Articles Posted in Spinal Cord Injury

In today’s world people can suffer a personal injury in many different cases. An injury which seems to be growing rapidly both in Sacramento and throughout the US is Spinal Cord Injury. You can severely injure your spine from a car accident, falling, sports, violence, and many other ways.

According to the Spinal Cord Injury Facts And Statistics:

# SCI injuries are most commonly caused by:

We all know how much fun trampolines can be. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it. We even had one of our own at our house in Sacramento, California a couple years back. Recent studies have shown, however, that trampolines, although fun, may not be as safe as we would hope. One of the most dangerous effects of trampolines is the potential

One of the most dangerous effects of trampolines is the potential it has to cause spinal cord injury. At our Personal Injury Law Firm, we know that this is no small injury. A spinal cord injury, especially in children, can be a hard battle to face for those who are involved.

Recent reports have shown that actually falling off trampolines will often result in “crippling injury and/or death including paralysis from spinal cord injury”. Other factors that led to these types of injuries occurred from colliding with others on the trampoline and trampoline somersaults or stunts.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you are bound to know how dangerous I feel motorcycles can be and also how difficult spinal cord injuries can be for the victim and family. I know sometimes this may sound a bit too much, but we have seen in our law practice in Sacramento, California, how lives change after a spinal cord injury, especially if this injury results in paraplegia. And the costs resulting from the medical costs can be quite overwhelming for those involved. Truth is, many of these cases we witness are derived from motorcycle accidents, one way or another. In this particular case, the events take even more drastic proportions.

I read a news report today about a motorcyclist that was rear-ended. A 21-year old woman was driving her Jeep Cherokee, when she was distracted for a moment by one of her four dogs riding with her. As she glanced off the road, a man driving a motorcycle in front of her slowed down to make a turn. The woman rear-ended the man, sending him flying up onto her car and slamming him against her windshield. At the hospital, he was diagnosed as suffering from broken bones and a spinal cord injury, which has left him paralyzed. This just proves it doesn’t really matter how good of a driver you are, you are not entirely in control of what happens on the road. Staying cautious is vital.

The 21-year old woman, who had been ticketed for speeding and driving without insurance three hours prior, was written up for a felony. Her charge was gross negligent operation of a motor vehicle. As for the young man, he will live for the rest of his life with the consequences of someone else’s negligence. Does compensation truly make up for all of this? Probably not, but it helps to make assure some quality of life, at least. And some relief for the pain and suffering that lie ahead.

I came across an interesting story in the news today. A 64-year old ex-policeman has passed away. The cause of death, according to the accusation, was homicide. Now, wait for the interesting part. He died from a gunshot wound he received 41 years ago. That’s right.

It’s not as confusing as it seems. At 23 years old, Walter Barclay was carrying out a burglary investigation on job when in the middle of a gunfight he was shot several times. The gunshots hit his spine, splintering it, and leaving him paralyzed. He obviously survived, but only after an extensive recovery period. What happened then?

41 years later, Barclay developed a urinary tract infection, directly related to his paraplegia, which was directly related to his shooting on that fateful night. Prosecutors are now trying to decide whether or not to charge the shooter, William Barnes, with murder. May seem like a long shot, but they argue there is a direct cause related to the incidents of that night and the complications which led to Mr. Barclay’s death.

As a Personal Injury Law Firm in the Sacramento area, it is always wonderful to read about stories of survivors of accidents and injuries. We know that a spinal cord injury is one of the hardest to deal with and learn to readjust. I read a story in the news today about a man who suffered from a spinal cord injury in a car crash five years ago. Today, he is learning to get around on his own and the injury has become the basis behind his work.

The man’s name is Brandon Ingram. He was in a car crash in which the driver of the other vehicle rear-ended him on the freeway. Crashing through his windshield, Brandon broke ribs, fracture a lung, and was paralyzed from the waist down. At the time of the accident he was 22 years old.

He began using a device called the Andara Oscillating Field Stimulator that helps regenerate damaged nerve fibers and restore some body functions. Brandon is one of 13 people to test the new machine.

Today I would like to talk to you a little about spinal cord injury and the lifetime costs that can derive from it.

When someone is a victim of an accident and subsequently suffers from spinal cord injury, the average lifetime costs associated with the injury will vary substantially according to the person’s age.

To get a clearer understanding of the costs associated with this type of injury, I have included a list that shows the average lifetime cost for varying degrees of spinal cord injury. The first number indicates the average cost for a 25-year-old person. The second number indicates the average cost for a 50-year-old person.

At the Law Offices of Moseley Collins, we know that a spinal cord injury incurred from a serious accident has many detrimental implications. They can be emotional, financial, or purely and solely logistical. For one, the loss or partial loss of feeling and motion is a tremendous hardship for one to bear. I can’t begin to tell you how much I feel for those affected by something like it.

In addition to this loss, a person suffering from spinal cord injury will incur numerous costs throughout their lifetime. The financial costs associated with something as life-changing as this are surely worth of reflection. I would like to share some information I found relevant when I was researching for a case I am representing. I believe it is a helpful tool to use if you or someone you love has suffered from this type of injury.

The list below indicates the average yearly expenses as of May 2006 for injuries of varying severity. The first number is the average cost for the initial year and the following number is the average cost for each subsequent year. This gives us an extremely useful piece of information regarding the estimated costs for those facing such situations.

Spinal Cord Injuries can be a devastating result of an accident. In our Personal Injury Law Firm in Sacramento, CA, we have experienced many cases in which the person injured suffered this loss. I believe it is important to give a brief overview of the injury, especially for those who have suffered it personally or know someone that has. Please know that if you or someone you love has suffered from spinal cord injury in an accident, you can always call us at the Law Offices of Moseley Collins. We are here to help.

What is Spinal Cord Injury?

Spinal cord injury, also know as myelopathy, occurs when the spinal cord is damaged by either a trauma (such as the ones caused by an automobile accident) or disease. The result of the damage is a loss of sensation and/or movement. Extreme cases can even lead to paralysis.