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Sustaining damage to your spinal cord can result in life-altering, devastating consequences that may be permanent. You could have issues with strength, your senses, as well as issues with proper bodily functions. A healthy person that has a traumatic incident that leads to spinal cord trauma will not only have to deal with the physical harm that they sustained but may also have to manage the psychological toll that the incident caused. Coming to the realization that your entire life has changed and you have to figure out how to live in an altered state can be very difficult to comprehend and cope with. Physically working through bodily harm is also challenging. The aftermath of a catastrophic spinal cord injury for a victim can affect every aspect of the individual’s life including relationships with others.
When your vertebrae, the ligaments in your spine, or the disks are injured because of the negligence of another party, you have the right to sue for compensation for the damages that you have to endure. The Florida spinal cord injury attorneys at Sheftall Law understand the challenges and obstacles that victims of severe injury accidents in Jacksonville face. Spinal cord injuries are serious and they are understandably overwhelming for victims. After an injury accident in Jacksonville, the best course of action you can take once you have been seen and treated by a medical professional is to reach out to the qualified and talented Jacksonville catastrophic injury attorneys at Sheftall Law.
What Causes Spinal Cord Injuries?
When an unexpected, powerful blow impacts your spine it can crush it, fracture it, lead to compression, or dislocate your vertebrae. There are several ways that a person can sustain severe spinal cord injuries including, but not limited to the following situations:
Automobile accident
Slip and fall accident
Abuse
Violent encounters
Sports
Workplace incidents
Motor vehicle accidents account for close to half of all spinal cord injuries that happen every year in the United States. The Mayo Clinic reports that 31% of spinal cord injuries happen after a fall accident, and violence makes up 13% of spinal cord damage. Recreational activities are behind approximately 10% of these incidents. It is not just physical impairments that harm the spinal cord, diseases and ailments can too. Cancer can lead to spinal cord injuries and so can arthritis and osteoporosis.
There is the initial impact or penetration of the spinal cord that causes destruction and then there is the ongoing damage that can develop within days and weeks. Your spine can become encased with fluid accumulation from the trauma which may continue to degrade the health of your spine. Nontraumatic injuries to the spine can also have additional health implications such as:
Cancer
Arthritis
Chronic inflammation and pain
Infection
Disk deterioration
Persistent stiffness
While the scientific community is seeing advances in technology as a means to be able to treat spinal cord injuries more effectively in the future, for now, the science is not quite there. Because of this, victims of spinal cord damage must rely on rehabilitation, medicines, and assistive devices.
What Red Flags Can Indicate Spinal Cord Damage?
Once your health care provider examines you for your injuries they will also want to figure out how widespread and severe your damage is. They will conduct neurological tests and other methods of assessment to determine if your spinal cord damage is complete or incomplete. When the area below the location of your spinal cord damage has no sensory or motor abilities, then you have a complete injury. When some of your ability to move and sense is present below the area where your damage is located, then you have some degree of incomplete injury.
The implications of a spinal cord injury include:
Inability to move
Loss of sensation
Bladder and bowel control problems
Issues with sexual function
Fertility troubles
Challenges breathing and coughing to remove accumulations in your lungs
Pain
Muscle spasms
There are also emergency indicators that damage has been done to your spine such as:
Excessive pain or pressure in the back, in your head, or in your neck.
Feeling weak and not having full control of your body.
Paralysis of some part of your body.
Problems with walking and maintaining balance.
Inability to control the bladder or bowel movements.
Difficulty breathing.
A twisted neck or misshapen back.
Tingling and numbness in your digits.
If you were suffered blunt force to your head or neck, you should immediately get to your medical provider for an exam. Even if you do not experience the symptoms associated with spinal cord injury right away, that does not mean the damage is not there. If the injury goes unnoticed and untreated, greater harm may develop.
Speak to a Florida Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Today
Every day there is the potential to be injured in an accident. Sometimes injuries are self-inflicted and other times, reckless actions of a negligent party hurt other people. Victims of injury accidents in Jacksonville that result in damage to the spinal cord should connect with Sheftall Law for assistance filing a Florida personal injury claim. It is critical to obtain the highest amount of compensation for all of the damages that you had to endure after your catastrophic injury accident in Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville catastrophic injury attorneys at Sheftall Law understand the system and how to collect a maximum recovery for victims. The attorneys at Sheftall Law have secured millions of dollars for victims that were harmed by the disregardful and neglectful actions of other negligent parties. Call today to schedule your free consultation at 904-647-2296 to learn more about how the attorneys at Sheftall Law can help you see your best possible outcome.
Sheftall Law offers cost-effective and decisive legal counsel for victims of injury accidents in Jacksonville so they can get all of the compensation they deserve and have the ability to move on with their life. When you work with Sheftall Law, you are not financially obligated to pay any attorney fees unless your case is won and you are compensated for your damages.
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In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, our attorneys and staff are available for telephone and videoconference appointments to discuss your concerns. Click the contact button to schedule a consultation with us. Contact Us!
When an unexpected, powerful blow impacts your spine it can crush it, fracture it, lead to compression, or dislocate your vertebrae. There are several ways that a person can sustain severe spinal cord injuries including, but not limited to the following situations:
