Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are a common cause of death and permanent disability among adults and children. In the United States, approximately 40 out of 1 million cases are reported to be spinal cord injuries every year, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC). Car accidents are the major causes of spinal cord injuries in the United States. They cause around 35 percent of all injuries confined to the spinal cord in the country. Other causes of SCIs include violence, falls and crashes. In fact, 1.9% of the population in the US has developed paralysis from the injuries in the spinal cord.
Causes of Non-Traumatic Injuries
A spinal cord injury can be traumatic or non-traumatic. The main causes of non-traumatic injuries include:
- Inflammation
- Disk degeneration
- Cancer
- Arthritis
- Infections
Protecting the disks, ligaments and vertebrae along the spinal column is the best way of staying free from SCI. Sudden and traumatic blows to the vertebrae can cause them to fracture, dislocate, compress or crush. A wound from a knife or gunshot is capable of penetrating and cutting the spinal cord, thus causing injuries. Failure to receive treatment quickly damages the spinal cord further because of the bleeding and swelling as well as inflammation and accumulation of fluids.
Why you need a Lawyer
While doctors provide the treatment that you need to recover from the injury, lawyers ensure that you receive the appropriate compensation. Lawyers play a crucial role, especially when the accident that caused the injury was caused by the driver’s negligence. A lawyer’s expertise is crucial when negligence at the work place led to a fall or accident that caused the injury. At Cutt, Kendell & Olson, our experience stands above the rest.
Other grounds that may attract SCI lawsuits are when the injuries are caused by defective products. The manufacturers of the defective products can be forced to compensate SCI victims, especially if the injuries resulted from direct malfunction of the products. For example, if a car’s seat belts don’t work as they should during an accident, a court of law can hold the manufacturer liable for the injuries.
Some of the costs that a company may be forced to provide compensation include:
- Medical expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Health-care costs
- Pain and suffering
- Purchasing assistive devices such as wheelchairs
If you need a court representation regarding spinal cord injuries by professional lawyers, contact Cutt, Kendell & Olson.