Were you in an accident that resulted in spinal cord injuries? It can be life-changing to suffer such an injury and the accumulated expenses that result can be overwhelming. If someone else is to blame for your current health situation, you might be able to get compensation with the help of one of our spinal cord injury lawyers. Call (713) 659-4000 or fill in our contact form to request a free consultation
At Gibson Hill Personal Injury, we have experience fighting for the rights of people in your situation. Our Houston spinal cord injury lawyers find creative solutions and approaches to overcome aggressive defense tactics. Our attorneys provide empathic, professional, and reliable service to manage the legal aspects of your case while you focus on healing.
Symptoms and Effects of a Spinal Cord Injury
Your spinal cord runs from the base of your brain to your tailbone. It sends signals from the brain to the rest of your body to enable movement and sensation. An injury anywhere along this pathway can impact function, strength, and feeling throughout the body.
Your condition may be complete or incomplete. The Mayo Clinic explains a complete injury means you lose all the feeling and movement from the injury site down. Incomplete means you may lose partial feeling and movement.
Common symptoms manifest in the area below the injury site and include:
- Inability to move
- Changes or loss of sensation
- Bowel and bladder control loss
- Spasms
- Pain
- Trouble breathing or clearing lungs
Higher injury sites could cause total body paralysis, called tetraplegia or quadriplegia. Lower injuries might only impact certain areas, which is known as paraplegia. The results of damage to the spinal cord may show up right away or come on slowly.
While the physical symptoms are severe, this injury can also have emotional and social effects. The National Library of Medicine noted you might experience:
- Depression
- Isolation
- Breakdown of close relationships
- Anxiety
- Problems communicating your feelings
- Grief
- Personality changes
Treatments for Spinal Cord Injuries
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explains the primary treatments for a spinal cord injury are stabilizing the body and surgical intervention. Beyond these direct interventions, the only other treatments are for the symptoms.
Depending on the location of the injury, medical providers may need to assist with your breathing and work to prevent further complications, such as pneumonia or circulation issues. You may have to go through rehabilitation to keep up muscle tone and assist with relearning movement.
Physical and occupational therapy are typical. You may learn adaptive skills, such as how to use leg braces or wheelchairs. You may also have to learn how to use tools to help you use your hands to do everyday tasks. Finally, you may also learn to use computer-assisted technology that stimulates the nerves and allows movement.
Ongoing research is looking into potential solutions and treatments to reverse spinal cord damage, but there is currently no cure. Treatments focus on helping patients adapt to their new bodies and regain as much independence as possible.
Potential Causes of Spinal Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can occur when you have neck or back trauma. Common causes include:
- Auto accidents
- Falls
- Gunshot wounds
- Assaults
- Sports injuries
Compensation Available in a Personal Injury Case
You can file a personal injury lawsuit when your injury results from someone else’s negligence. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 2(c)41 explains what compensation you may seek from the liable party:
- Future loss of earnings, including wages and inheritance
- Noneconomic losses, such as physical pain and suffering, mental pain, anguish, loss of companionship, inconvenience, and loss of enjoyment of life
- Medical expenses
You also may receive punitive or exemplary damages if you can prove with clear and convincing evidence that fraud, malice, or gross negligence occurred. Such an order requires a unanimous jury decision. In cases with multiple defendants, an order must specify which defendant must pay and how much.
Reasons to Hire an Attorney
Healing after your injury requires a lot of time and attention, and it takes a lot of energy to fight a court case. Hiring a lawyer helps takes the stress off of you.
- Your attorney can stand up to insurance companies that want to pay out as little as possible and work for fair compensation. They know how to handle the high-pressure tactics insurers may use to reduce the payout.
- Figuring out how much is enough compensation can be tricky due to the complex nature of spinal cord injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney knows how to calculate the costs, including everything from ongoing medical bills to modifying your life because of physical limitations.
- An attorney also can gather evidence, including accident reports and medical records. They know how to prepare for court, which requires understanding court procedures and rules to avoid missing deadlines or misfiling documents.
- A lawyer also knows how to keep your case moving forward. Delays are common, but some are inexcusable. Your attorney can help you bypass red tape and other methods that insurers may use to postpone having to pay.
The process of fighting for your rights can be emotional. It will bring up all the feelings you had after the accident and as you have learned to accept your diagnosis. The struggle could impact your ability to handle your case correctly. By handing it over to an attorney, you get a person outside the situation who can approach it in a levelheaded manner.
Contact Us Today for a Free Consultation
If you were in an accident that was someone else’s fault and must now live with a spinal cord injury, you deserve justice. Consulting with a personal injury attorney at Gibson Hill Personal Injury in Houston helps you keep the other party on their toes. We are unafraid of large insurance companies who use aggressive tactics.
Consult with our attorneys to get skilled representation to stop the other party from making you a victim again. We work to uphold your rights without backing down from a tough fight.
Contact us today using the contact form or at (713) 659-4000 to discuss your case.
Read more:
- How Do You Know If You Have A Personal Injury Case
- When You Should Call A Lawyer After An Accident
- What Documents Do You Need for a Personal Injury Case
- Why Posting on Social Media After An Accident Can Hurt Your Case
