Quadriplegia and Paraplegia

A spinal cord injury can throw your entire life into upheaval. A catastrophic blow to the neck or spine may forever rob you of your ability to move independently or control your own body. Such sudden incapacitation is heartbreaking for many victims and their families, and their distress is made worse when the spinal cord injury happened due to someone else’s reckless behavior.  

Neck and spinal cord injuries may result in partial or total paralysis, quadriplegia (also called tetraplegia), paraplegia and hemiplegia. These conditions can cause deadly complications and lead to millions of dollars in expenses over the course of the victim’s lifetime. But if your spinal cord injury was a result of negligence, you have the right to take legal action against the responsible party. 

If you or a family member sustained a spinal cord or neck injury in a Pennsylvania accident, you need to call the lawyers at Munley, Munley & Cartwright. We have successfully represented clients in spinal cord injury claims for more than 40 years. We understand the complexities of Pennsylvania’s personal injury laws and are skilled in proving negligence and helping victims and their families obtain compensation to help with medical bills, rehabilitation, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Our firm represents clients throughout Pennsylvania and has offices in Scranton, Carbondale, Plains, Stroudsburg, Hazleton and Hamlin. To schedule a free consultation, contact us online or by calling 877-421-9173.

Pennsylvania Spinal Cord Injuries and Neck Trauma

Roughly 265,000 Americans were living with a spinal cord injury in 2010, according to estimates from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. Sadly, 12,000 more people are hospitalized with life-threatening neck and spinal cord injuries each year.

Nearly half of all spinal cord injuries occur in motor vehicle crashes, but other leading causes of spinal cord injuries include workplace accidents, slips and falls, sports accidents and acts of violence.

Damage to the spinal cord is a very serious and complex injury. That’s because the spinal cord is a vital part of the human nervous system, linking the brain to the rest of the body. Messages from the brain are transmitted through the spinal cord and tell a body part when to move and pick up on sensory messages such as pain or cold. When a spinal cord injury or neck injury occurs, that communication can be altered or stopped altogether, leading to varying degrees of impairment.

Spinal cord injuries result from trauma to the bones (or vertebrae) of the neck and spine. A sudden blow, twist, crush, or compression of the vertebrae can put pressure on the spinal cord, leading to swelling or bruising or even severing the cord completely.

Spinal cord injuries are evaluated based on where the injury is located and whether the injury is complete or incomplete.

• Complete: No voluntary movement or sensation is possible below the level of the injury.
• Incomplete: Occurs when some degree of motor and sensory function remains post-injury.

The location of the injury will determine how much of the body may be affected by the spinal cord injury. After a spinal cord injury, all of the nerves above the injured area continue to work normally. That generally means the degree of impairment will be more extensive for someone with damage to the cervical (neck) vertebrae as opposed to damage in the lower spine.

Spinal injuries can cause:

• Quadriplegia/tetraplegia: Occurs when the cervical region of the spinal cord is damaged. Both the arms and legs are paralyzed as well as the neck, head, shoulders, arms, chest and trunk of the body. A person with a high cervical injury may need a ventilator or other assistive breathing device because the diaphragm is controlled by nerves in the upper neck.
• Paraplegia: Involves paralysis of the lower body, including both legs. The chest, stomach, hips, legs and feet may also be impacted, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
• Hemiplegia:  Refers to paralysis on just one side of the body.

After A Spinal Cord Injury

The initial prognosis for someone after a spinal cord injury may not immediately be clear. When trauma occurs, the body responds by rushing blood and fluid to the site of the injury. Excess swelling and blood can pinch the nerves of the spinal cord, limiting movement and sensation. However, as the swelling and bruising abates, the paralysis may disappear or improve considerably.

Those with permanent paralysis, tetraplegia, paraplegia and hemiplegia may face a variety of medical complications as a result of their injuries, including:

• Higher risk of pneumonia;
• Pulmonary embolisms;
• Blood poisoning;
• Organ failure;
• Pressure sores;
• Spasticity;
• Osteoporosis;
• Lack of bowel control;
• Sexual dysfunction;
• Bladder control problems;
• Blood pressure issues;
• Inability to control body temperature;
• Pain;
• Depression.

Compensation For Your Spinal Cord Injury

People who sustain spinal cord injuries sustain long-term disabilities, and they also inherit tremendous financial debt simply to maintain their health. The lifetime cost of the worst spinal cord injuries can be as high as $2.4 million, according to NSCISC. That figure doesn’t even take into account indirect costs such as lost wages or lost productivity.

There is no way to guarantee how much compensation you will be awarded for your spinal cord injury in court. However, plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits can typically recover damages to cover:

• Hospitalization costs;
• Medical bills;
• Rehabilitation;
• Long-term nursing care;
• Lost wages;
• Lost future earnings;
• Mileage expenses to travel to doctor’s appointments;
• Costs for adaptive equipment, such as wheelchairs;
• Pain and suffering.

Contact a Pennsylvania Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Today

At Munley, Munley & Cartwright, our goal is to provide exceptional legal services to our clients. We strive to achieve the highest standard of excellence for the protection of individual rights through teamwork and the use of our considerable legal resources and experience. For a free consultation regarding your personal injury or wrongful death case, call 877-421-9173 or use our online form.