Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Fort Worth
Were you or a loved one seriously injured or in a car or truck accident?
Spinal cord injuries occur after a traumatic accident results in damage to the cells of the spinal cord or nerve tracts that send signals up and down the spinal cord. These injuries can be severe, life-altering, and have a number of different causes and symptoms. With a nerve injury, you may feel tingling and numbness in your hands and feet; with a spinal cord injury, you may be partially or completely paralyzed.
If you've suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of somebody else's negligent or reckless behavior, you might be entitled to compensation. Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in Fort Worth today. Contact Coby L. Wooten, Attorney at Law, P.C. He handles a wide range of serious injury cases in Texas.
Causes of spinal cord injuries
Like other forms of severe injury, spinal cord injuries can have a variety of different causes and vary based on the age of the victim. Among those under 65, car accidents and other motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause. In those 65 or older, slip and fall accidents cause most spinal cord injuries. Other common causes involve:
- Construction accidents due to a fall from heights, scaffolding collapse, or electrocution
- A swimming pool accident such as a dive into shallow water or slip and fall on unguarded, slippery surfaces
- Parking lot accidents where somebody is violently assaulted due to a lack of adequate security or monitoring systems
Types of spinal cord injuries
The most common types of spinal cord injuries include contusion (bruising of the spinal cord), and compression (excessive pressure on the spinal cord). Victims can also suffer spinal stenosis – a narrowing of the spine that can occur after injury.
If you are suffering from some motor and sensory function limitations, you have what is called an incomplete spinal cord injury. If your injury causes total paralysis below the location of the injury, it is called a complete spinal cord injury.
Spinal cord injuries vary depending on the location of the injury:
- Cervical spinal cord injuries are injuries to the upper portion of the spine, in the neck area. The seven vertebrae in this portion of the spine are numbered C1-C7. For example, a C5-C6 spinal cord injury is an injury to the spinal cord between the fifth and sixth vertebrae. Cervical spinal cord injuries are the most severe because they are the closest to the brain. A complete cervical spinal cord injury can cause total paralysis from the neck down.
- Thoracic spinal cord injuries are in the region of the upper chest, mid-back, and abdomen. A thoracic spinal cord injury generally doesn’t affect the arms and hands, but it can cause partial or total paralysis from the waist down.
- Lumbar spinal cord injuries are in the lower back. Injuries to the lumbar spine can affect the hips, legs, and thus a person’s ability to walk – often, victims will need a wheelchair or braces. Lumbar spine injuries also cause loss of use of the bowels or bladder.
- Sacral nerve injuries occur at the base of the spine, in the tailbone area. The spinal cord itself does not extend into the sacral area, but damage to the sacral nerves can cause loss of control of the organs in the pelvis, such as the bowel, bladder, and sex organs, as well as some loss of function in the hips and legs.
Over time, spinal cord injury victims are much more likely to develop secondary conditions such as lung infections, bladder infections, and bed sores.
A spinal cord injury from a car accident or another type of accident is very serious. Victims may require diagnostic tests, imaging tests such as an MRI or CT scan, lab tests, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, rehabilitation, medication and multiple follow-up appointments with doctors. They may need medical equipment and home health care.
Medical expenses can add up quickly and may seem overwhelming, especially if victims can’t work because of their injury. This can lead to financial stress, and many people wonder how they will be able to pay their bills.
How a spinal cord injury attorney can help
If a negligent party caused the accident that left you injured, you shouldn’t have to pay. But negligent parties usually deny doing anything wrong and do not accept responsibility for what happened. In order to recover compensation, you need to prove you were hurt as a result of their negligence.
Insurance companies are supposed to help, but they are not on your side. They are always looking for ways to pay you as little as possible. They may question the seriousness of the injury or argue that there were pre-existing conditions. One common tactic they use to try to save money is the settlement offer. But their offer will fall far short of covering all of the damages suffered.
If you have a spinal cord injury that was caused by negligence, you need an experienced attorney on your side. Our firm knows how to build strong cases that hold negligent parties accountable. We also know how to handle insurance companies and fight back against their attempts to pay you less. Our attorneys are committed to help you recover maximum compensation, whether that’s through a negotiated settlement or a jury verdict.
Serious legal matters require serious legal representation from a spinal cord injury attorney in Fort Worth. Attorney Wooten gives honest answers to difficult questions. That's because he's focused on what really matters: getting people the compensation they deserve for their injuries. Case results matter here - and so do you. That’s why one of our attorneys will personally handle your case. You won’t be dealing with a case manager.
Contact Coby L. Wooten, Attorney at Law, P.C., today. We have more than 30 years of personal injury litigation experience. Call (866) 408-0940 to schedule an appointment at our Fort Worth office. Serving families in Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington and throughout Texas.