San Bernardino Back & Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

Traumatic Accidents 

The most common cause of spinal cord injuries is traumatic accidents or falls. This includes car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, slips and falls, and assaults. These types of accidents can cause trauma to the spine, which in turn can lead to paralysis or loss of sensation in certain parts of the body. 

Sports Injuries 

Another common cause of spinal cord injuries is sports-related activities. Contact sports such as football, wrestling, and rugby put players at risk of sustaining serious head or neck injuries due to tackling or collisions with other players. Even non-contact sports, such as diving into shallow water, can cause severe damage to the spine due to improper technique or incorrect body positioning when landing after a jump. 

Disease and Illness 

In addition to traumatic accidents and sports injuries, diseases and illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, meningitis, and multiple sclerosis can lead to spinal cord injuries by affecting the structure or alignment of vertebrae in the spine. 

Physical Effects of a Spinal Cord Injury

While many factors come into play when diagnosing and treating a spinal cord injury, understanding the common physical effects is essential to ensure proper care. 

Nerve Damage & Muscle Weakness 

A spinal cord injury’s most common physical effect is nerve damage, which can cause muscle weakness or paralysis. Depending on the severity of the injury, this may range from partial paralysis to complete paralysis. Common signs include loss of sensation in affected areas and difficulty controlling movement. In some cases, even minor movements like wiggling fingers or toes can become difficult due to weak muscles caused by nerve damage. 

Urinary & Bowel Issues 

Another common symptom associated with spinal cord injuries is urinary or bowel issues. This is because both urination and bowel movements are controlled by signals sent from the brain to the nervous system. If these signals are disrupted due to nerve damage, it can lead to difficulty controlling bladder or bowel muscles, resulting in urinary incontinence or constipation.  In addition, people with spinal cord injuries may experience an increased risk for urinary tract infections (UTIs).   

Pain & Sensitivity Issues   

In addition to muscle weakness and bladder/bowel control issues, another possible symptom of a spinal cord injury is pain or sensitivity issues due to damaged nerves. People may experience hypersensitivity—where even light pressure causes pain—or hyposensitivity—where skin does not feel pain as it usually should. The area around the injured part of the spine may also become very sensitive if nerves have been damaged there.  

Spinal cord injuries can have a wide range of physical effects depending on their severity and location within the spine. It’s important for those who have experienced such an injury to understand these effects and take steps toward proper recovery and management. 

Understanding the Extent of Your Spinal Cord Injury 

The first step you should take after suffering a back injury in an accident is to understand the full extent of your injury. Consulting with medical professionals can help you determine whether or not your injury will require lifelong care and what kind of treatments are necessary for your recovery. This information can be crucial when working out an acceptable settlement with an insurance company or other party responsible for the accident. 

Our spinal cord injury attorneys will work with your medical team to understand how your injuries affect your life and future. We use this information to obtain maximum compensation for our clients. 

Our Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys Can Help You Receive Maximum Compensation 

In addition to understanding the extent of your injury, it is important to understand how much compensation you are entitled to receive to cover any costs associated with the accident and its aftermath. 

At William D. Shapiro Law, Inc., our skilled spinal cord attorneys can help you calculate these costs and negotiate with insurance companies or other parties responsible for the accident. We will help you explore your legal options so that you can choose the best path for you and your family.

Time is of the essence 

There are specific time requirements and mandates that apply to certain claims depending on the type of claim being made, age of the claimant, and who the claim is being made against. We urge you to contact counsel to find out what applies to your situation. Failure to make, serve and/or file a timely claim or complaint will bar even the chance of recovery thus we urge anyone seeking to make a recovery, to immediately retain counsel without delay.

Contact Our San Bernardino Spinal Cord Lawyers Today

If you or someone you love suffered a spinal cord or back injury in an accident in San Bernardino, we can help. At William D. Shapiro Law, Inc., our San Bernardino spinal cord injury attorneys can make it easy for you to get the support you need after suffering a devastating back injury. Simply call our law firm at (909) 890-1000 or fill out our confidential contact form today, and we’ll call you back.