A spinal cord injury is a terrible event. It will change victims’ lives dramatically, leaving them to deal with problems like difficulty breathing, paralysis, and often bouts of severe pain. Every year around 17,000 spinal cord injuries (SCI) occur in the United States. Unfortunately, 5% of those injuries occur as a result of medical/surgical procedures. These injuries are very serious, no matter how they occur. Accounting for 25% of documented cases they are one of the leading causes of paralysis.
The spinal cord acts as the main thoroughfare that conducts the flow of information through our bodies. All the smaller nerves that go to every part of the body and process the information that we touch, taste, see, hear, and smell connect to the spinal cord and then back to the brain. It is also through the spinal column that our brains send the messages to our muscles and organs for them to do their jobs properly.
Damage to the spinal cord, then, is a significant problem as it affects the flow of information from our brain to the rest of the body. If the damage is so severe that the spinal cord is broken or severed that means there is likely a permanent loss of communication between the brain and some parts of the body. This is what leads to the lifelong impairments to sensory and motor functions in many victims.
In a medical/surgical setting, it is often negligent care or misdiagnosis that leads to a spinal cord injury.
Since the spinal cord is the communication network for the body, it is a critical part of all bodily functions. Most notably it is involved in the body’s movement, reflexes, and sensations. A spinal cord injury can result in any or all of the following complications:
A victim of spinal cord injury can expect to deal with mounting medical bills, the potential for lost wages, chronic pain, and dramatic changes in lifestyle and future earning potential. If the injury is due to medical malpractice, victims can pursue a claim against the doctor or hospital responsible. Our Chicago-based law firm, Cirignani Heller & Harman, LLP (CHH Law), works diligently for our clients to help them start to get their life as close to normal as we can. We only take medical malpractice cases and that means we specialize in the needs of medical malpractice victims.
Our legal staff includes doctors, a nurse, and medical specialists some of whom are also lawyers. We understand that victims of spinal cord injuries are facing increased medical costs, a lifetime of care, and adjustments to their living conditions. Our goal is to hold those who have injured our clients accountable and seek compensation, through a trial or settlement, which will ensure that our clients can cover their medical expenses and plan for their future.
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