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San Antonio Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

Spinal cord injuries are life-changing events. Receiving a spinal cord injury can make supporting your family, managing monthly expenses, and paying mounting medical bills an impossibility.

If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury, The Aguirre Law Firm, PLLC, wants to help. We represent people who suffer spinal cord injuries through no fault of their own.

Learn how The Aguirre Law Firm, PLLC, helps accident victims get the compensation needed to rebuild their lives by scheduling a complimentary consultation today

What is a Spinal Cord Injury?

The spinal cord is a column of nerve tissue running from the base of the skull down the center of the back. The spinal cord and brain compose the body’s central nervous system.

The purpose of the spinal cord is to relay messages between the body and the brain. A spinal cord injury or SCI is any trauma to the spinal cord or nerve roots within the spinal column. 

Spinal cord injuries may cause temporary or permanent loss of:

  • Voluntary muscle movement;
  • The ability to sense temperature, pain, and pressure; and 
  • Regulation of urination, digestion, defecation, heart rate, and blood pressure. 

Damage to the body is determined by the location and severity of the spinal cord injury. 

The Two Types of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries may be complete or incomplete. In a complete spinal cord injury,  all sensations and ability to control motor function are lost below the injury. In an incomplete spinal cord injury, some motor or sensory functions may remain below the damaged area.

Paralysis from a Spinal Cord Injury

Paralysis is the inability to move a part of the body. Paralysis may be temporary or permanent and is usually due to nerve damage.

During paralysis, the brain may not be able to:

  • Relay a signal to an area of the body due to brain injury;
  • Relay a response to bodily stimuli due to spinal cord injury; or
  • Send or receive signals to an area of the body due to spinal cord injury.

There are four categories of paralysis. Each is identified by the area of the body affected.   

These are:

  1. Paraplegia. Paraplegia is paralysis below the waist. Those who experience paraplegia lose all or nearly all feeling in their legs and hips;
  2. Quadriplegia. Quadriplegia is paralysis below the neck that can affect the limbs and organs;
  3. Hemiplegia. Hemiplegia is paralysis of one side of the body; and
  4. Monoplegia. Monoplegia is the paralysis of one part of the body.

There are several causes of paralysis in San Antonio, including personal injury accidents.

Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in San Antonio

While any serious personal injury accident in San Antonio can result in a spinal cord injury, some are more likely to cause these injuries than others. Truck accidents in San Antonio can cause a serious back injury, as well as an accident in the workplace. However, the most common cause of spinal cord injuries across the country is car accidents which account for nearly half of all spinal cord injuries. A San Antonio car accident lawyer can help you recover compensation if you have suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident.

Car accidents are followed by falls. Falls make up approximately 31% of all spinal cord injuries but are the leading cause of SCIs for people over sixty-five.

After falls, in order of prevalence are:

  • Violence;
  • Sports; and
  • Alcohol.

Regardless of their cause, spinal cord injuries require accident victims to seek out and receive extensive medical care and costly treatment.

Compensation for a Spinal Cord Injury in San Antonio

Compensation for a spinal cord injury in San Antonio depends on:

  • The total medical expenses incurred by the victim;
  • The financial losses suffered by the victim;
  • Any property requiring repair or replacement from the accident;
  • The type and severity of the spinal cord injury;
  • The overall impact of the injury on the accident victim’s life; and 
  • The victim’s prognosis for recovery. 

Spinal cord injury victims may be able to recover both current and future accident-related expenses for medical treatment, cost of living, disability, and more. People involved in motorcycle accidents are at a larger risk of spinal cord injury given the limitations on safety in the vehicle. An experienced San Antonio motorcycle accident attorney can review an individual spinal cord injury claim and assess its potential value. Likewise, bicyclists are particularly susceptible to suffering spinal cord injuries as they have very little protection. If you have been injured in a bicycle accident, contact our San Antonio bicycle accident attorneys.

Long-Term Complications of a Spinal Cord Injury

There are numerous long-term complications of spinal cord injuries of which accident sufferers should be aware. These include not only physical ailments but also mental and emotional health issues such as:

  • Bedsores;
  • Chronic constipation;
  • Muscle spasms;
  • Pain or sensitivity to any sort of touch or stimulus;
  • Sexual dysfunction;
  • Breathing problems;
  • Infections;
  • Depression;
  • Anxiety; and
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder.

The best way to prevent long-term complications of spinal cord injuries is to have a strong support system in place to identify and address needs as they arise. A support system may include an accident victim’s friends, family, medical doctors, therapists, and support groups. 

What to Do If You Suspect a Spinal Cord Injury from a San Antonio Accident?

There are steps you can take to preserve any future legal claims after a San Antonio spinal cord injury accident. The first is to immediately address your accident injuries.

Proving a negligence claim after someone else causes you harm requires evidence. The best source of evidence is medical documentation of your injuries. 

Not only is it important to seek care right after you are hurt, but you must also attend any follow-up appointments. This creates a record proving you suffered accident-related injuries and sought care for those injuries rather than allowing them to worsen.

Other documentation to aid in your spinal cord injury claim may include:

  • A police accident report;
  • An employer incident report;
  • A store incident report, if you were injured while shopping;
  • Payroll records showing missed work; and
  • A personal journal detailing how your injuries have impacted your life.

Keep your accident documentation organized in a file folder. Take this file folder with you to your initial consultation with a San Antonio spinal cord injury attorney.  

Contact an Experienced San Antonio Spinal Injury Attorney Today

Do not make any statements to or sign any documents from an insurance company without speaking to an experienced San Antonio spinal cord injury attorney. You may sign away your right to full compensation for your injuries.

Schedule your complimentary consultation with a skilled San Antonio injury lawyer from The Aguirre Law Firm, PLLC, today. We will explain your legal rights to you and advise you of any compensation you may be entitled to under Texas law.

Do not wait to start your spinal cord injury claim. The sooner you meet with a San Antonio accident attorney from The Aguirre Law Firm, PLLC, the faster we can move forward on any potential claim for damages.

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