Car Accident Spine Injury Lawyer Near You
Spinal cord injuries often develop due to car accidents, gun violence, sporting events and various medical traumas and diseases. The Bronx borough of New York City often sees more than its share of this country’s 4.5 million annual car accidents that result in spinal cord injuries, broken bones and body lacerations.
Useful descriptions of spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and how they’re generally classified are listed below – along with information about the physical paralysis that can follow. Additional information is provided about the most common types of medical complications that SCI survivors must battle while undergoing rehabilitation and trying to heal.
For more on this subject or to discuss a specific case, seek the counsel of a nearby experienced Bronx spinal cord injury attorney with our injury team.
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Bronx, New York 10468
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Types of Paralysis After a Spinal Cord Injury
Navigating spinal cord injuries involves understanding the differences between complete and incomplete injuries, as well as the various types of paralysis they can cause. In such complex situations, having a Bronx spinal fracture lawyer near you by your side is crucial. As medical professionals assess the extent of neurological damage and injury completeness, individuals and their families seek guidance through the legal process. Whether dealing with tetraplegia, paraplegia, or the different degrees of incomplete injuries, an experienced Bronx spine injury lawyer can provide assistance in seeking compensation and rehabilitation.
Complete and incomplete SCIs – and the two most basic forms of paralysis:
- Complete vs. incomplete spinal cord injuries. What frequently determines how long it may take someone to recover from a spinal cord injury is the exact location and severity of the injury. Doctors must also determine if the patient has suffered a “complete” or “incomplete” spinal cord injury. A “complete” SCI is one that causes a person to lose all sensory feeling and the ability to control bodily movements (motor functions) below the actual SCI. However, if a patient is still able to experience some sensory sensations and control movements below the body level of the spinal cord injury, then the SCI is classified as “incomplete” There are obviously many degrees of loss associated with incomplete SCIs.
- Types of paralysis often caused by spinal cord injuries.
- Tetraplegia. This type of paralysis (also often referred to as quadriplegia), means that the patient’s legs, arms, hands, trunk and pelvic organs have all been affected by the SCI.
- Paraplegia. This form of paralysis mainly affects a person’s legs, trunk and pelvic organs.
The treating doctor and other healthcare workers will run tests to help determine the full extent of each patient’s neurological losses and the completeness of the injury.
Common Medical Complications From a Spinal Cord Injury
Common medical complications that patients suffer due to their original SCI’s:
Before reviewing some of these complications, it’s important to note that the central nervous system is made up of the spinal cord and the brain. When any major force crushes, fractures, dislocates or compresses some of the spinal cord vertebrae – sensitive messages can no longer be sent from the brain to the spinal cord to move different limbs. Furthermore, SCIs can take away sensations of pain, heat, cold and pressure.
Here’s a list of other complications that SCI patients must often battle on a regular basis, and a Bronx spinal cord injury attorney can help with.
- Bladder problems. Although the bladder can still fill up with urine after most SCI accidents, the brain may no longer be able to send the proper signals to help control the bladder’s output of urine. For this reason, many SCI patients struggle with kidney, bladder and urinary tract infections.
- Blood circulation issues. These may appear in the form of low blood pressure when the patient stands up or when there’s swelling in different extremities. An SCI patient may also become more likely to develop blood clots, a pulmonary embolus or deep vein thrombosis. Other SCI patients develop life-threatening spikes in their blood pressure.
- Bowel control problems. Even though the intestines and stomach may keep working like they did before the SCI, patients often have problems controlling when they have bowel movements.
- Respiratory system issues. Some SCI patients discover that they can no longer easily control their abdominal and chest muscles – causing them breathing and coughing difficulties. These patients’ problems with their diaphragms and muscles in their chest walls often heighten their challenges.
- Pain control. Your doctors must help you find ways to manage your pain through both exercise and limited use of painkillers. SCI patients who’ve suffered incomplete injuries tend to report more frequent pain sensations;
- Overall fitness, loss of muscle tone and general wellness issues. Limp muscles can develop after an SCI – or over reactive ones that may cause limbs to move in a rather spastic manner. Rehabilitation workers can help patients learn to better manage these symptoms. Many SCI patients also tend to lose weight and develop muscle atrophy. A dietician can help patients develop a healthy diet and weight.
- Depression. It’s always wise to obtain long-term talking therapy after incurring any spinal cord injury because it’s hard to confront many new physical limitations. If your treating hospital doesn’t provide a support group for people with SCIs or paralysis, be sure to ask them to start one, since it’s always helpful to meet others who understand your daily battles.
After a spinal cord injury (SCI), people face many difficulties beyond the initial injury. That’s where a Bronx spinal fracture lawyer near you comes in. Our Bronx spinal cord attorneys offer support and guidance throughout the legal journey. Contact us today!
Case Settlement Examples of Spinal Cord Injuries in the Bronx, New York
How much compensation you get for a Bronx spinal cord injury settlement varies based on the unique circumstances of each situation and the severity of your injuries. Based on the case settlement data on this page, the average spinal cord injury settlement is between $100,000 to $500,000.
$100,000 Settlement for a Spine Injury
The trial lawyers at Frekhtman & Associates recently scored a major victory by settling a car accident case for $100,000.00. Although the amount is not extraordinarily high, it is a significant result in light of the injuries sustained by the client and the current New York No Fault serious injury threshold law or Insurance Law 5102(d). The client sustained bulging discs in his cervical spine after the accident and had about 3 months of treatment. Usually, such cases can be dismissed for lack of serious injury or failure to meet the minimal threshold needed under NY law. In this case, however, the trial attorney was able to prove a serious injury by gathering competent medical evidence from all the patient’s treating doctors and writing a strong brief on the issue. He then prepared the case for trial, selected a jury in Supreme Court, Kings County, and then settled the action for $100,000.00.
$500,000 Settlement for a Back and Spine Injury
A pedestrian struck by a car in Manhattan won a $500,000 settlement after mediation. Frekhtman & Associates senior trial attorney, negotiated the settlement of this action which was on the trial calendar in Bronx Supreme Court about 2-3 months away from a final trial date. Liability was strong against both cars who collided with each other in the roadway sending one of the vehicles onto the sidewalk striking the pedestrian. Injuries included: soft tissue back injuries, torn meniscus with arthroscopic surgical procedure, and neurological treatment. The firm was happy with this result and continues to fight for our clients in all aspects of personal injury practice.
Contact a Bronx Spinal Fracture Lawyer Near You
If you’ve suffered a serious spinal cord injury due to the negligence of another party, and need to speak to a Bronx spinal fracture lawyer, contact Frekhtman & Associates online or call (347) 657-6402 for a free case evaluation. Our Bronx car accident spine injury lawyers will meet with you to learn all about the facts of your case, and then use our strong experience in this field to try and obtain the maximum damages available to compensate you for your many losses.
Our law firm handles truck accident matters throughout Bronx County in New York including the neighborhoods of the South Bronx, Bedford Park, Belmont, Fordham, Kingsbridge, Marble Hill, Norwood, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, University Heights, Woodlawn, Bathgate, East Tremont, Claremont, Concourse, Hunts Point, Highbridge, Longwood, Melrose, Morrisania, Mott Haven, The Hub, Tremont, West Farms, Allerton, Baychester, Bronxdale, City Island, Co-op City, Eastchester, Edenwald, Olinville, Morris Park, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway, Van Nest, Williamsbridge, Bronx River, Castle Hill, Clason Point, Country Club, Harding Park, Parkchester, Pelham Bay, Soundview, Schuylerville, Throggs Neck, Unionport, and Westchester Square.