If you or someone in your family suffered a serious back or spinal cord injury in an auto accident, a construction site accident, or a fall from a height, contact the Law Offices of Tony Zirkle at any of our four Indiana locations. Our experience with the investigation and proof of severe and disabling back injury cases can help ensure that you will receive the compensation you need to support a long convalescence or transition to life with partial or complete paralysis. We overlook no component of your losses and future expenses in the presentation of your back or spinal cord injury claim.
If you need an Indiana Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer, contact Indiana Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Tony Zirkle now!
Spinal Cord Injury FAQ's
Spinal Cord Injuries - An Overview
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a term used to describe any injury to the spinal cord that results in a loss of sensation or function in the body. Approximately two million people worldwide and nearly 200,000 in the United States live with a spinal cord injury. Nearly 11,000 Americans sustain SCI each year. These injuries cost the nation an estimated $9.7 billion a year. More than 80% of new spinal cord victims are young men between the ages of 16 and 30.
Any trauma that compresses pushes sideways, or cuts the spinal cord may cause SCI. A severed spinal cord cannot be repaired. Car and motorcycle accidents, gunshot and knife wounds, falls, and sports injuries are the most common causes of damage to the spinal cord. In fact, nearly half of the estimated 7,800 non-fatal SCI's that occur each year are the result of motor vehicle accidents. Whiplash is a common injury in car accidents. In whiplash, an injury to the neck results from sudden backward and forward motion that can cause chronic pain and reduced range of motion.
In most instances, insurance companies and negligent parties may be obligated to provide victims with compensation for their injuries. As an injured party, you have the right to seek the assistance of a personal injury lawyer to defray medical bills, compensate for pain and suffering and provide for lost potential income through legal action.
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Compensation for Spinal Cord Injuries
If you have suffered a spinal cord injury (SCI), you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries.
To recover compensation you may be required to show:
- that the SCI occurred due to the reckless or negligent disregard for your safety by another;
- that you are injured;
- that your injury was caused by the accident and is not due to a pre-existing condition or unrelated occurrence, and;
- that the party who injured you was insured.
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New Treatment Options for Spinal Cord Injuries
For decades, rehabilitation from spinal cord injuries has focused primarily on compensating for lost function. Recent research has shown that appropriately designed exercises, may assist in retraining the spinal cord to perform lost functions. The ability of a nervous system to adapt to performing tasks after an injury is known as plasticity. This has been seen in cases where a part of the brain injured is responsible for performing a certain function and other parts of the brain learn to compensate for the lost ability.
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How Spinal Cord Injuries Occur
The spinal cord forms a conduit, delivering messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Most of the spinal cord is surrounded by bones, known as vertebrae, which form the spine.
The spine consists of:
- 7 cervical vertebrae in the neck, numbered sequentially from top to bottom;
- 12 thoracic vertebrae in the trunk;
- 5 lumbar vertebrae;
- 5 sacral vertebrae;
- 4 fused vertebrae that form the coccyx, or tailbone.
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