Texas Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Name: Spinal Cord Injury
Brand: McCraw Law Group

Severe damage to the spinal cord is a catastrophic injury with life-altering consequences. It can cause partial or complete paralysis below the location of the injury.

Maximize Your Recovery

A spinal cord injury may require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. It can affect your ability to earn income and engage in the tasks of daily living. If someone else’s negligence caused your spinal cord injury, it is essential to consult with a spinal cord injury lawyer to pursue the maximum compensation available for your recovery and your future.

What Is the Spinal Cord?

The spinal cord is a major component of the nervous system. It is a long, cylindrical band of tissue that runs through the center of the spine, connecting the brain stem to the lower back. The spinal cord is a delicate structure composed of cells and nerve bundles that send and receive signals between the brain and the body. These nerve signals allow you to experience sensations and control movement. Damage to the spinal cord can impair both movement and function.

What Are the Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injury?

The extent of paralysis after spinal cord injury depends on two factors – the location of the injury on the spinal cord and the severity of the injury. The lowest undamaged part of the spinal cord is called the neurological level of the injury.

The amount of sensation lost is called “completeness.” A spinal cord injury may be:

Incomplete: Some sensation and control of movement remain, or
Complete: All feeling and ability to control movement below the level of the injury are lost.

Paralysis that affects all or part of the trunk, the pelvic organs, and the legs, but not the arms, is paraplegia. When the arms, hands, trunk, pelvic organs, and legs are affected, the condition is quadriplegia or tetraplegia.

What Are the Causes of Spinal Cord Injury?

Spinal cord injury can result from damage to the spinal column’s vertebrae, ligaments, discs or to the spinal cord itself. A traumatic blow to the spine or a penetrating injury, such as a gunshot or knife wound, can damage the spinal cord. The leading causes of spinal cord injury are motor vehicle accidents and falls. Other common causes include acts of violence, sports injuries, and workplace accidents.

What Are the Complications of Spinal Cord Injury?

Injury to the spinal cord can cause a range of medical complications, some of which may be addressed with rehabilitation. Common complications include:

Loss of bowel and bladder control
Pressure injuries due to loss of sensation
Circulatory problems, including low blood pressure, swelling in the arms and legs, blood clots, and autonomic dysreflexia (a potentially life-threatening rise in blood pressure)
Problems breathing and coughing if paralysis affects the chest and stomach muscles
Flaccidity (limp muscles) or spasticity (tightening of the muscles)
Loss of bone density below the level of the injury

What Are Your Options for Compensation?

If your spinal cord injury was caused by the negligence or wrongdoing of another, you are entitled to seek compensation from the at-fault party. For example, if you were injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by a drunk, drug-impaired, distracted, or reckless driver, the at-fault driver may be held liable for your losses. Damages can be extensive in a spinal cord injury claim. Depending on the circumstances, they may include:

Medical expenses (including hospitalizations, ongoing treatment, prescription medications, physical and occupational therapy, medical and mobility equipment, home and vehicle adaptations, and healthcare costs for secondary complications)
Lost wages or earnings
Loss of earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Emotional trauma
Mental anguish
Loss of consortium
Loss of enjoyment of life

If your injury resulted from gross negligence, you may be eligible to recover punitive damages. Awarded in addition to compensatory damages, they are designed to punish the defendant for wrongdoing and deter similar actions in the future.

How Can We Help After Spinal Cord Injury?

Our spinal cord injury attorneys at McCraw Law Group have decades of experience and a history of success representing catastrophic injury victims. We recover tens of millions of dollars a year for our clients. Our firm is not a settlement mill but a compassionate, effective legal team with a proven process that gets better results faster. We are seasoned trial lawyers who will go to court if necessary to pursue the compensation you deserve.