Spinal cord injuries are among the most serious and catastrophic car accident injuries. According to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, someone who suffers a spinal cord injury (SCI) resulting in incomplete motor function of any level at age 25 can expect lifetime costs of more than $1.5 million. That number increases to $2.3 million for paraplegia and nearly $4.75 million for high-level tetraplegia.
If you or someone you love has suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a car accident that someone else caused, you should not have to bear these costs yourself. Schwaba Law Firm of Green Bay can fight to hold the at-fault party financially responsible for the consequences.
Schwaba Law Firm is proud to serve Green Bay and the surrounding communities, including Marinette, Pulaski, and Appleton, at no upfront cost to our clients. If you choose us to handle your spinal injury case, you will not pay us attorney fees unless and until we secure compensation on your behalf. That way, you’re not taking on financial risk to assert your rights. So contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer, and let us put our decades of experience to work for you.
How Car Accidents Can Cause Spinal Cord Injuries
Motor vehicle accidents can cause spinal cord injuries in several different ways. First, the force of a collision can throw the body forward, backward, or sideways violently enough to fracture or dislocate vertebrae – the bones that surround and protect the spinal cord. Broken or displaced vertebrae can then compress, bruise, or tear the spinal cord. Alternatively, a sharp object may slice through the spinal column. In addition to the damage that happens at the moment of impact, swelling and bleeding around the spinal cord can cause further injury in the hours or days after the accident.
Regardless of the mechanism that causes an SCI, the results are the same. Damage to the spine interferes with the signals traveling between the brain and the rest of the body, resulting in diminished sensation and mobility, including paralysis.
Common Spinal Cord Injuries and Their Long-Term Effects
The effects of a spinal cord injury depend on where the injury occurs and the severity of the spinal cord damage. Injuries higher on the spine can affect more of the body, while lower injuries may primarily affect the legs or lower body. Common spinal injuries after a car accident include:
- Tetraplegia (quadriplegia) – Usually results from an injury to the cervical spine (neck) and affects the entire body below the site of injury
- Paraplegia – Usually results from an injury to the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral regions of the spine and primarily affects the trunk, legs, and pelvic organs while leaving arm function intact
- Central cord syndrome – An injury that typically affects the arms and hands more than the legs
- Anterior cord syndrome – Damage to the front portion of the spinal cord that can cause loss of movement and reduced sensation below the injury
- Brown-Séquard syndrome – Damage primarily to one side of the spinal cord, producing different patterns of movement and sensation loss on each side of the body
- Cauda equina syndrome – A common rear-end spinal cord injury that damages the bundle of nerve roots at the lower end of the spinal canal, potentially affecting the legs, bladder, bowel, and sexual function
Spinal cord injuries can be either complete or incomplete. A complete SCI ends all communication between the brain and the body below the injury site, causing a total loss of motor function and sensation. An incomplete SCI means that some degree of movement, sensation, or nerve function remains below the injured area.
Recovering Compensation After a Spinal Cord Injury Car Accident
If someone else caused the car accident that injured you, they should have to pay for the consequences. Compensation in a personal injury claim could include money for your:
- Medical expenses, including emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, medications, and medical bills for future treatment
- Lost income covering the wages you could not earn during your initial treatment, as well as for reduced future earning capacity if impairment affects your career
- Pain and suffering, or the physical and emotional discomfort your injuries cause you, including chronic pain
- Disability and loss of quality of life for permanent limitations, paralysis, and reduced independence
- Ongoing expenses such as therapy, home health care, mobility equipment, and necessary home or vehicle modifications
- Property damage, or the cost to repair or replace your vehicle and other damaged property
Schwaba Law Firm knows how to maximize the value of car accident cases. Here are some of the results our experienced personal injury attorneys have recovered on behalf of our car accident clients:
- $1.1 million verdict
- $750,000 settlement
- $600,000 settlement
While these results do not guarantee success in your case, they speak to the professional, experienced, and aggressive representation we provide our clients.
Why Legal Representation Matters in Spinal Cord Injury Cases
A Green Bay spinal cord injury lawyer is a critical ally after a severe car accident. While you rest, spend time with family, and treat your injuries, Schwaba Law Firm can get to work:
- Investigating the accident to recover critical evidence
- Identifying all liable parties, relevant insurance policies, and other sources of compensation
- Working with medical and vocational experts to understand the long-term personal and financial consequences of your injury
- Calculating fair compensation to pursue a full financial recovery on your behalf
- Negotiating aggressively with insurance companies for a settlement
- Taking your case to trial if the insurance companies won’t make you a fair offer
Our personal injury law firm can do all this at no upfront cost to you. Instead, you only pay us if and when we recover compensation on your behalf.
Speak With a Green Bay Spinal Cord Injury Car Accident Lawyer
Have you or someone you love suffered a spinal cord injury because of a car accident that happened in Green Bay? Curious about the process of filing a personal injury lawsuit? If so, Schwaba Law Firm wants to help you fight for justice. We’ve achieved life-changing results on behalf of clients like you, and we refuse to back down. As one client wrote:
I cannot say enough good about this law firm. Andy made us feel like family. He was there at our side every moment. Never did we feel like a client. He fought for us as if we were his own family. I don’t know what I would have done without him. He is not just a great lawyer. He is a good man. I would definitely go to him again. I just pray I never have to need him ever again but if I do I will be confident he will get the job done.
Past results don’t guarantee future achievements.
Contact us today for a free consultation with a spinal cord injury lawyer in Green Bay, and let us make your recovery our priority.
