Ontario Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

The spine or backbone is the body’s central support structure. It helps us sit, stand, twist, and bend. A healthy spine has three natural curves that make an S-shape. These curves absorb shocks to our body and protect the spine from injury. 

The human spine consists of 33 vertebrae. These are (7) cervical, (12) thoracic, (5) lumbar, (5) sacral, (4) fused vertebrae. These are attached and held together by ligaments on both sides of the spine. The holes in the center of each vertebra form the spinal canal. Through the interior passes a ‘cord’ of nervous tissue called the “spinal cord”.

The spinal cord is made of nerve cells and nerve fibers. It resembles a cable about the size of the human’s little finger and is approximately 21 inches (52.5 cm) in length. It begins at the base of the brain and passes through the interior of each of the cervical and thoracic vertebrae.

Spinal Cord Injury

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that carries instructions to and from the brain to the rest of the body. The spinal cord injury produces a temporary or permanent change that affects normal, sensory, or autonomic functions. It is often the result of direct or indirect trauma to the spinal cord. 

The direct trauma to the spinal cord affects the spinal nerves, while the indirect trauma involves damage to the bones, soft tissue, and vessels surrounding the spinal cord. 

There are two common types of spinal cord injury. These are complete and incomplete. Complete spinal cord injury happens when the victim loses all ability to feel and voluntarily move below the level of the injury. The incomplete spinal cord injury refers to when the victim has some function and movement below the level of the injury. 

Causes of Spinal Cord Injury

There could be many causes that can result in spinal cord injuries, such as violence, infection, insufficient blood flow or pressure from a tumor, sports injuries, and more. However, the most common causes are car accidents and slip and fall accidents.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) associated with a car accident is often caused by trauma to the neck or back due to the force of impact when the vehicle collides with another car or an obstacle such as a tree. SCI is the most common cause of chronic pain syndrome resulting from an accident. 

It is unsurprising that car accidents are the leading cause of spinal injuries due to how common they are. Every year, there are about 4,000 new cases of spinal cord injury in Canada.   happen almost every day in Ontario. This is evident as 1,700 cases are recorded in the said province alone.  

Complications of Spinal Cord Injury     

Changes in the body, mainly the functions, following a spinal cord injury can be overwhelming. A rehabilitation team will assist in developing the tools needed to address the changes caused by the spinal cord injury and recommend equipment and resources to promote quality of life and independence.  Among the complications brought by the injury in the spinal cord are as follows:

• Bladder control

One of the complications of SCI is bladder control. The bladder will continue to store urine from the kidneys; however, the brain may not be able to control the bladder because the message carrier, which is the spinal cord, is damaged. This change may increase the risk of urinary tract infection, kidney infections, kidney or bladder stones. 

• Bowel Control

Damage in the nerves that allow a person to control bowel movements is also a common complication of SCI. Although the stomach and intestines work much as they did before the injury, the ability to feel when the rectum is full may be lost after sustaining SCI. The anal sphincter muscles remain tight; however, bowel movements will occur on a reflex basis. 

• Skin Sensation

SCI can result in losing part of or all skin sensations. Thus, the skin can’t send a message to the brain when injured by certain things such as prolonged pressure, heat, or cold. It can also result in an inability to maintain a constant core temperature and changes in sweat secretion. Frequent changing positions is advised to prevent pressure sores. 

• Circulatory Control 

An SCI can also affect the circulatory system of the body. It ranges from low blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension), high blood pressure (autonomic hyperreflexia) to swelling of extremities. These circulation changes may also increase the risk of developing blood clots, such as deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism. 

Persons with spinal cord injury require and deserve considerable financial support. Get in touch with an Ontario personal injury lawyer from Diamond & Diamond to get the compensation you rightfully deserve.

Rehabilitation of Spinal Cord Injury 

Spinal cord injuries are often catastrophic. Severe cases of SCI can result in partial or complete paralysis. An injured person will need considerable assistance over the long term, and often permanently. They may frequently require significant physical and occupational therapy for a long period of time.

There are various treatments available to address the source of injury, alleviate the pain and improve physical and occupational function. 

Some treatments include surgery, medications, physiotherapy, immobilization, and new technologies such as modern wheelchairs and electronic aids to help with daily living. 

Benefits of Hiring an Experienced Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Ontario

There is so much to deal with spinal cord injury cases, especially on the health aspect of the victim. The legal implications of the injury is also something that should not be taken for granted.

A Ontario spinal cord injury lawyer brings a high level of expertise and experience that can benefit the patient immensely in the battle with the insurance companies. The lawyer will aggressively fight for compensation from the responsible party–something one may not be in any physical or emotional condition to do. 

Most people don’t know the monetary value they could obtain from their spinal cord injury claim. A spinal cord injury case can be one of the most expensive, due to the medical experts involved as well as the sheer future costs of your medical care. 

Lawyers from Diamond and Diamond will not make you pay any upfront costs. They will only get paid in the event of a win or settlement.

Pro Tip

“People who suffered spinal cord injury may take time to accept their situation. Help them to get used to a routine to make things a bit easier to manage. The sooner these habits are set, the easier they’ll be to maintain.”