Helping South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Victims
Every year in the United States over 11,000 spinal cord injuries happen. An injury to your spinal cord can limit everyday activities and result in loss of income and financial difficulty for your family. At Hopkins Law Firm in Charleston, South Carolina, we believe that you and your family should be taken care of and you may be entitled to compensation for a spinal cord injury to you or a member of your family.
What is A Spinal Cord Injury?
Your spine and brain make up your central nervous system. The nerves in your spinal column carry impulses between your brain and the rest of your body. These impulses control not only your movement, but eating, hearing, vision, and breathing.
When these nerves are damaged by bring crushed, pinched, lacerations, and/or blunt force, many of your body functions and senses can become impaired.
How Spinal Injuries Occur
The majority of spinal cord injuries occur in car accidents, truck accidents, workplace accidents, and slip and fall accidents.
Other common causes of spinal cord injuries include gunshot wounds, knife wounds, and sports activities.
Your spinal cord is made up of a bundle of nerves that run from your brain and down your back. An injury to your spinal cord can result in loss of feeling to total paralysis.
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What Are the Different Types of Spinal Cord Injuries in South Carolina?
If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury after being in an accident, you may have:
Complete Spinal Cord Injury: This is a complete loss of motor and sensory function in some or all of your body
Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: This is a loss of some function in the area that was affected. For example, you may have sensation, but not be able to use a limb that was impacted by the injury.
How severe your spinal cord injury is depends on where the damage occurred on your spine. For example, the parts of your body below the impacted area may be affected. The greater the damage, the more severe your spinal cord injury will be.
There are two forms of injury that are:
Quadriplegia: This is the loss of function of your legs and arms.
Paraplegia: This is losing the ability to use your hips and legs.
What Are the Leading Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, the leading causes of back and spinal cord injuries are:
Accidents: This could be due to a car, truck, bicycle, motorcycle, and/or pedestrian accidents just to name a few.
Falls: Including on a sidewalk, place of business, home, workplace, construction sites.
Recreation/Sports Accidents: Spinal cord injuries may be common in such sports as football and basketball. However, a bicycle crash or ATV accidents often end in spinal cord injuries.
Violence: such as weapon-related attacks or physical assaults
Other Causes: such as medical malpractice, defective and dangerous machinery and equipment.
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What Impact Can a Spinal Cord Injury Have on my Life In South Carolina?
The obvious effects include losing mobility which can include quadriplegia or paraplegia. Other ways a spinal cord injury can impact your life include, but aren't limited to:
Loss of Bladder Control: As a result, you may be prone to urinary tract infections.
Respiratory Distress: In some cases, the victim of a spinal cord injury may only be able to breathe with the help of a ventilator or diaphragm pacemaker.
Spasticity: This occurs when your muscles tighten due to lack of activity
High Blood Pressure and/or Blood Clots: You may have circulatory issues that can lead to blood clots forming in your legs or lungs.
Depression and/or Anxiety: Because of the pain, loss of bodily functions and immobility issues you may suffer serious depression and/or anxiety.
Death: The Shepherd Center has said that problems with your respiratory system, ischemic heart disease, or a decrease of blood flow or oxygen are the leading causes of death in victims of a spinal cord injury.
Additionally, your family members may suffer as well because they may lose your companionship and have to provide you with care around the clock.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover in My South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Case?
We will work tirelessly to ensure you and your family receive monetary compensation for such things as:
Medical Expenses
Lost Income
Pain and Suffering
Diminished Future Income
Loss of Consortium
Other Damages: Based on your individual case
How Can a South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Help You?
If you or a loved one has suffered a South Carolina spinal cord injury due to an accident and/or negligent act of someone else, the spinal cord injury lawyer at Hopkins Law Firm can assist you with your case by:
Investigation: We will investigate your case using every resource we have available to determine who is responsible for your South Carolina spinal cord injury.
Look At All Legal Options: We will advise you of what kind of relief may be available to you which could include filing a personal injury lawsuit or workers' compensation claim.
Talk to Experts: We have a network of experts at our fingertips who can assist us in determining the cause of your spinal cord injury and calculating the amount of compensation you may be able to receive.
Handle the Insurance Companies: We want you to focus on recovering from your spinal cord injury so we will deal with the insurance companies involved and seek fair and just compensation through a settlement, if possible.
Trial: If the insurance company doesn't offer you fair and just compensation for your South Carolina spinal cord injury, we will take your case to trial.
It's important to remember that every South Carolina spinal cord injury case is different. There are a few damages that can be pursued and recovered a Charleston, South Carolina spinal cord injury case. Call the South Carolina spinal cord injury lawyer at Hopkins Law Firm today to schedule your consultation.