Spinal Cord Injury

A serious spinal cord injury may be caused by many different forms of accidents or product defects:

• Motor Vehicle Accident
• • Car Accident
  • Truck Accident
  • Tractor Trailer Accident
• Construction Accident
• Farm Accident
• Falls
• Heavy Machinery
• Heavy Equipment
• • Cherry Pickers
  • Forklift
  • Scaffolding
• Defective and Harmful Products
• • Swings
  • Playground Equipment
  • Cars, autos
  • Roof Crush
  • Child Safety Seat
  • Child Booster Seat
  • Rollover
  • Prescription Drug
  • Over-The-Counter Drug
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Birth Injury
• Birth Defects
• Premises Liability
• • Slip and Fall
  • Negligent Security

Types of Paralysis

When a spinal cord injury occurs above the first thoracic vertebrae – the upper chest -- paralysis usually affects the cervical spinal nerves resulting in paralysis of both legs and arms. In addition to the arms and legs being paralyzed, the abdominal and chest muscles will also be affected resulting in weakened breathing and the inability to properly cough and clear the chest. People with this type of paralysis are referred to as “Quadriplegic” or “Tetraplegic.”

When the level of spinal cord injury occurs below the first thoracic spinal nerve or upper chest area. How much the person is paralyzed varies from impairment of leg movement to complete paralysis of the legs and abdomen up to the nipple line.  Paraplegics have full use of their arms and hands.

Level of Injury

The level of injury, also known as a lesion, is the exact location in the spinal cord where damage has occurred. The levels are determined by counting the nerves from the top of the spine down.
These nerves are grouped into four different areas: Cervical (neck area), Thoracic (chest area), Lumbar (low back), and Sacral (tail bone/buttocks).

These locations are important in defining quadriplegia and paraplegia, as damage to the spinal cord as these points directly determines how groups of muscles, organs and sensations will be affected.

There are two types of lesion: (1) complete injury; and (2) incomplete injury. A complete injury means complete loss of muscle control and sensation below the level of lesion. An incomplete injury means that only the muscles have been paralyzed, or there is impaired sensation.

Damage is toward the front of the spinal cord. This can result in loss or impaired ability to sense pain, temperature and touch sensations below their level of injury.

Damage is in the center of the spinal cord. This can result in the loss of function in the arms, but some leg movement may be preserved. There may also be some control over the bowel and bladder.

Damage toward the back of the spinal cord. This can result in difficulty in coordinating movement of their limbs.

Damage toward one side of the spinal cord. This can result in impaired or loss of movement to the injured side, but pain and temperature sensation may still exist. The opposite side of injury will have normal movement, but pain and temperature sensation may be impaired or lost.

The Cauda Equina is the group of nerves which flow out of the spinal cord between the first and second Lumbar region of the spine. The spinal cord ends at L1 and L2 at which point a bundle of nerves travel downwards through the Lumbar and Sacral vertebrae. Injury to these nerves will cause partial or complete loss of movement and sensation.

Paresis means partial loss of movement, or impaired movement. “Paresis” to describes weakness, whereas “plegia” means paralysis in which all movement is lost.

• Monoparesis: One leg or one arm
• Paraparesis: Both legs or both arms
• Hemiparesis: One arm and one leg on either side of the body
• Quadraparesis (also called Tetraplegia): All four limbs

If you or your loved one’s spinal cord injury, paralysis, or paresis was caused by negligence, then contact our experienced personal injury lawyers for a free and confidential assessment of your spinal cord injury claim.

We are a personal injury law firm, we are dedicated to protecting and preserving the rights of our clients.

We proudly serve deserving clients and their families who are seeking to overcome the challenges of serious personal injury and wrongful death throughout Florida and beyond in other States.

Locally, we are also proud to serve our neighbors throughout Southwest Florida, including those in Arcadia, Alva, Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Bradenton, Cape Coral, Charlotte County, Clewiston, Collier County, Desoto County, Englewood, Felda, Fort Myers, Ft. Myers, Glades County, Golden Gate, Hardee County, Hendry County, Highlands County, Immokalee, La Belle, Labelle, Lake Placid, Lee County, Lehigh, Lehigh Acres, Manatee County, Moore Haven, Naples, Nokomis, North Port, Osprey, Palmdale, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, Sebring, Venice, Wauchula, Zolfo Springs.

We provide aggressive, prompt, and ethical advocacy on behalf of individuals and families who have suffered serious personal injury, accident injury, and wrongful death.

We look forward to working with you and helping you in your time of need and challenges.