MIAMI SPINAL CORD INJURY LAWYERS
Spinal Cord Injuries
Back injuries are one of the most common types of injuries suffered at work, and studies have shown that as many as 12% of all workplace injuries involve damage to the spinal cord.
Unsurprisingly, many workers who suffer from a spinal cord injury as a result of an accident at work rarely find themselves able to return to their previous employment in the same capacity as before. Those with the most severe injuries may not be able to return to employment in any capacity or be severely limited in what they can do. Permanent disability is extremely likely, although the extent of this can vary widely.
Recovery from spinal cord injuries is an extensive process that will involve multidisciplinary teams working together to help the patient achieve the best possible outcome. Extensive medical bills, rehabilitation costs and plenty of time off of work are all to be expected. Unfortunately, this can place a great deal of financial stress on the patient and their family – something which is especially unfair if the injury has occurred as a result of an accident in the workplace.
Worker’s Compensation can help you recover the damages that you are entitled to and ease the financial burden at this already difficult and tense time, enabling you to focus on your recovery.
About the spinal cord
The spinal cord is an essential part of our body and the main pathway for information connecting the brain and peripheral nervous system. It is extremely fragile and so protected by three layers of tissue, the spinal canal and then the column of bones, called vertebrae, that make up our spine.
Unfortunately, despite all this protection, injuries to the spinal cord do occur and when they do, the patient can experience a wide range of different life-changing effects.
Common types of spinal cord injury
There are three varieties of spinal cord injury that are most common.
Triplegia
This type of spinal cord injury is characterized by a loss of sensation and movement in one arm and both legs.
Paraplegia
This occurs when sensation and movement are compromised in the lower half of the body, including the legs.
Tetraplegia
The most severe type of spinal cord injury, tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is characterized by varying degrees of paralysis in all four limbs. The patient will also find that they are unable to move below the site of the injury in the spine, meaning that bladder and bowel function, and even breathing may be affected.
In some cases, injuries below the lumbar spinal cord do not cause either loss of sensation or paralysis. However, this doesn’t mean that they are without effect. Nerve pain, reduced function in some areas of the body and disabilities such as weakness in the hips/legs, compromised bladder and bowel function and sexual impotence can occur.
Why you need an attorney for your spinal cord injury claim
If you wish to pursue Worker’s Compensation for your spinal cord injury, the process of doing so can be lengthy and complicated. One of the first things that you will need to do is to prove liability and this is often easier said than done. Your experienced Worker’s Compensation attorney can help you pick apart the details of what happened to you to determine liability, and collate the evidence needed to prove this. Your attorney can then file a Worker’s Compensation claim on your behalf.
If you have been left permanently disabled as a result of your workplace injury, you should qualify for a Worker’s Compensation pension which will provide you with a regular amount of money which is calculated as a percentage of what you would have normally earned at the time that you were injured. Your attorney can also represent your interests in this matter and do what is needed to ensure you can claim your pension.
When you choose an expert Worker’s Compensation attorney, you will have a committed and highly experienced professional fighting your case on your behalf and helping you to get the compensation that you are entitled to.
To schedule your confidential, no-obligation consultation with our skilled and proficient team, please do not hesitate to call our office today at 305-442-7375.
