Legal Help with Spinal Injuries

Probably one of the most life-altering and severe of personal injuries a person can suffer from is a spinal injury. While the level of injury, pain, and suffering can obviously differ from one case to another spinal injuries are nearly always permanent.

Spinal injuries can sometimes be caused by medical malpractice at birth. The most common cause of spinal injuries though are through automobile or motorcycle accidents and slips and falls.

There are over 450,000 people suffering from spinal cord injuries in the United States. Of these an alarming 82% are males between 16 and 30 years old. Most researchers put this down to males in that age category being more willing to take risks particularly on the roads and in sporting activities.

Depending which part of the spine is damaged, and how severe that damage is, determines the effect on the injured person. Many people who have suffered spinal injuries that leave the spinal cord itself undamaged can still suffer symptoms for years or even for life. Chronic pain, migraines and the development of arthritis and fibromyalgia can all be ongoing symptoms of spinal damage caused by injury.

Spinal cord damage will result in paralysis and loss of function in various parts of the body. As a simplified rule the lower down on the spine the damage has been caused the lower in the body loss of functioning occurs. Within this too each vertebra will affect different functions of the body.

Paraplegia involves the loss of function of the lower part of the body - legs, sexual organs, bladder and bowel. Tetraplegia where the injury has occurred in the upper regions of the spine can affect both motor co-ordination and breathing.

Additional Legal Sources: The Bradenton Law Offices of Gary Jodat. Serving clients in Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida.