Question 1

What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?

Accepted Answer

Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that run down your spinal column, in the middle of your back. They perform many crucial functions for our bodies, such as helping your brain communicate with the rest of your body. However, injury can occur to the spinal cord and disrupt these processes, leading to significant damage. These injuries are spinal cord injuries, and usually occur when a blow fractures or dislocates the bones in your spine.

There are two main types of spinal cord injuries: complete and incomplete. Complete spinal cord injury leads to complete paralysis below the source of the injury. If you have an incomplete spinal cord injury, you still have some feeling and can produce some movement below the source of the injury.

You may notice one or more of the following symptoms if you have a spinal cord injury. Since these injuries are very serious and can lead to lifelong effects, it is important to visit an emergency room as soon as possible if you suspect damage to your spinal cord.

Question 2

Do You Need a Kansas City Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer?

Accepted Answer

The moments after a spinal cord injury can be confusing and disorienting. You may feel a lot of pain and have difficulty adjusting to the loss of movement. In the weeks that follow, you may have to pay for significant medical treatment and suffer additional damages, such as a loss of income or a loss of quality of life.

If you are suffering from a spinal cord injury in Kansas City, contact the attorneys at Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet as soon as possible. Your Kansas City spinal cord injury attorney will work closely with you to file your claim against the person or entities responsible for your injury, providing the following benefits for your claim.

Question 3

Can a Spinal Cord Injury Heal?

Accepted Answer

At this time, science has not yet discovered a cure for spinal cord injuries. Experts are currently engaging in ongoing research to create treatments for these injuries, including surgical and drug remedies. While these therapies are progressing rapidly, spinal cord injuries are very complex and scientists need to conduct more research to uncover a cure.

While no cure may exist, there are a number of treatments available to you that can help improve your condition and lessen the impact that the damage has on your everyday life.

First, it is important to visit a hospital as soon as possible after the injury. The sooner you seek treatment, the sooner medical staff can stabilize you. The hospital will likely place you on a ventilator and monitor your vital signs during stabilization. Medical staff will immobilize you with a collar or backboard to prevent further damage.

Next, doctors will diagnose your injury and determine the cause. Depending on your injury, the doctors may place you on medication to reduce inflammation and swelling. You may receive additional immobilization equipment to prevent further injury.

Once stabilization is complete, your medical team will determine the best rehabilitation plan for you. This may involve surgeries, the use of assistive devices, and ongoing physical and occupational therapy.

The intensity and length of your therapy depends on the circumstances of your injury.

Question 4

What Are the Different Types of Spinal Cord Injury?

Accepted Answer

There are two main types of spinal cord injuries: complete and incomplete injuries. While you may suffer from permanent damage, paraplegia, and tetraplegia in a complete spinal cord injury, the result is not the same in an incomplete injury. You suffer from partial damage in an incomplete injury, and may be able to move and feel to a certain extent.

Medical professionals further categorize your spinal cord injury based on what body parts the injury impacts.

If you have a cervical spinal cord injury, you may suffer from paralysis or damage to your head and neck region.

Sacral spinal cord injuries typically cause damage to the pelvic organs, hips, back of thighs, and buttocks.

You may have a lumbar spinal cord injury if you suffer damage to your hips and legs.

Thoracic spinal cord injuries usually result in damage to your upper chest, abdomen, and mid-back.

Question 5

How Do You Prove Medical Negligence in Missouri?

Accepted Answer

Under Missouri state law, you have the right to collect compensation for your damages that you suffered in an accident that someone else’s negligence or recklessness caused. Many different acts of negligence can contribute to spinal cord injury, from car accidents to slips and falls and medical malpractice. However, you will need to prove that the at-fault parties committed an act of negligence to receive complication.

To prove negligence in a spinal cord injury case, you and your malpractice attorney will need to establish four elements in Missouri civil court.

First, you will need to prove that the person or entity responsible for your serious injury owed you a duty of care. For example, your surgeon has a duty to uphold a certain standard of care while treating you, and your boss has a responsibility to maintain a safe working environment.

Next, you will need to prove that the at-fault party breached his or her duty of care somehow. If your foreman on your construction site knew about unsafe scaffolding and failed to take action, you can establish this breach. If your surgeon committed an error during surgery that a similarly trained and educated surgeon would know not to do, you can also establish a breach.

You will also need to prove that the breach of duty of care led to your injuries. If you suffered a fall from unsafe scaffolding at your construction site, you can establish this causation. If your surgeon made an egregious mistake during surgery that led to your injury, you can also establish causation.

Finally, you will need to prove that you suffered damages as a result of the breach of duty of care. These damages can include multiple economic and non-economic losses related to your injury, including medical expenses, lost wages, and disability.

Question 6

What Is the Average Spinal Cord Injury Settlement?

Accepted Answer

The total amount of spinal cord injury settlements vary from case to case. As a result, it can be very difficult to provide an estimate or an average for the compensation you could receive in a spinal cord injury lawsuit. However, certain factors can increase your potential award amount.

The more severe and life-impacting the injury is, the higher the settlement amount will likely be. Since spinal cord injuries typically involve extensive, lifelong treatment, months of lost wages or a loss of total earning ability altogether, and a number of emotional damages, including chronic pain and disability, these settlements tend to be very high. Contact Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet to discuss your potential compensation.

Question 7

What Is the Statute of Limitations on Spinal Cord Injuries in Missouri?

Accepted Answer

In every state when you are preparing to file a personal injury lawsuit in civil court, you must adhere to the statute of limitations. These rules place a deadline on the amount of time you have to file your claim. In the state of Missouri, you have five years from the date of your injury to file a spinal cord injury lawsuit.

If you did not discover your injury until later on, you have five years from the date of discovery to file. However, in spinal cord injury cases, this is not likely since the injury is so severe. If you are filing a claim against a government agency or employee, you will need to adhere to a separate statute of limitations, which can be very short. For example, you only have 90 days from the date of your injury to file a claim against a Missouri city government.

Kansas City Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys