Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries are devastating, life-altering, and the most serious type of catastrophic injury. Spinal cord injuries touch approximately 11,000 people annually. If you or someone you love has experienced a spinal cord injury, you know it doesn’t just affect the injured person, but that person’s entire family.

Spinal cord injuries result in a lifetime of physical and psychological distress. Serious spinal cord injuries are classified in one of two ways – paraplegia and quadriplegia.

• Paraplegia.  Paralysis of the lower extremities.  Paraplegia can leave a person dependent on a wheelchair and can also result in impotence, as well as urinary and bowel incontinence.
• Quadriplegia.  This type of paralysis happens when there is trauma to the upper spinal cord. Quadriplegia causes paralysis in all four limbs, affecting motor function, breathing, and all bodily functions.

The most common causes of spinal cord injuries:

• Car Accidents cause approximately 50% of all spinal cord injuries
• Falls account for 22% of spinal cord injuries
• Acts of violence, i.e. gunshots and stabbing
• Sports-related injuries, such as football and gymnastics
• Work accidents
• Medical Malpractice

Individuals with spinal cord injury are forced to change the entire course of their lives. They often can no longer work, drive, care for themselves, their children, or engage in recreational activities. They become permanently disabled, requiring 24 hour care, continuous hospitalizations, physical and occupational therapy, and even a new residence that is wheel-chair accessible.

If you’re spinal cord injury was the result of someone else’s mistake, call THE BOERST LAW OFFICE today to set up a free consultation.