Your mobility and sensory functions rely on the spinal cord communicating your brain’s commands to your body. When the spinal cord becomes damaged or severed, it can lead to partial or complete paralysis in various parts of the body. Depending on the location and extent of the paralysis, the result can be a total loss of independence. What makes spinal injuries especially devastating is that there is no cure. The spine does not regenerate, so many spinal cord injuries are lifelong.
A catastrophic accident can lead to a spinal cord injury and rob you of your ability to live your life. If you or a loved one has been in such an accident, a Torrington spinal cord injury lawyer at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, can give you the information, help and support you need.
The nerves of your spinal cord run down your back, encased in bone and soft tissue. Compression of those nerves can damage them, while severing them can lead to total and permanent paralysis. Understanding your medical prognosis involves knowing the type and location of the injury.
Spinal cord injuries can vary by type—complete or incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury comes with permanent damage and can cause paralysis, while an incomplete injury can result from partial damage and loss of function or sensation. Incomplete injuries are more likely than complete injuries to be temporary.
The location of a spinal cord injury will determine the affected parts of your body. The different areas of the spine from top to bottom include:
Complete cervical and thoracic injuries can lead to paraplegia or quadriplegia, as damage to these areas can prevent the brain’s signals from reaching the limbs. Injuries lower in the lumbar and sacral areas can decrease mobility and feeling in the lower half of the body.
In addition, spinal cord injuries can be unilateral—impacting one side of the body or bilateral—impacting both sides of the body. The nature of the injury will affect your prognosis. Our Torrington attorneys can work with you to help you understand the potential lifelong costs of your spinal injury. With that information, we can assess the fairness of any settlement offers made and whether trial is a better alternative.
A sudden blow to the spinal cord can cause severe damage. Common causes of spinal injuries include, but are not limited to:
When someone else’s negligence is the cause of your spinal injury, you have every right to hold them accountable for your economic and non-economic losses. Our attorneys are prepared to pursue the compensation you deserve.
Do not assume you cannot recover if you contributed to your injuries. Connecticut General Statutes § 52-572h establishes a system of modified comparative negligence. As long as you are no more than 50 percent responsible for your injuries, you can recover from the other wrongdoers. However, the court will reduce the damage award in proportion to your degree of fault.
No matter the cause and severity of your spinal cord injury, our Torrington lawyers can work with you to figure out what happened, who is responsible, and what your legal options are.
A spinal cord injury can seem daunting as you field medical care and adjust to mobility challenges. It can change how your household works and lead to financial pressure, not only from medical bills but also from lost income. The pressure can be overwhelming, leading people to make decisions that are not in their best interest in the long term.
At D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, we want you to have the information you need to make the best decisions for you and your family. We want to help. We can discuss what happened and the extent of your injuries and give you our legal and practical insight, all with no obligation. Call now to speak with a Torrington spinal cord injury lawyer about your case. For your convenience, we offer free consultations, which we can host remotely or in our office.
