Damage to the spinal cord can dramatically reduce a victim’s quality of life. Spinal cord injuries can affect a person’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Such injuries can result in long-term or permanent disability, impairment, or disfigurement.
Severe spinal cord injuries occur far more frequently in Las Vegas than most people realize. Even a tiny amount of damage to your spinal cord can result in severe harm. Motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, acts of violence, and sports injuries are the leading causes of spinal cord injuries.
What Is A Spinal Cord Injury?
The spinal cord is a column of bone (vertebrae) and nerves that run from the base of the neck to the tailbone. The nerves in the spinal cord are responsible for communicating signals from the brain throughout the body.
A Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when a traumatic incident damages cells within the spinal cord or severs the nerves that relay signals up and down the spinal cord.
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, nearly 18,000 Americans sustain a severe spinal cord injury yearly. Almost 300,000 Americans live with a spinal cord injury in the U.S.
Types Of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete spinal cord injuries.
A complete spinal cord injury results in permanent spinal cord damage. Complete SCIs are very serious. They occur when a spinal cord injury eliminates the brain’s ability to send signals below the injury site. Complete SCIs can lead to Paraplegia or Quadriplegia.
An incomplete spinal cord injury leads to a partial loss of function, depending upon the severity of the injury and where it occurred. Such injuries commonly result from compression or damage being inflicted to the spinal cord that reduces the brain’s ability to send signals below the injury site.
Because of the partially-compromised spinal cord condition, incomplete injuries vary from person to person.
The spinal cord is divided into four primary sections. The severity of a spinal cord injury depends largely upon where the spinal cord was damaged.
Cervical Spinal Cord
The top seven vertebrae in the spine make up the cervical spine. Damage to the cervical spine tends to be the most severe. A spinal cord injury can impact every bodily function below the damaged area.
Cervical spinal cord injuries can result in Quadriplegia or paralysis from the neck down.
Victims often never recover fully and can lose their living ability without around-the-clock care.
Thoracic Spinal Cord
The thoracic spine sits below the cervical spine in the upper and middle region of the back. It comprises 12 vertebrae that control movement in the torso and legs, as well as breathing.
The thoracic spine plays a crucial role in controlling bodily movement.
Long-term consequences of thoracic spinal cord injuries often include paralysis from the waist down or Paraplegia.
Lumbar Spinal Cord
The lumbar spinal cord is situated in the lower back. It consists of five vertebrae that tend to be larger and sturdier than those in the cervical or thoracic spine. Most of the body’s weight rests on the lumbar spine.
Because the lumbar region is more sturdy, injuries to the lumbar spine, tend to be less severe. That doesn’t mean they don’t have the potential to cause long-term damage.
Sacral Spinal Cord
The sacral spinal cord is located at the base of the spine–or the tailbone. The five vertebrae in the sacral spine are fused into a triangular shape. While sacral spinal cord injuries are rare, the damage can be severe.
Damage that occurs higher up in the cervical or thoracic spine tends to be more severe than damage to the lower lumbar or sacral spinal cord.
How Much Is My Spinal Cord Injury Claim Worth?
While it’s impossible to offer an exact figure, relevant factors that will determine the value of your claim include the severity of your spinal cord injury and your overall prognosis, your age and life expectancy, the cost of your current and future medical treatment, the cost of rehabilitation and physical therapy, and the value of your lost wages, income, and earning potential.
About thirty percent (30%) of individuals with SCI are re-hospitalized one or more times during any given year following their injuries. Among those re-hospitalized, the length of the hospital stay averages twenty-two (22) days.
Average first-year expenses for an SCI with Paraplegia are over $500,000, and up to $1.2 million for Quadriplegia.
Best Treatment For Spinal Cord Injuries In The Country
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research helped create the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Model System. The Administration for Community Living and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sponsors the following all-encompassing model systems for people with SCI:
- Rocky Mountain Regional Spinal Injury System in Denver, Colorado
- Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System, Located in Chicago, Illinois
- Texas Model Spinal Cord Injury System
- South Florida SCIMS
- Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System
- University of Alabama at Birmingham Spinal Cord Injury Model System
- Southern California Spinal Cord Injury Model System in Downey, California
- Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center
- Southeastern Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System in Atlanta, Georgia
- Mount Sinai Hospital Spinal Cord Injury Model System in New York
- Regional SCI Center of the Delaware Valley
- University of Pittsburgh Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury
- Northeast Ohio Regional Spinal Cord Injury System
- Ohio Regional SCI Model System (ORSCIMS)
- Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center
As none of the above elite clinics are located in Nevada, Las Vegas residents who suffer severe spinal cord injuries may have to travel and spend more money to seek treatment at the above state-of-the-art spinal cord treatment facilities. An experienced spinal cord injury attorney at Pacific West Injury Law knows that patients might have to seek treatment out-of-state and will bring it up during negotiations with insurers.
Pacific West Injury Law – We Negotiate Higher Settlements For Victims Of Catastrophic Injuries
At Pacific West Injury Law, We work with medical experts, accident reconstruction specialists, economists, and other professionals to investigate the cause of the injury, and calculate the full extent of the clients’ damages, including future medical expenses, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the long-term consequences for the victim.
Our law firm reviews the liable party’s insurance policies exhaustively and meticulously to ensure that any future accident-related expenses our clients will face are accounted for.
Spinal cord injury victims face future medical expenses related to their injuries, such as home modifications, In-home nurses if they can no longer perform daily tasks independently, ongoing physical therapy sessions, and other rehabilitative therapy.
By maximizing compensation, our catastrophic injury lawyers ensure clients achieve justice and financial security.
Contact A Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Right Away
If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury in Las Vegas, Henderson, or North Las Vegas, it is crucial to seek the guidance of an experienced Las Vegas catastrophic injury lawyer who has the expertise, resources, and dedication needed to build a strong legal case and obtain substantial, yet fair compensation for you, whether through negotiations or litigation.