Missouri Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys

Every year nearly 15,000 people in the United States experience a spinal cord injury. Although they can occur after any significant accident, over 44% of these spinal cord injuries are caused by automobile accidents. Unfortunately, many of these spinal cord injuries will result in some form of permanent paralysis and will significantly impact the lives of both the individual and their families.

The delicate spinal cord is surrounded by tiny bones known as vertebrae that protect the spinal cord from injury. During an accident, injuries to these bones can sever or compress the spinal cord, cutting off the brain from the rest of the body. When this occurs, the results can be devastating. Spinal cord injuries can leave victims with permanent impairment to the following areas:

• Motor deficit
• Sensory deficit
• Bowel and Bladder dysfunction
• Sexual dysfunction
• Breathing difficulties

Spinal cord injuries are roughly grouped into two classes – complete and incomplete injuries. In complete spinal cord injuries – which occur in only 5% of spinal injury cases – only “bare bones” neurological functions remain intact. In incomplete spinal injuries, some sensation and muscle control remains.

Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

• on the job accidents
• motor vehicle trauma
• degenerative diseases
• occluded blood vessels resulting from arteriosclerosis
• ischemia myelitis
• malformation of vascular tissue
• spina bifida
• Spinocerebellar Ataxia
• trauma caused by a physical assault
• slip and fall accident
• injury on the battlefield

Spinal Cord Injury Types

According to the American Spinal Cord Injury Association (ASIA), injuries to different vertebra can yield very different medical complications. Injuries to the cervical vertebrae, for instance, can impair your ability to breathe properly and weaken your shoulders and biceps. Injuries to lower cervical vertebrae and upper thoracic vertebrae can impair your ability to use your arms, wrists, hands, and fingers; however, your ability to breathe and control your diaphragm may not be impacted.

Injuries to lower thoracic vertebrae tend to yield less impairment overall than do injuries to the upper thoracic vertebrae (T1 through T8). Injuries to the sacral and lumbar areas of the spine can make it difficult to control the urinary and excretory systems, and reduce or impair the ability to walk, bend the knees, clench the feet, or use the legs at all.

Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

• The majority of spinal cord injuries occur to people between the ages of 16-30
• 82% of all those who experience spinal cord injuries are Male.
• Automobile accidents are the #1 cause of spinal cord injuries
• Only 52% of all spinal cord injury victims are covered by health insurance
• Expenses for the first year for paraplegics is almost $152,000; lifetime expenses = $428,000
• Expenses for the first year for quadriplegics is almost $417,000; lifetime expenses = $1.35 million

Receiving Compensation for a Spinal Cord Injury in Missouri

If you or someone you love sustained a spinal cord injury due to another person’s negligence, it is important to contact an experienced Missouri personal injury attorney immediately. Compensation will be needed to pay for medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost wages and lost quality of life.

A reliable personal injury attorney will need to work with insurance companies, doctors and neurologists to ensure that adequate compensation is received to cover all of your medical and rehabilitation needs both now — and in the future.

Our dedicated spinal injury lawyers help all victims understand the legal options available. We have experience handling all types of spinal cord injuries and we know how to get victims the compensation they need to move on with their lives and recover from these serious injuries. Please call (314) 322-8515 for an immediate response from Page Law or contact online at john@pagelaw.com