Suffolk County Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries are among the most serious types of injuries that a person may suffer in an accident. Victims who suffer injuries to the spinal cord often are permanently disabled and require lifelong medical care. A spinal cord injury occurs when a traumatic event results in damage to cells within the spinal cord or nerves that are inside the spinal column. A severe spinal cord injury often causes quadriplegia, paraplegia or some other type of paralysis. Other symptoms of a spinal cord injury include pain or sensitivity to stimuli, muscle spasms, and sexual dysfunction. In addition, victims who suffer spinal cord injuries are likely to develop secondary medical problems, such as bladder infections and respiratory problems. If you sustained a spinal cord injury due to the negligence of another person, contact an experienced Suffolk County spinal cord injury lawyer who will review your case and help you receive damages that will compensate you for your medical expenses, lost wages, loss of companionship and other losses you suffered as a result of the accident.

For those who are under the age of 65, the leading cause of spinal cord injuries is a vehicle accident such as a car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident. For people who are 65 and older, falls cause most spinal cord injuries. Other common causes include construction site accidents, diving accidents, electric shock, bullet or stab wounds and sports injuries.

Another cause for a spinal cord injury is medical malpractice. For example, if your doctor makes a medical mistake during a delicate surgical procedure such as back or neck surgery, the result can be spinal cord injury that leaves you permanently disabled.

There are several different types of spinal cord injuries:

• Quadriplegia. Quadriplegia is a type of complete spinal cord injury involving the paralysis of all four limbs.
• Paraplegia. Paraplegia is also a type of complete spinal cord injury. It involves the paralysis of 2 limbs.
• Anterior cord syndrome: Anterior cord syndrome is a spinal cord injury to the front of the cord that involves damages the sensory pathways. While the victim retains some sensation, he or she will have difficulty moving.
• Central cord syndrome: Central cord syndrome is a spinal cord injury to the center of the cord that involves damage to the nerves that carry signals from the brain to the spinal cord. Victims who suffer this type of injury will have difficulty with fine motor skills, paralysis of the arms, and impaired movement in the legs.

Spinal injuries can be not only physically challenging, but can also cause financial distress. Not only do you have to deal with the initial medical expense of surgery, you may also face an unending stream of expenses to deal with the after effects of a severe spinal cord injury. There are options for help. If your injury happened in an accident such as a car accident that was caused by another person, you may be eligible to receive compensation from that person. As a spinal cord injury attorney in Suffolk County will explain, the type of compensation and the amount will be based on a number of factors including:

• The type of spinal cord injury you suffered
• The cost of medical care including emergency room treatment, hospital fees, surgical fees, doctor's bills, prescriptions, special medical equipment, and rehabilitation costs.
• Loss of wages and loss of future income caused by a long term or permanent disability.
• Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering.

It is important to understand that New York law has a specific time limit for filing a claim in a spinal cord injury case. This time limit is referred to as the statute of limitations. If you do not file your claim within the time period, you will be forever barred from collecting damages even if your case has merit. In addition, if the party responsible for your injury was a government entity such as New York State or Suffolk County, then there are special procedures you must follow to file a claim.

If you or a loved one was injured in an accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury, contact an experienced spinal cord injury attorney serving Suffolk County who understands both the legal issues associated with personal injury cases as well as the medical issues associated with injuries to the spine. The staff at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates is experienced in handling personal injury and wrongful death cases stemming 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.