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Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries in Oklahoma
Spinal cord injuries are often caused by vehicle accidents. This article explores these injuries the legal implications for injury victims.
November 29, 2011 /Womens Interest PR News/ -- Spinal cord injuries are very serious and potentially life-threatening injuries. They are often caused by a sudden, severe trauma to the spine that results in vertebrae being crushed, fractured, compressed or dislocated and the sensitive nerve fibers that run through them being damaged or severed.
The nerve fibers associated with spinal cord injuries correspond with a number of bodily functions and muscle movements. When they are compromised either by being severed or compressed, a person may have no sensation in their legs or arms, and may also be unable to control their muscles. For example, injuries to the lower spinal column can affect your ability to control your legs, bowel and your bladder control. Neck injuries (or the upper column) can affect arm movement and the ability to breathe. Permanent paralysis can also result from injuries to vertebrae.
Spinal cord injuries are most frequently caused by vehicle accidents but are also sustained from violence, falls and sports injuries. This article will explore some of the circumstances in which these injuries occur, and describe the legal implications for injury victims.
Car and motorcycle crashes create the highest instances for traumatic spinal cord injuries. Drivers and passengers suffer violent collisions with parts of a vehicle or a hard, solid driving surface.
Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents commonly cause head and neck injuries that lead to severe spinal cord trauma. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the number of serious injuries increases by 33 percent when a car rolls over in a crash. Also known as roof-crush injuries, tremendous pressure is forced on passengers' heads and necks when a car tumbles. Drivers and passengers can be hopelessly trapped in rollover accidents. When a vehicle is completely rolled over onto its top, door and window frames can collapse, leaving no way for injured passengers to escape.
Vehicles with high centers of gravity and narrow wheelbases are susceptible to rollover accidents; which is why sport utility vehicles are involved in most of these accidents. The NHTSA estimates that SUVs experience 75 percent more rollovers than regular cars. This is in spite of technological advancements such as electronic stability systems. However, less than half of new models make this technology a standard part of the vehicle. Ford's Explorer, Bronco and Bronco II, Isuzu's Rodeo and Trooper, along with the Toyota 4 Runner, and Honda Passport have experienced accidents, injuries and fatalities due to rollovers.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents are also a common cause of spinal cord injury. Riders do not have the same protection a car provides come face to face with hard, unforgiving surfaces; usually asphalt or concrete. This is why helmet use is such an important consideration in preventing spinal cord injuries. In addition to preventing traumatic brain injury, helmets can be instrumental in limiting spinal cord trauma.
A study released by the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, showed that motorcycle riders with helmets are 22 percent less likely to suffer spinal cord injury than those without helmets. For years, anti helmet activists believed that motorcycle helmets would actually cause more damage than they would prevent. However, the research found they significantly reduced the likelihood of cervical spine injury, in addition to limiting traumatic brain injury.
Compensation for Injuries
Those who have suffered spinal cord injuries are entitled to compensation for lost wages, rehabilitation expenses, pain and suffering, as well as future medical expenses. The costs of future care and rehabilitation are a large part of damage awards given to injured parties. After all, those who are paralyzed must adjust to a new way of life. In addition to altered homes (that include ramps, railings and other adjustments for handicaps), they have to learn how to use modified driving systems in cars that enable a disabled person to use their range of motion and limited strength.
Personal injury attorneys must describe in significant detail how these costs factor into a damage award. According to the University of Alabama's National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, the lifetime costs of caring for a spinal cord injury victim can range between $700,000 and $3.1 million. This includes the costs of a rehabilitation team (which could include physicians, recreational therapists, social workers, and physical therapists).
Insurance companies usually bear the burden of paying compensatory damages.
If you have suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury, an experienced personal injury attorney can advise you and help you obtain the compensation you need to meet your new obligations.
Article provided by Joseph J. Reinke, P.C.
Visit us at www.reinkelaw.com
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