A traumatic injury to the spinal cord can change your life in an instant. As one of the most severe catastrophic injuries, spinal cord traumas not only impact the person who was injured, but it also has a profound effect on a person’s family and friends. Spinal cord injuries may occur to your cervical (neck), thoracic (middle back), or lumbar (lower back) areas. Today, our spinal cord injury attorneys want to share the 3 common causes of injuries we see in Missouri and Illinois personal injury cases.
Motor vehicle accidents and motorcycle accidents are the most common cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States. A traumatic injury to the spinal cord may happen from a rear-end accident, collision with a drunk driver or a head-on tractor-trailer crash. These types of crashes tend to cause soft-tissue injuries like whiplash, or more severe injuries such as herniated discs, fractures, bruised nerves, or complete spinal cord damage. Wearing your seatbelt is the safest way to reduce your chances of suffering a serious back or neck injury from a motor vehicle accident.
Spinal cord injuries may also be caused from a slip and fall, or a trip and fall. After age 65, the most common cause of spinal cord trauma is a fall. As spinal cord injury attorneys, we commonly see slip and fall cases occurring inside when there is a wet substance on the floor of a premises such as Wal-Mart, Target or a grocery store. Additionally, a slip and fall may also happen outside due to snow and ice. To keep yourself and loved ones safe, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and to wear rubber soled shoes.
Sports and recreational activities can also result in severe spinal cord injuries. Football and other high-impact sports account for around 10% of yearly spinal cord injuries. Always wear proper safety gear protection when playing a contact sport to reduce your chance of a traumatic injury to the spine. You should also check the water depth before jumping or diving into a swimming pool, lake or ocean.
Throughout the years, our spinal cord injury attorneys have represented numerous people who have sustained traumatic injuries to the spinal cord. Recently, our spinal cord injury attorneys obtained a $1.5 million verdict for a client who suffered a traumatic injury and underwent lower back surgery due to a tractor-trailer accident in the City of St. Louis, Missouri. We have also obtained millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for other clients who have undergone spinal cord surgeries due to someone else’s negligence.
Additionally, there are a variety of surgeries that an injured person may have to undergo to repair their spine. The most common spine surgeries are a fusion, decompression, microdiscectomy, laminectomy, foraminotomy or artificial disc replacement. Following surgery, there is often a period of rest and rehabilitation in order to repair spinal injuries. Depending on how severe the surgery is, rehabilitation may require weeks of time off work or complete inability to return to work.
At MHM, our spinal cord injury attorneys have the experience to investigate the cause of your injuries. We also understand how spinal cord injuries can impact your ability to work and pay for the large medical bills. If you or a loved one have suffered a traumatic injury to the spinal cord, contact MHM Legal as you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation.