Seattle Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injury
Injuries to the spinal cord, which can be caused by the trauma from a serious motor vehicle collision, can be quite serious and even life threatening. Even when the initial injury is relatively modest initially, the injury can progress and worsen over time – gradually taking away more and more of the victim’s ability to participate in and enjoy daily activities. Some common symptoms are:
- Pain: a spinal cord injury can cause a decreased or even a total loss of pain sensation, or the sensation of pain occurring in an injury-free part of the body.
- Numbness/loss of sensation: a spinal cord injury can cause the person to suffer from numbness and tingling in their limbs and extremities. Spinal cord injuries can also affect temperature sensitivity in the skin, making it more difficult for the body to regulate temperature control.
- Decrease/Loss of Muscle Control: a spinal cord injury can lead to a variety of muscle control problems, including partial or complete paralysis or limited control of certain muscle groups.
The spinal cord is the major bundle of nerves in your body that carry nerve impulses to and from the brain to the rest of the body. The spinal cord is surrounded by ring-shaped bones called vertebra. These bones constitute the spinal column (often commonly referred to as “back bones”). In general, the higher in the spinal column the injury occurs, the more dysfunction a person will experience. The vertebra are named according to their location. The vertebra in the neck are called the Cervical Vertebra. Cervical spinal cord injuries usually cause loss of function in the arms and legs, resulting in partial or complete quadriplegia. The vertebra in the upper back are called the Thoracic Vertebra. Injuries in the thoracic region usually affect the chest and the legs and result in partial or complete paraplegia. The vertebra in the lower back are known as the Lumbar Vertebra. Finally, the Sacral vertebra run from the Pelvis to the end of the spinal column. Injuries to the Lumbar vertebra or the Sacral Vertebra generally result in some loss of functioning or sensation in the hips, feet or legs.
If you believe that you have suffered a serious spinal cord injury as the result of the negligence of another, you should contact an experienced Seattle Spinal Cord Injury attorney to discuss any potential claims you may have and to ensure that your rights are preserved and protected. Please feel free to contact me to set up an appointment for an initial consultation at no charge to discuss your potential claim.Whiplash Cases
“Whiplash” is the commonly used phrase to describe the type of neck injury that can occur when someone suffers sudden acceleration and deceleration forces to their head and neck, causing trauma to the neck and back. Such injuries arise most commonly (but certainly not exclusively) from rear-end motor vehicle accidents. From a biomechanics standpoint (and I say this as a lawyer who has dealt with these cases, not as an engineer or medical expert), when you are rear-ended by another vehicle, the torso of your body is thrust forward by the impact of the vehicle and the pressure of your seat back, while your neck and head “whips” back a few milliseconds later, and then rebounds forward after striking the headrest. This sudden motion often results in sprains and strains to the muscles and ligaments that support your neck, resulting in what is commonly referred to as a “whiplash” injury or more accurately a cervical sprain/strain injury. Sprain/strain injuries actually involve small tears in the muscles and ligaments in your neck and back. More serious injuries can occur, including damage to the facet joints or disc injury.
Whiplash injuries are not to be taken lightly and can be quite painful and debilitating. It is essential to get prompt medical attention quickly and to follow the recommendations of your healthcare providers. If your injury is severe, it may be advisable to seek out the care of a specialist to ensure that you are receiving the most effective treatment. Insurance companies are notoriously dubious of many cervical sprain/strain (whiplash) cases, as there is a perception in the insurance industry that such injuries are susceptible to exaggeration or malingering. As such, if you or a loved one has suffered from a serious whiplash injury that has not resolved within a few weeks of the accident, it is highly advisable that you consult with an experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer to help ensure that the insurance companies treat you fairly and take your claim seriously. I have extensive experience in helping clients in the greater Seattle area deal with whiplash-type injuries and offer a free initial consultation to review your potential claim and help you understand your rights and how best to deal with the insurance companies’ skepticism.