Why are spinal cord injuries different than other types of injuries? Think of the spinal cord as part of your brain. It is not technically part of the brain but in reality it is. It is an extension of the brain. It is attached to the brain. It transmits the signals that come from the brain and that go to the brain.
Any alteration to the spinal cord affects what your brain sees, hears or feels. Any impairment of those electrical signals that are transmitted by the spinal cord affect everything else about your body.
Electricity is what makes your body what it is. It allows you to stand up. It allows you to bend over. It allows you to do things with your hands. Without that electricity you would simply be a blob.
These injuries to the spinal cord may be complete or incomplete. A complete injury is where you’ve lost all sensation and movement. An incomplete injury means there is still some sensation and movement. That defines the difference to some extent from paraplegic to quadriplegic. Quadriplegia means that all four limbs are impaired. Paraplegia means that the two lower limbs are impaired. Contact our experienced catastrophic injury attorney today to discuss your case.
How Do You Prove a Spinal Cord Injury?
To prove a spinal cord injury you have to first be able to explain the different parts of the spine. The spine is divided into five parts which include the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal areas.
Between the different bones in the spinal cord there are what are called “discs”. The disc has a rough outer area that is called the “annulus”. Inside is what is called the “pulposus”. It is a jelly-like substance. It serves the purpose of cushioning the movement of the bones. That tough outer layer cushions the jelly-like substance in the center.
That disc that is the space between the bones may fail in a number of ways. It may bulge. It may break. A break is obviously more serious than a bulge.
Sometimes the injury to the spinal cord involves the movement of the bones. The bones may move forward. They may move backward. They may move side to side. This injury may be due to some damage to the ligaments. This type of damage can be portrayed through dynamic motion x-rays (DMX).
In addition computer aided radiographic mensuration analysis may be used to portray these types of injuries. These tests show the torn ligaments. Likewise MRIs may show this type of injury.
One of Newton’s laws is force equals mass times acceleration. If the human head weighs about 14 pounds and the speed at impact is 25 mph, then 14 x 25 = 350. That simple formula gives you some idea as to the amount of force that can be applied to the human head and the human neck on impact.
What Types of Experts Will be Needed for a Spinal Cord Injury Case?
The experts that normally testify in these types of cases are either orthopedic doctors or neurosurgical experts. They explain the physical injury. They also explain what assistive devices may be needed as a result of the injury. What modifications to accessibility may be necessary. What the level of pain and suffering is that the victim has suffered and will suffer. What the amount of medical expenses are that were reasonably and necessarily incurred in the past. Also what expenses will be incurred in the future.
Other experts that may be necessary are such people as a vocational rehabilitation expert to prove what your work ability is. A life care planner may be needed to project out the future cost of care.
All of these experts must work together to prove the full extent of your injury.
Are There Alternatives to Spinal Surgery?
In some cases there may be alternatives to spinal surgery. A common form of spinal surgery is what is called “spinal fusion”. Over the years that type of surgery has been on the rise. This surgery is typically performed either by a neurosurgeon or an orthopedic doctor. There may be some financial incentive for doctors to perform this type of surgery. There may be a substantial fee in store for them with this surgery. There are alternatives however. One such alternative may be simply employing long-term physical therapy. Another alternative may be decompression as opposed to fusion. Decompression surgery produces a much smaller fee for the surgeon than does fusion surgery. Those are things that need to be considered in any spinal cord injury case.