TEXAS SPINAL CORD INJURY LAWYERS

The spinal cord consists of nerves that connect the brain to various nerves in the body. As such, the spinal cord essentially connects our brain to the rest of our body. The spinal cord is surrounded by vertebrae that make up our spine. This bone structure protects the softer spinal cord from injury and trauma. Vertebrae are stacked on top of each other and are separated by spongy discs that actually work as shock absorbers for the spinal cord. There are 7 cervical vertebrae (neck), 12 thoracic vertebrae (midlevel/trunk), 5 lumbar vertebrae (lower back region), 5 sacral vertebrae (pelvis region), and 4 fused vertebrae that form the coccyx.

If vertebrae are broken or moved out of alignment due to trauma or injury, the spinal cord can become injured. When the spinal cord suffers an injury, the ability of the brain to communicate with the body below the level of injury can be reduced or altogether lost. When this occurs, the part of the body affected will not function as normal. Medical providers generally classify spinal cord injuries as “incomplete” or “complete.” An incomplete injury means that the injured person has at least some function below the level of injury on the spine. A complete injury means that there is complete loss of sensation and muscle control below the level of injury. Paralysis can develop due to spinal cord injury. Generally, the level of injury can be a guide as to predicting what parts of the body might be affected by loss of function or paralysis. Cervical (neck) injuries can result in quadriplegia, which is paralysis of all 4 limbs, both arms and legs. Thoracic, lumbar, or sacral injuries can result in paraplegia, which is paralysis of the lower part of the body, including the legs.

There are over 250,000 people in the United States that live with spinal cord injuries. Of those persons living with spinal cord injuries, about 52% are considered paraplegic, and about 47% are considered quadriplegic. 82% of all victims of spinal cord injury are male. Most spinal cord injury victims are young, between the ages of 16 and 30 years of age. The largest numbers of spinal cord injuries occur in motor vehicle crashes. Other causes can be work-related injuries, falls, violence, and sports-related injuries.

Spinal cord injuries can be devastating. Not only can medical costs be astronomical, but long rehabilitation may be required. Medical equipment and supplies will be needed. Home healthcare is often required. With this type of injury, lost wages and lost earning capacity claims can be staggering. The attorneys at The Stewart Law Firm are familiar with spinal cord-related injuries and the prosecution of claims on behalf of spinal cord injury victims. The Stewart Law Firm understands the life-changing effects that can occur as a result of a spinal cord injury, particularly those injuries which are caused by the negligent acts of another or by a defective product. If you have a question regarding a spinal cord injury claim, call The Stewart Law Firm for a free consultation. The Stewart Law Firm can be reached, toll-free, at (877) 326-0411. Our address is: 3000 South IH-35, Suite 150, Austin, TX 78704. Visit our website at: http://www.thestewartlawfirm.net/. Cases handled by The Stewart Law Firm include catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, motorcycle crashes, motor vehicle crashes, commercial vehicle crashes, train crashes, bus crashes, and defective products.