Spinal Cord Injury

Stamford, Connecticut, Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys
At Casper & de Toledo, our personal injury attorneys work to protect the best interests of clients who have suffered from the catastrophic effects of a spinal cord injury.

Casper & de Toledo fights hard for its clients by using the latest technology. These are examples of radiological studies used by spinal cord injury attorneys in Stamford, Connecticut to prosecute cases. Click on the images to enlarge.

Spinal Cord Injury

The spine is a complex system of bones, ligaments, muscles and nerves. The nerves that run from the base of the brain to the waist constitute the strong yet delicate structure known as the spinal cord.

Virtually any type of trauma may cause injury to the bony and connective structures of the spine, to the disks that cushion the segments of the spine known as vertebrae, to the nerves that exit the vertebrae, or to the spinal cord itself. Important: time-sensitive and crucial questions and answers about this type of critical injury can be found here!

Regardless of the type of accident, spinal cord injuries can result in full or partial paralysis and can lead to functional damage. The Stamford, Connecticut spinal injury lawyers at the office of Casper & de Toledo, Attorneys at Law, represent victims and help them recover compensation from liable parties. Contact us to schedule a consultation.

Basic Spinal Cord Information

Along with the brain, the 18-inch-long spinal cord forms the central nervous system. Around the cord itself are hoops of bones known as vertebra. These back bones are part of the spinal column.

The nerves of the spinal cord are called upper motor neurons, which transmit message from the brain to other parts of the body. These messages are sent to lower motor neurons, or other spinal nerves, which correspond with more particular parts of the body.

These signals control movement, feeling, and bodily functions like bladder and bowel control. They also regulate certain reflexes, telling specific muscles to move in response to various actions. There are millions of axons (parts of neurons which carry these messages) throughout the spinal cord, which compose various tracts within the cord.

Injuries to the Spine: Car Accidents - Falls - Violence
Many of our clients have experienced damage to the spine and/or spinal nerves in a wide variety of traumatic episodes and circumstances that can produce an injury to the spine, including:

• Car Crashes
• Truck Accidents
• Slip and Falls
• Medical Malpractice
• Acts of Violence

A Spinal Cord Injury Can Have Devastating Consequences, Including Paraplegia and Quadriplegia
Damage to the spinal cord is often known as a catastrophic injury because of the likelihood of long-term or permanent disability. The extent of injury depends on the location of the injury, the quality of medical care after the accident, and the severity of the damage to the spinal cord. Our spinal cord attorneys in Stamford, Connecticut are well versed in this area of litigation and can help you determine whether or not you are entitled compensation for your injuries and, if so, the extent of the compensation warranted.

A spinal cord injury can result in widely different levels of paralysis and involve multiple organ systems. The evaluation and presentation of such cases depends largely on the retention of the proper experts including health care providers, life care planners, vocational experts and economists. Where full or partial paralysis affects bowel and/or bladder control or the ability to breathe, it is necessary not only to consult with other specialists, but also to account for an anticipated lifetime of problems and expenses. Contact our offices to discuss how we can help you.

What are the other possible consequences?

In addition to possible loss of motor functioning and feeling, victims of SCI may undergo dysfunction in other areas that may include:

• Bowels and Bladder
• Sexual Functioning
• Blood Pleasure (low/unable to control)
• Body Tempature (reduced ability to regulate or sweat below the level of the injury)
• Chronic or Permanent Pain

Victims of SCI usually require long-term medical care and incur extremely high medical bills. Some injuries involve fractures, which can pose great risks to nerves and vertebrae. Some fractures require spinal surgery to stabilize the fracture site. Other injuries involve one or more herniated or bulging disks that may also necessitate surgery depending upon the extent of injury and the risk of further neurological damage. In some cases, the supporting structures are damaged and leave the patient in agonizing pain. In others, the injury to the spine makes muscles form taut bands which form trigger points; these points may refer pain to other areas of the body. Such conditions often require extensive physical therapy and trigger point injections.

Make sure to seek medical help as soon as possible after a spinal cord injury; in this period, during which the injury is known as acute, many things should be fixed and/or stabilized so that further problems do not arise. If you sought medical care after an injury and believe that adequate assistance was not given, speak with a knowledgeable attorney to see if you have a legal claim.

What is Spinal Cord Injury?

Spinal cord injury, or SCI, can lead to functional deficiencies, such as loss of sensation or mobility. Often the spinal cord is still intact, yet it has been damaged in some way. It qualifies as SCI if the spinal cord itself (not just the vertebra, or surrounding bones) is affected. Usually, if the vertebra are damaged, the bones are dislocated, which then apply damaging pressure. However, fractures to the vertebral column may not always be apparent. Also, spinal cord injury can occur if there is reduced blood flow to the spinal cord. A lot of people are not always aware that they have SCI injuries. Millions of people get whiplash each year - and athletes may experience temporary paralysis after certain sports (which is called a stinger. These terms underrate the potential seriousness of these injuries.

There are many misconceptions about SCI. For example, the spinal cord below the site of the injury does not necessarily die after the injury, nor can it easily be fixed by merely re-attaching the lower part of the cord with the upper part.

Complete Spinal Cord Injury
A complete injury involves total paralysis; below the site of the injury, there is no functioning, no movement (or, at least, no willful movement), and no feeling. For example, an injury in the neck area can result in the victim experiencing quadriplegia and requiring a ventilator to breathe; an injury further down the spine may allow use of the arms, but the legs and bladder may not function or have feeling.

Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury
A patient with an incomplete spinal cord injury may experience limited control over affected body parts; one side of the body may function better than the other side. A victim may also be able to move a particular limb or be able to experience sensation in parts of the body, even if those parts cannot voluntarily move.

The medical care received directly after the back injury can often affect the severity of the outcome. If doctors and hospitals fail to give the most complete possible care after a spinal cord injury, our attorneys may be able to pursue a medical malpractice case. Our SCI lawyers assist clients in Stamford, Connecticut, and throughout the Northeast.

How is the location of the injury related?

The higher the location of the injury, the more damage is usually caused to the victim's functional abilities. Injuries to various places often result in varying losses of function in related areas of the body.

There are 8 vertebra in the neck, called Cervical Vertebra, which affect the arms and legs if damaged. Injuries in this area can lead to quadriplegia, or paralysis affecting limbs.

There are 12 vertebra in the chest, called Thoracic Vertebra, which correspond with the chest and the legs, so damage to this region can lead to paraplegia, or paralysis of the lower body.

Finally, there are 5 Lumbar vertebra and 5 Sacral vertebra, which are in the lower back to the end of the spinal column; if the spinal cord in these regions is damaged, the hips and legs may experience reduced functioning.

Specifics of SCI

SCI's can be determined more specifically by numbering the vertebra of different sections. These are classified with the first letter of the section (i.e. C for Cervical), a hyphen, and the number of the bone (the numbers get higher, starting over at each section, as one moves farther down the body). Thus, a C-4 injury is quite high up on the neck. Injuries above this particular level can signify the need for a ventilator; the person may not be able to breathe on his or her own. This way of defining a spinal cord injury is known as 'vertebral level'. Visit Spinal Cord 101 for more details.

SCI's can also be defined by neurological level and by severity. Different doctors, such as surgeons, psychologists, and neurologists, all have slightly varied ways of defining these injuries, which is why it is important to find assistance when trying to understand the complexities of SCI. At Casper & de Toledo we can help you figure out the situation and help you find assistance with these and other issues. Contact us for a consultation.

Is SCI Common?
Currently, 450,000 United States citizens have SCI, and around 10,000 more people suffer these injuries each year. According to the Spinal Cord Injury Resource Center, 82% of these injuries are experienced by males, ages 16-30 years old. 36% of these injuries are due to motor vehicle mishaps, about 30% are caused by violence, and about 21% occur through falls.
Visit the National Spinal Cord Injury Association for information on this life-changing injury.

More Information

Certain syndromes have been named after patterns in some SCI cases, such as the "central cord syndrome," where arms are more affected than legs, and "posterior cord syndrome," in which people can retain motor functions but cannot feel anything in parts of their bodies.

In addition, the American Spinal Cord Injury Association has developed a system to classify injuries. We have included this table, below, from this website, which you can visit for more information (including information about the various syndromes).

Find Help with Your Back Injury Claim

Whether or not your injuries involve paraplegia, quadriplegia or permanent disability, contact the Connecticut spinal cord injury attorneys at Casper & de Toledo, for assistance with a claim. Our Stamford, Connecticut personal injury attorneys are committed to helping back, neck and spinal cord injury victims obtain just compensation from liable drivers, employers, property owners, and insurance companies.