of nerves, runs from the brain down the spine. When there is a spinal cord injury, the symptoms and consequences vary depending on the level and severity of the injury. For example:
- Cervical vertebrae (C1-C7): neck vertebrae; loss of function of arms and legs; may result in quadriplegia and/or require ventilator use
- Thoracic vertebrae (T1-T12): chest vertebrae; loss of function in chest and legs; may result in paraplegia
- Lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5): lower back to top of pelvis vertebrae; loss of hip or leg function
- Sacral vertebrae (S1-S5): pelvis to tail bone vertebrae (these vertebrae are fused together in adults); loss of hip or leg function

Spinal cord injuries can be complete or incomplete. A complete injury means that the person is paralyzed below the level of injury. An incomplete injury means that the person still has some feeling and/or range of motion below the level of injury.

Some of the other consequences of a spinal cord injury may include:
-Chronic pain
-Physical impairment, including loss of range of motion
-Radiculopathy, often characterized by numbness, tingling and/or weakness in the extremities (arms, hands, legs, feet depending on the level and severity of the injury)
-Incontinence; bladder and bowel dysfunction
-Sexual dysfunction and infertility

The treatment options for a spinal cord injury also vary depending on the severity of the injury. Treatment can include surgery (e.g., laminectomy, discectomy, fusion), medication, rehabilitation and therapy. Rehabilitation and therapy specialists work with spinal cord injury victims to help them regain as much range of motion and motor control as possible, and to teach them how to live with the limitations imposed by their injuries.

Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, two of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries are motor vehicle accidents and falls. Additionally, spinal cord injuries can be caused by trucking accidents, defective products, and workplace accidents (particularly in high risk occupations like construction, oil rig and gas pipeline work). Males between the ages of 16 and 30 are the most common victims of spinal cord injuries.

Rhino ATV Injuries

The Yamaha Rhino ATV is one example of a defective product that has been known to cause spinal cord injuries. The Rhino, a side-by-side seater, open concept all-terrain vehicle, has proven to be susceptible to roll-overs with catastrophic results for the passengers.

In addition to spinal cord injuries, victims of Yamaha Rhino ATV accidents also have suffered broken bones, permanent nerve damage, brain injuries, crush injuries and loss of limb to amputation. While the majority of these injuries occur when the passengers become trapped under the vehicle, passengers also have been thrown from the ATV.

Rhino ATV accidents have occurred even when the vehicles are traveling at low speeds, on flat ground or when making slight turns. Key features of the vehicle -- including its high body, narrow wheel base and a roll cage in close proximity to the passengers' heads -- have made it more susceptible to roll-overs than other ATVs.

Contact an Attorney Today

It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 people currently living in the United States with a spinal cord injury. 10,000 new cases are added each year. When a spinal cord injury is caused by the negligent act of another person, a motor vehicle accident, a trucking accident, a defective product or a workplace accident, the victim may be entitled to compensation for his or her injuries. This includes compensation not just for past and future medical expenses, but also for past and future loss of earnings, impairment, pain and other losses.

For more information on your legal options following a spinal cord injury, contact an experienced attorney today.

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