Representing Victims of Spinal Cord Injuries in Florida and Throughout the United States
Spinal cord injuries can have life-altering effects on you and your loved one. They can cause a lifetime of pain and the need for continuing medical treatment. People dealing with these types of catastrophic injuries often need the help of an experienced attorney. At the Jacksonville, Florida, law firm the Butler Law Group, Howard Butler has been representing injured people for over 20 years.
Hire an Attorney Who Will Fight for You
When seeking to obtain full compensation for your injuries, it is often necessary to hire a lawyer who is capable of standing up against even the largest insurance companies. As an attorney named as one of the "Best Lawyers in America," Howard Butler understands what it takes to challenge the actions of insurance companies. With our help, you will have the best chance of getting the compensation that you need to deal with paralysis and serious spinal cord injuries. To learn more about holding responsible parties liable for your injuries, contact us for a free initial consultation.
The process of holding these parties responsible often involves hiring a team of experts. We regularly work with a team of professionals who will help you determine the medical treatment that you need and the amount of compensation that you require to deal with the long-term repercussions of your injuries following a:
- Car accident
- Truck and bus accident
- Construction site accident
- Slip and fall accident
In cases of paralysis, we work closely with forensic and medical experts in order to ensure that all of your current and future treatment, adaptive technology, and rehabilitation needs are documented. Contact Howard G. Butler in Jacksonville to learn how we can protect your interests in a spinal cord injury case.
Additional Spinal Cord Injury Information
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an injury to the spinal cord that results in a degree of loss of function and/or paralysis, depending on which part of the spine was injured and the extent to which the spine was damaged. These injures can occur from traumatic events, such as a motor vehicle or slip and fall accidents, or from an illness or a disease. Over 250,000 people in the U. S. currently live with some form of spinal cord injury.
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury due to the negligence or intentional act of another, there are legal options available. Attorney Howard Butler can speak with you about your rights and options for pursuing a case against those responsible for your injury.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
In the United States, there are between 10,000 and 12,000 new spinal cord injuries every year. Young men between 16-30 years old account for 80% of these injuries. The most common causes of spinal cord damage are:
•· Deliberate acts of violence
•· Falls
•· Sports accidents (contact sports, diving, skiing, cycling)
The severity of the injury depends on where along the spine the injury occurred. There are five separate parts of the spine, each part controls different bodily functions:
•· Coccygeal vertebrae (tailbone) - controls sensation from the skin on the lower back
•· Sacral vertebrae (hips) - controls thighs, lower parts of legs, feet, most of the external genital organs
•· Lumbar vertebrae (middle back) - controls lower abdomen, lower back, buttocks, some parts of the legs, some parts of the external genital organs
•· Thoracic vertebrae (upper back) - controls chest muscles, some back muscles, parts of the abdomen
•· Cervical vertebrae (neck) - controls back of the head, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, diaphragm
Spinal cord injuries can be complete or incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury often means that the spinal cord is so damaged or has been severed and it is unable to receive and send messages to the brain past the level of injury on the spine. An incomplete injury means that the spine still is able to receive and send some messages from the brain past the level of injury.
Treatment Options
At this time, the treatment options for spinal cord injuries are very limited. If the injury resulted in a fracture to the vertebrae protecting the cord, surgery may be performed to correct the fracture and relieve the compression on the spine. After surgery, some function may be recovered. There is not a current surgical option that will recover all function lost due to SCI.
Rehabilitation is the main cornerstone of treatment designed to help the injured person retain as much function as possible. Rehab treatments may include working with a number of specialists, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, nutritionists, neurologists, psychologists and others. Rehab focuses on a range of issues, from preventing muscle atrophy to providing job training.
Pursuing a Lawsuit
Spinal cord injuries are some of the worst types of injuries a person can suffer. Not only do victims suffer paralysis, but there are numerous other health problems resulting from a SCI, including blood pressure and heart dysfunction, bowel and bladder problems, breathing difficulty, muscle spasms, loss of reproductive and sexual function and increased risk of blood clots, bed sores and pneumonia. People with SCI generally have a shorter life expectancy.
If a spinal cord injury resulted because of another person's negligent acts, the injured person needs to speak with an experienced attorney about taking legal action against the responsible party to recover damages. Depending on the type of accident that caused the injury, there are different types of lawsuits that may be filed:
•· Personal injury lawsuit: if the injury resulted from an individual's negligence, like a car, truck or bus accident
•· Premises liability: if the injury occurred on another person or entity's property
•· Products liability: if the injury resulted from a defective product, like a seatbelt, vehicle rollover or defective industrial machinery
An experienced attorney like Howard Butler can help you determine which type of case is best to pursue depending on the circumstances of your particular situation.
Damages
Unfortunately, people who suffer an SCI will likely never return to the life the life they had before the accident. They will require significant compensation to assist them and their familes with the rest of their lives including:
•· Medical expenses
•· Loss of wages
•· Loss of future earning capacity
•· Future anticipated medical expenses
•· Pain and suffering
We know that these cases can be expensive to litigate successfully. We have the resources and skills to stand up and fight for your right to full compensation after you suffer serious spinal cord injuries. To learn more about you accident claim, contact us for a free initial consultation.
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