Some Facts about Spinal Cord Injury Liability Law

According to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year more than 10,000 people suffer from a spinal cord injury. A spinal cord injury may occur when trauma to the spine damages the vertebrae. While spinal cord injury may result from a disease, oftentimes the injury occurs from a car accident, a fall, or from a recreational activity like sports. Depending on how severe the spinal cord injury is, the victim may suffer from a lifelong disability. Consequently, the injured person may file a lawsuit the person or organization at fault for the injury.

The spinal cord is an essential part of the body’s nervous system. It is located between the base of the brain and the pelvis. The brain and the spinal cord control the functions of the body through the central nervous system. The nerve fibers attached to the spinal cord are responsible for relaying messages back and forth from the brain to the body. The vertebrae, the bones in the spinal column, surround and protect the spinal cord.

A spinal cord injury can result in the loss of the ability to move or feel. These injuries are further designated as either complete or incomplete. A complete injury is a spinal injury in which a person loses nerve function and the ability to control movement below the point on the spine at which the injury occurred. This typically includes the inability to move one’s legs, control one’s bowel and bladder, while sometimes still maintaining control over the arms and legs. An incomplete spinal cord injury may not sever all ability to move or feel. Each case is different, but a person may experience feeling below the spinal injury and retain some capacity to move.

Mueller Hillin specializes in Spinal Cord Injury cases in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Houston and Austin.