Spinal Cord Injury

Arizona Accident Lawyers for Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is among the most devastating types of injuries that can result from a car accident. The term SCI refers to damage to the spinal cord that causes loss of function, such as mobility or feeling. Spinal Cord Injuries can be life-altering for both the victims and their loved ones, causing tremendous pain and suffering and costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and lost wages.

If you or someone you love has suffered a Spinal Cord Injury, the person who caused those injuries should be held responsible. Solomon and Relihan, Phoenix injury attorneys with more than 30 years experience helping accident victims in Maricopa County and throughout Arizona, can help you receive proper compensation to pay for medical expenses, lost earnings, and the costs of assistive devices for your home and vehicles, as well as compensation for pain, suffering, permanent disability, and loss of enjoyment of life.

About Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord is about 18 inches long and runs down the middle of the back from the base of the brain to the waist. The nerves within the spinal cord carry messages back and forth from the brain to the spinal nerves along the spinal tract. The spinal nerves, in turn, branch out and carry these messages to various parts of the body.

The spinal cord is surrounded by rings of bones called vertebra. These vertebra make up the spinal column. Spinal Cord Injury occurs when trauma damages the vertebra or the spinal cord, making it impossible for the brain to communicate with the parts of the body. Generally, the higher in the spinal column the trauma occurs, the more dysfunction a person will experience.

Results of Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries are generally classified into two categories:

Complete - A complete spinal cord injury results in permanent paralysis below the level of the injury. Currently, there is no curable treatment for complete spinal cord injuries.

Incomplete - In incomplete spinal cord injuries, the victim has some functionality below the level of the injury. Victims of incomplete spinal cord injuries can often make full recoveries.

Accidents that Cause Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can occur in any type of car accident. Though they can occur even if all of the car's safety devices work properly, car defects have been known to be a frequent cause of spinal cord injury. Common defects that lead to spinal cord injury include:

• Seat belt failure
• Air bag failure
• Roof collapse
• Tire tread separation

The precise causes of spinal cord injury are not always immediately obvious, such as when the force of a collision causes a passenger wearing a lap-only seatbelt to violently jackknife forward and suffer a fracture of the thoracic or lumbar vertebra. That is why Solomon and Relihan begins every case with a thorough investigation of the relevant facts and law to properly determine all possible causes of injury.

Contact Solomon & Relihan, Phoenix Auto Accident Lawyers

If you or someone you love has suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident, it is best to talk with an attorney. For a free initial consultation with a lawyer about your car accident, contact our Phoenix law firm. For your convenience, home and hospital visits are available upon request.