Nassau County Spinal Cord Injury

A spinal cord injury involves damage to the nerves that are housed within the spinal column. In some cases the damage to the spine cord involves bruising or compressing. In the most severe cases the damage to the cord involves the cord being partially or completely severed. If the spinal cord is severely damaged such is when it is severed, the victim will undoubtedly suffer some sort of paralysis such as monoplegia, hemiplegia, paraplegia or quadriplegia. Those with severe spinal cord injuries suffer physically, financially and emotionally. All too often spinal cord injuries are completely preventable as they were due to another person's negligent or intentional act. If you are in need of a personal injury attorney because you sustained a spinal cord injury due to someone else's reckless action contact a Nassau County injury lawyer who will review your case and help you hold the responsible party accountable through a personal injury lawsuit.

The leading cause of injuries to the spinal cord are auto accidents. In fact statistics show that for victims who are under 65-years-oldm, car accidents are the primary cause of traumatic spinal cord injuries.

Other causes of spinal cord injuries include diving accidents, criminal acts (stabbing and gunshot wounds), recreational accidents and construction accidents. For example, diving accidents lead to catastrophic injuries. The typical scenario is that a diver dives into water that is too shallow. The speed at which the diver hits the shallow water causes the diver to quickly slam into the bottom of the body of the water. The tragic result is that the diver's spine is crushed. When this happens the diver may end up paralyzed from the chest down.

Regardless of the cause of the injury, spinal cord injuries can be devastating, often leaving the victim with a permanent disability.

Spinal cord injuries can be categorized in a number of different ways. For example, a spinal cord injury can be partial or complete.

• Complete. A complete spinal cord injury means that there is a complete loss of function below the point of injury. Quadriplegia and paraplegia are examples of the result of complete spinal cord injuries.
• Partial. With partial injuries, victims are often able to move a limb on side of the body, but not on the other side, or have more feeling on one side of the body than the other.

Spinal cord injuries are not only physically difficult, they can also put the victim and his or her family into a bad financial situation. For example, in the case of a severe spinal cord injury such a crushed spine resulting in quadriplegia, the victim may have to spend several days a week at a rehabilitation facility working on improving muscle strength. In addition, treatment is necessary to address health issues that often accompany paralysis such as pressure sores, incontinence and respiratory problems. Treatment for paraplegia and quadriplegia are lifelong. The costs are astronomical. Statistics indicate that a minor injury to your spinal cord can cost over $250,000 in the first year. If you were 25 at the time of the injury, the total expenses could well exceed $700,000 in your lifetime.

However, under New York law you can demand that the person responsible for you injuries pay you damages for your medical expenses, lost wages and other losses. Such compensation may include:

• Medical bills: A serious injury to your spine may result in substantial medical bills. Through a personal injury claim you may be able to recover expenses for medical treatment, your hospital stay, prescriptions, rehabilitation and visits to your doctors.
• Loss of income: Even a relatively minor spinal cord injury will mean that you will have to miss work. With a severe injury you may miss weeks or months of work. This means missed paychecks, used sick days, used vacation days, missed bonuses and missed promotions. You will be entitled to recover you lost wages and missed compensation from the person who caused you injury. If you are not able to return to work or if you are not able to return to the same job, you can sue for loss of future income.
• Pain and suffering: Spinal cord injuries can be painful. They can also be emotionally devastating, particularly when paralysis is involved. You can demand payment for both your physical pain and your emotional suffering. There is a direct correlation between the amount of pain and suffering damages and the severity of the injury. For example, if the spinal cord injury resulted in permanent paraplegia or quadriplegia, you are more likely to receive a substantial pain and suffering award than if the injury did not result in paralysis.

If you have a spinal cord injury that was caused because another person we negligent, it is critical that you are represented by an attorney who understands both the legal and medical issues associated with personal injury cases. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates have years of experience representing clients with catastrophic injuries from auto, truck, motorcycle, boat, and construction accidents. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.