West Palm Beach Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers

Each year in the US, over 10,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury (SCI). SCI is defined as any damage to the spinal cord resulting in loss of function or mobility. Such damage can be caused by trauma or disease and the resulting loss of sensation and/or movement can be temporary or permanent. The primary cause of SCI at this time is auto accidents.

An ACI is complete or incomplete. Complete injury is one in which there is no sensation or voluntary motor movement on either side of the body below the level of the injury. The injury is incomplete if the victim has partial movement or feeling.

Medical professionals define spinal cord injuries by making reference to the area of the spine affected by naming the vertebrae closest to the injury, usually a letter (C for cervical, T for thoracic, L for lumbar) and a number. A C-5 injury, for instance, is an injury at the fifth cervical vertebrae.

Quadriplegia is paralysis of all limbs, and condition most likely to result from neck injury. Paraplegia is paralysis of the lower limbs only, and is more likely the lower the injury. Wherever the injury, severity (complete/incomplete) can vary and causing different levels of function/dysfunction. An incomplete cervical injury can leave the patient with some hand use, while a complete injury at C-4 can require the patient to be on a ventilator.

The initial period after a spinal cord injury usually involves swelling of the spinal cord. This can affect the whole body and cause a temporarily greater impairment, which may improve as swelling goes down and the permanent degree of injury is seen. There is currently no cure for SCI, but treatment options exists and stem cell research has shown some signs of being useful as a potential cure in the future.

If you or a loved one is in need of legal assistance, call The Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo at (561-659-6366) or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.