Spinal Cord Injuries in Car Accident Cases

When victims suffer spinal cord injuries as a result of a car accident, the recovery process is not only painful and costly, but can also lead to permanent changes to their daily lives. Depending on the severity of the injury, as well as a victim’s job or lifestyle, spinal cord damage can impact every aspect of a victim’s life. When another party’s negligence in causing a motor vehicle collision has led to these injuries, victims may take legal action to collect damages. The Miami car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon offer compassionate and knowledgeable legal representation for victims and families who have suffered spinal cord injuries as a result of a car crash. Our firm assists clients across South Florida, including in Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Broward Counties. If you have questions about your legal rights and options following a serious car accident, please contact our office today to schedule a no-obligation consultation regarding your potential claims.

Research from The Mayo Clinic shows that car accidents are among the leading causes of spinal cord injuries in the United States. Reports show that collisions are responsible for forty percent of spinal cord injuries yearly. These injuries can be temporary or cause permanent disability, depending on the type and severity. Whiplash, which is often a result of a rear-end accident, is the most common spinal injury. This occurs when a victim’s head and neck are thrust forward and back in a rapid motion. Whiplash may not be symptomatic until up to a day following an accident. Neck pain, stiffness, headaches, and fatigue are all symptoms of whiplash injuries. When a victim’s vertebra has shifted due to a stress fracture, and then causes pressure on a nerve, spondylolisthesis can result. This condition results in pain and weakness to a victim’s lower extremities. Herniated discs are also common in collisions, which may present as pain, numbness, weakness, or tingling in a victim’s leg or arm.

Fractures of the spine can also occur in a car accident. Compression fractures refer to those affecting a victim’s lumbar or thoracic spine and result in middle or lower back pain that may worsen with movement. When a broken vertebra moves out of place, fractures can lead to spinal cord damage. Aside from severe pain, spinal cord damage may cause numbness, weakness, or tingling in the affected area. Complete spinal cord injuries result in a loss of feeling and function below a certain area. Paralysis of the legs and lower body is known as paraplegia, whereas quadriplegia affects all of a victim’s limbs and torso. If you’ve been involved in a serious car accident, and believe you may have a spinal injury, it is important to wait for medical attention at the scene or seek immediate treatment as soon as possible.

Negligence is the basis for personal injury claims arising out of spinal cord injuries suffered in car accidents. A skilled injury lawyer can help you prove the required elements for this kind of claim. To show a driver, or other party, has been negligent in causing a spinal cord injury, it must be proven that he or she breached their duty to act as a reasonable and prudent person would given the circumstances. For example, a driver who is excessively speeding and hits another vehicle may be seen as acting unreasonably. The negligent action must also be shown to cause a victim’s injury, as well as result in damages. Once negligence is shown, a victim can be awarded compensation in the form of past and future medical costs, loss of income and earning capacity, as well as pain and suffering damages.

A severe spinal cord injury can require a victim to establish a life care plan that identifies their medical, rehabilitative, psychological, as well as social and educational needs and goals in order to make sure they retain the best quality of life possible. If you or someone you love has suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident, attorney Robert Dixon is available to assist you in your legal pursuits. Our firm is dedicated to helping victims of another’s negligence pursue the compensation they’re entitled to. Please call the Law Offices of Robert Dixon at 877.499.4878 or contact us online to schedule a free, no obligation consultation about your case. We represent injured victims in areas including Miami, and West Palm Beach.