A spinal cord injury can change everything in an instant. Whether it happens in a violent collision on I-10 or a rear-end crash on a surface street, the consequences can range from temporary loss of function to permanent paralysis.
If you or someone you love has suffered a spinal cord injury caused by another party’s negligence, understanding the nature and severity of that injury is essential to understanding the full value of your legal claim.
One of the most important steps you can take after a spinal cord injury is to consult an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer in Baton Rouge. At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, our Baton Rouge attorneys have helped injury victims pursue compensation for some of the most devastating catastrophic injuries imaginable, including spinal cord injuries caused by car and truck accidents.
How the Spinal Cord Works
The spinal cord is the central pathway through which your brain communicates with the rest of your body. It runs from the base of your brain down through a column of vertebrae in your back, and it carries motor signals that control movement as well as sensory signals that allow you to feel pain, temperature, and touch.
When the spinal cord is damaged, those signals are disrupted. The higher on the spinal cord the injury occurs, the more of the body is affected.
Spinal cord injuries are classified into two categories: complete and incomplete. These terms describe the extent to which the spinal cord’s signal pathways have been disrupted below the injury level.
What Is a Complete Spinal Cord Injury?
A complete spinal cord injury means that all motor and sensory function below the injury site has been lost. The spinal cord does not have to be fully severed for an injury to be classified as complete. Instead, it means that no signals are passing through that level of the cord. The result is total loss of movement and sensation below the point of injury.
People living with complete spinal cord injuries face extraordinary long-term challenges. Many need live-in caregivers and significant modifications to their homes and vehicles.
The lifetime cost of care for a complete cervical spinal cord injury can reach several million dollars before even considering the total for lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and non-economic damages.
What Is an Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury?
An incomplete spinal cord injury means that some motor or sensory function is preserved below the level of the injury. There are several recognized patterns of incomplete spinal cord injuries, each with its own set of symptoms and functional implications:
- Central cord syndrome is the most common incomplete injury. It tends to occur in the cervical region and often results from hyperextension, the kind of motion seen in rear-end collisions. It typically causes greater weakness in the arms than in the legs, along with bladder dysfunction and some loss of sensation.
- Anterior cord syndrome involves damage to the front of the spinal cord and affects motor function and the ability to sense pain and temperature below the injury site. Deep pressure sensation may be preserved.
- Brown-Séquard syndrome results from injury to one side of the spinal cord. On the same side as the injury, muscle weakness and loss of position sense occur, while on the opposite side, pain and temperature sensation are affected.
- Cauda equina syndrome involves injury to the nerve roots at the base of the spine rather than the spinal cord itself. It can affect bladder, bowel, and sexual function, as well as strength and sensation in the lower extremities. This is a medical emergency that, if treated quickly, may allow for some recovery.
Even when an incomplete injury allows some recovery, that recovery requires extensive, prolonged rehabilitation. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and pain management may be necessary for years. In many cases, some degree of permanent impairment remains.
How Complete Vs. Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries Affect Personal Injury Claims
The severity of a spinal cord injury directly affects the value of a personal injury claim. A complete injury typically involves far greater medical costs, longer and more intensive care needs, and a more dramatic impact on the victim’s quality of life than an incomplete injury. However, both complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries are life-altering and can result in substantial compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
When calculating what you are owed, your spinal cord injury attorney must account for the full scope of your damages, both now and in the future. For a spinal cord injury victim, this typically includes:
- All past and future medical expenses, including surgeries, hospitalizations, rehabilitation, medications, and assistive devices
- Lost wages and, in cases of permanent disability, full loss of earning capacity
- The cost of long-term or lifetime care, which may involve in-home nursing assistance, home modifications for accessibility, and specialized transportation
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium for a spouse or partner who has lost companionship and support
Life care planners and economic experts are often brought in to project the true lifetime cost of the spinal cord injury. These expert witnesses can help us build your strongest claim and recover maximum compensation for your damages.
In rare cases, such as if an intoxicated driver caused your injuries, you may also be awarded punitive damages in addition to economic and non-economic damages. At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, our spinal cord injury lawyers will pursue every dollar available to maximize your compensation.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Baton Rouge Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, our spinal cord injury lawyers have helped secure billions of dollars in compensation for injury victims.
We have the experience, skills, and resources to thoroughly investigate the accident that caused your injury, preserve and gather essential evidence to prove causation and liability, establish and accurately value all current and future economic and non-economic damages, and help you secure maximum compensation for your claim.
Call our spinal cord injury attorneys in Baton Rouge today at (225) 999-1111 or complete the short form on our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
We’ll listen to you, answer your questions, and explain your options. If we take your case, our spinal cord injury lawyers work tirelessly to help you recover every dollar you are entitled to.