Huntsville Spine Injury Lawyers

Compassionate help for Alabama spinal cord injury victims

Spinal cord injuries can be life altering – one of the most devastating injuries a person can experience. When someone suffers a catastrophic injury like a spinal injury, it affects them not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. The majority of spinal cord injuries lead to some kind of permanent disability, which can lead to anxiety and depression.

The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) reports approximately 290,000 people in the United States live with a spinal cord injury (SCI), with 17,730 new injuries each year. Patients with SCI can face a lifetime of medical care, expenses, chronic pain and loss of income. Spinal cord injuries can change your life in an instant.

If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s actions or negligence, the Huntsville personal injury lawyers at Martin & Helms can help. We understand the gravity of your injuries and work to ensure that you’re fully financially compensated for your damages and losses.

What are common causes of spinal cord injuries?

Spinal cord injuries can, unfortunately, happen at any time, anywhere, to anyone. People can suffer these types of injuries in a variety of situations and accidents, including:

Back and spinal cord injuries can lead to permanent disability, which in turn can lead to a lifetime of medical care, therapy and expenses. This doesn’t take into account the emotional and mental toll of the physical injury and the stress of living with a disabling injury.

What are the different types of spinal cord injuries?

As noted above, many kinds of accidents and incidents can result in a spinal cord injury. These injuries come in varying levels of severity and can cause varying levels of damage to the victim. To understand how acute an injury may be, you should first understand the areas of the spine:

Cervical – the neck area, which connects to the brain
Thoracic – the middle portion of the spinal cord
Lumbar – the lower region of the spine

The higher up the spinal cord the injury occurs, the more severe the injury. Many cervical spinal cord injuries result in quadriplegia, as they damage the connection between the brain and the rest of the body. Cervical spinal cord injuries can result in bladder and bowel issues, respiratory problems and loss of motor functions.

Thoracic spinal cord injuries can result in paraplegia, which is loss of movement in the lower half of the body. Paraplegia can also result in bladder and bowel control issues and other motor skill loss of function.

Injuries below the lumbar spine may not result in paralysis, but can cause serious medical issues like nerve damage and reduced motor skills.

Spinal cord injuries of any level are painful and can cause a lifetime of disability. Many victims may never fully recover, leading to a heavy load of medical bills with no way to pay them. Our Huntsville attorneys work tenaciously to hold the responsible parties accountable.

Long-term consequences of a Huntsville spinal cord injury

Because the spinal cord carries messages from the brain and tells the body how to move, spinal cord injuries can take away a victim’s ability to walk. Severe spinal cord injuries can result in quadriplegia or paraplegia. This can cause secondary medical conditions, including:

Loss of bladder control
Loss of fertility
Loss of sexual function
Muscle spasms
Nerve damage
Pressure sores from not moving
Respiratory problems

Compensation for spinal cord injuries

Victims of negligence deserve to be compensated for the injury and harm they’ve suffered. After your accident, you may be eligible to recoup financial losses for things like past and future medical expenses, lost earning capacity, physical therapy, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma.

The legal team here at Martin & Helms can provide guidance on your spine injury claim. How much compensation you receive depends on various factors, and we work to maximize your compensation, taking into account the following:

Effect of your injury on you and the impact on your loved ones
All past medical bills, surgeries, doctor visits and transportation
Ongoing care you require now and in the future
Ability to continue working and loss of earning capacity
Modifications necessary to accommodate any mobility challenges need to maintain a reasonably active lifestyle
Expenses for necessary in-home assistance
Loss of consortium or loss of enjoyment of life

The court may also order punitive damages in cases of extreme negligence.

Compassionate Huntsville spine injury lawyers offering a free consultation

Our spinal cord injury attorneys can help if you or a loved one were injured due to someone else’s recklessness or negligence. We understand the severity and trauma of these types of injuries and will fight to secure you the compensation you both need and deserve. Call us today at 256-361-1140 or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We also serve clients in Decatur, Athens and Madison, and throughout Alabama.