Whether it is from a serious car accident, a slip and fall or some other type of personal injury whenever you injure your spinal cord, it is serious and should be treated that way. Your spinal cord is a long tubular bundle of 31 different nerve pairings that control different functions on your body. Extending from your brainstem (mendulla oblongata) to your lower back and protected by your bones and discs, your spinal cord controls important functions like bladder control, limb movements and so much more.
SPINAL CORD INJURIES
When you are in a serious accident, your spinal cord can be impacted. The main regions of the spinal cord are: cervical spinal cord (C1-C8), thorasic spinal cord (T1-T12), lumbar spinal cord (L1-L5) and sacral spinal cord. Medical experts classify a spinal cord injury according to their “completeness”:
- Incomplete spinal cord injury: Do you have some form of sensory function below where the injury occurred? If so, then this is classified as an incomplete injury. The degree of function depends on the severity of the injury. Accounting for 60% of spinal cord injuries…
- Complete spinal cord injury: The more serious classification of the two, a complete spinal cord injury involves paralysis on some level. To classify a spinal cord injury as complete, the individual loses all or almost all sensory and motor functions in the area below the spinal cord injury. The four main types of paralysis can occur are: monoplegia (paralysis in one limb), hemiplegia (paralysis in one arm and leg on the same side of the body), paaplegia (paralysis in the lower part of the body) and quadriplegia (also known as terriplegia, this is paralysis in both arms and legs).
In addition to total or partial paralysis, some of the side effects of a spinal cord injury include: loss of bladder and bowel control, sensory issues, circulatory issues, muscle atrophy, respiratory complications, chronic aches and pains, inability to carry on sexual relations and emotional issues.
COMMON CAUSES OF SPINAL CORD INJURIES
As Los Angeles-based personal injury attorneys for over 40 years, we have unfortunately seen a wide range of spinal cord injuries. Many of the victims we help suffer from temporary or permanent damage following their accident. Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries include:
- Car Accidents: The traumatic blow of a car accident is one of the main causes of spinal cord injuries. Our bodies are simply not able to handle this level of impact and the damage to the spine can be tremendous. Accounting for 35% of spinal cord injuries every year, how an individual is handled shortly after the accident can make a difference on whether his or her car accident spinal cord injury is incomplete or complete.
- Falls: While the majority of fall-based spinal injuries are related to older individuals losing their balance, a slip and fall due to the negligence of another person or place can also cause these serious injuries to happen as well.
- Violent Acts: Gunshots are the most common example of how a violent act like getting shot can lead to a spinal cord injury. In these cases, whether or not a spinal cord injury will occur depends on where the point of contact happened with the bullet, knife or other violent object.
- Recreational Activities: If you are a fan of watching or participating in contact sports then you may have seen or heard of a sports-based injury that ended in some type of paralysis. Somewhat similar to what happens in a car accident– the sudden and traumatic hit or fall on a sports field can cause irreparable damage to the spinal cord.
- Diseases: Diseases such as cancer and arthritis can also lead to some level of spinal cord injury.
When your spinal cord injury is the result of someone else’s actions such as a car accident or slip and fall, it makes this life-changing injury all the more frustrating. One thing every spinal cord injury has in common is that they are extremely expensive. Starting from the medical diagnosis all the way to the complete change in lifestyle and your intimate relationships, a spinal cold injury is not something you should financially handle on your own. While a personal injury lawsuit may never put you back into the physical health you were in before your accident, it can help reimburse your for your injuries, compensate you for the impact the injury has had on your personal and professional life and give you the funds you need to continue working on your recovery.
If you or a loved one has been in a serious accident and are now dealing with a spinal cord injury, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today. At Walch Law, we are so sorry for your injuries and are here to help with your legal recovery. We are available 24/7 to speak with you. We look forward to helping you.
Nine Reasons To Choose Us
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ResultsWhen looking for a California wrongful death lawyer, you want a law firm that can get you the money you deserve. At Walch Law, we don't just meet our clients' expectations, we exceed them. We win over 95% of our cases and will work hard to get you the same great results we have gotten for so many of our happy clients. When it comes to handing a California wrongful death case, resolving your case as quickly as possible for as much money as possible is how we approach every case.
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ExperienceFounding partner Gary Walch started this law firm to help people in your very situation. With over forty years of experience, you can feel confident that when you hire Walch Law Firm, you are benefiting from his years of experience. Robert Walch has been with the firm since 2000 and has a track record of success, as does the rest of the highly qualified staff at Walch Law. A family firm with the resources of a big law firm means you get the best of both worlds.
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TrustThere are lots of law firms that will happily take your business but very few will deliver results and handle your case the way that we do. We understand and respect how difficult this time is for you and our family. When you hire Walch Law Firm you are hiring a family firm that you can trust. We have a stellar reputation within the legal community and among our clients.
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Contingency FeeFor many individuals and families following a death it is not just an emotional time but a stressful financial time as well—hiring an attorney should help relieve this financial stress which is why you hire us on a contingency fee arrangement. Translation: you don't pay for any fees or costs associated with your case until you get paid. We have the financial resources of a large law firm but the accessible environment of a small firm meaning your case won't get lost in the shuffle.
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CommunicationWhenever you are ready, we are available to talk and this open and available communication model is something that our clients enjoy until their case is closed. We keep you informed and updated on your case every step of the way, always explain what's happening in plain English and ultimately deliver on our promise to get you paid.
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Recent VictoriesWinning over 95% of our cases means that you can feel very confident when you hire us to help with your case. Some of our recent victories include a $5,000,000+ settlement for a car accident, $1,250,000 settlement for a wrongful death pedestrian case and $2,500,000 for injuries related to a subway accident.
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SupportFirst and foremost, you are suffering a major traumatic loss and we understand that. We can help with counseling, medical professionals and other important resources during this time. Your focus should be on dealing with this loss, let us take care of all the legal details.
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Family FirmThere are small firms that might not be able to front the costs of your case and there are big law firms that will easily take your case but lack any type of personal touch (and you might have trouble hearing back from them when you want to) and then there's Walch Law Firm. We can handle any case and pride ourselves on our accessibility to clients. Father-son duo Gary & Robert Walch treat everyone like family and this personal touch is something that our clients as well as our employees constantly e!
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