Spinal Cord Injury
Estimates from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) indicate that the annual incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury, not including those who die at the scene of an accident, is approximately 40 cases per million in the U. S. or approximately 12,000 new cases each year. The number of people in the nation currently living with an SCI is between 229,000 and 306,000.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) can occur at any time to any individual, as the result of car accidents, slip and falls, industrial accidents, medical malpractice, birth injury, sports and recreational activities, household accidents, and even violent acts. No matter how major or minor the precipitating event, the effects of an acute spinal cord injury can persist for a lifetime. When a person suffers a spinal cord injury, information traveling along the spinal nerves below the level of injury can be cut off from the brain, resulting in permanent quadriplegia or paraplegia and other serious disabilities.
According to the NSCISC, the most frequent neurologic category of persons discharged from the hospital with spinal cord injury is incomplete quadriplegia (30.1%), followed by complete paraplegia (25.6%), complete quadriplegia (20.4%), and incomplete paraplegia (18.5%). Less than one percent of persons experience complete neurologic recovery by hospital discharge.
Average yearly health care and living expenses and the estimated lifetime costs that are directly attributable to SCI vary greatly according to the severity of the injury. Costs can range from $800,000 in the first year and $143,500 in subsequent years for individuals with an acute spinal cord injury resulting in high quadriplegia to $236,000 and $16,500 respectively for victims left with some level of incomplete motor function. These figures do not include any indirect costs such as lost wages and benefits, and they do not begin to represent the pain and suffering and loss of quality of life associated with spinal cord injury.
Life expectancy for persons with spinal cord injuries continues to increase, but it is still somewhat below that for those with no spinal cord injury. Mortality rates are significantly higher during the first year after injury than during subsequent years, particularly for severely injured persons. The causes of death that appear to have the greatest impact on reduced life expectancy for victims of spinal cord injury are pneumonia, pulmonary emboli, and septicemia.
Since 2005, motor vehicle crashes--including motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and bus accidents--accounted for most (42.1%) of the spinal cord injury cases reported, followed by slip and falls, acts of violence (primarily gunshot wounds), and recreational sporting activities. Often negligence is at the root of spinal cord accidents, and some spinal cord injuries are exacerbated by poor medical treatment or delay in receiving proper medical attention.
When a spinal cord injury occurs, a thorough investigation and evaluation of the cause(s)--conducted by a personal injury attorney with direct experience handling spinal cord injuries and accidents--is always the best way to proceed. Once the cause and severity of the injury is established and liability is determined, a spinal cord injury lawyer can help the victim reach an informed decision about whether or not to pursue a lawsuit or other legal option. Victims may be able to recover some expenses even if they were partially to blame for the spinal cord injury, depending upon whether the state where the case is filed has comparative negligence or contributory negligence laws in place.
The skilled personal injury lawyers and spinal cord injury attorneys at Schwartz Zweben LLP and its affiliate law firms have represented numerous spinal cord injury cases to successful conclusions. They understand the complexities of investigating, litigating, negotiating, and resolving spinal cord injury claims and are experts at presenting SCI cases to insurance adjusters and juries. Our resources include a top-notch team of professional investigators and experts who can analyze the evidence and help our spinal cord injury lawyers obtain swift justice and maximum cash awards for injuries, medical bills, pain and suffering, loss of wages, and all other related costs and expenses.
If you or someone in your family sustained a spinal cord injury and are confined to a wheelchair or suffer incomplete motor function as a result, contact the law offices of Schwartz Zweben LLP. A personal injury attorney specializing in spinal cord injury cases can offer you a free, confidential evaluation of your case and advise you of your rights.
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