The most common serious injury suffered by victims of an auto accident, truck accident, boat accident, motorcycle accident or other vehicle accident in is a neck, back or spinal cord injury. Charles Scholle and the Scholle Law team are Duluth spinal cord injury attorneys with significant experience in the successful representation of victims of these serious injuries.
Spinal cord injuries are extremely serious, requiring immediate medical attention. Our spinal cord injury lawyers in Duluth specialize in these injury cases. We recommend that injured victims seek the medical support of the most experienced physicians in this field. With new research and treatment methods, patients can benefit from the guidance of those who have updated knowledge in these injuries.
Patients can experience differing symptoms which depend on the trauma’s severity and location. With a “complete spinal cord injury,” the nerves do not function at any point below the injury and with a “partial spinal cord injury” there is some nerve function below the injury.
Understanding vertebrae anatomy is important in understanding how the spinal cord can be injured. We have four movable vertebrae: seven cervical, 12 thoracic and five lumbar. The spinal nerves wind through the spinal canal. The cervical vertebrae are located in the neck, the thoracic are located in the upper back and the lumbar are located in the lower back. Vertebrae are numbered in sequential order so that C1 is the top cervical vertebrae and C7 is the bottom, just above the thoracic vertebrae that begin with T1 and so on. An injury occurring higher up the spinal cord results in relatively more paralysis than one in the lower vertebrae.
A complete spinal cord injury in the C1 region is considered a catastrophic spinal injury and could affect a victim’s breathing and result in quadriplegia – the paralysis of all limbs. A compete injury in the thoracic or lumbar vertebrae might result in paraplegia, or paralysis of the legs. Other symptoms of spinal cord injuries could include: stiffness or spasticity of the affected arms or legs, loss of bowel or bladder control and sexual dysfunction.
Spinal cord injuries are usually treated in three distinct phases:
- Stabilization of the injury and minimization of further injury to the spinal cord;
- Rehabilitation of the injury so the patient can function at maximum mobility;
- Coping with the injury and life changes resulting from permanent impairments.
More than 10,000 American suffer serious spinal injuries each year often from automobile, truck, motorcycle and boating accidents. If you are injured in an accident, even if you don’t feel seriously hurt, seek medical attention immediately. If the injury is a complete spinal cord injury, you will likely have no choice. Even with a partial spine injury, it is vital to wait for an ambulance. Adrenaline may cause you to feel stronger and less injured than you really are. You can make the injury worse if you don’t stop moving immediately. First responders have the expertise to stabilize victims to avoid movement of any kind. In our experience as spinal cord injury attorneys in Duluth, the need to avoid movement is key to keeping the injury from worsening before getting medical help.
Contact SCHOLLE LAW for a free and confidential SPINAL CORD INJURY CASE CONSULTATION including Quadriplegia or Paraplegia At 866-972-5287 or 770-717-5100.
Charles Scholle and the lawyers and legal professionals at Scholle Law, are experienced Duluth spinal cord injury attorneys with the expertise and compassion to help quadriplegic and paraplegic accident victims. We represent our clients with tenacity and sensitivity, knowing that serious spine injury victims have suffered a tragic and catastrophic life change. We manage these cases carefully and with compassion to ensure that our clients have the least amount of stress from litigation, so they can focus their energies on dealing with the many changes in their lives. We maintain close communication with our clients, keeping them informed as we progress through the litigation process. Please feel free to read our clients’ reviews about how we have served them.
