The spinal cord controls how your brain transmits information to the rest of the body. Therefore, any kind of spinal cord injury has the potential to have a far-reaching impact on your life and livelihood. The most severe spinal cord injuries usually result in people being paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. This incapacitation not only affects a person’s ability to work and care for themselves, but it also requires significant changes to their home in order to accommodate their limitations.
Did you or your loved one sustain a spinal cord injury in an accident caused by another party’s negligence in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area? If so, seek legal help right away so you can be fully informed of your rights.
Portner Bond, PLLC offers more than 85 years of combined legal experience. Call (409) 838-4444 or contact us online to have our Beaumont spinal cord injury attorneys evaluate your case during a free consultation.
Do I Need A Spinal Cord Injuries Lawyer?
People who have suffered spinal cord injuries often have plainly visible evidence of the effects that their injuries have had on their lives. Insurance companies in these cases will usually act very quickly to try and get people to quickly settle their cases, often before the victims have even had the chance to contact an attorney.
You should be extremely skeptical of any lump sum settlement offer an insurance company extends, because, while it may seem like a large amount of money, it is almost certainly far less than what you are actually entitled to. Spinal cord injury victims who accept such settlements often find that the money disappears quickly and they are left to pay future expenses out of pocket – perhaps for a lifetime, depending on the severity of the injury.
You will want to hire an experienced Beaumont personal injury lawyer so you can have the best chance at recovering as much compensation as possible. A skilled attorney is going to be able to negotiate with an insurer and advocate for a settlement that covers the many costs and expenses associated with a spinal cord injury.
A lawyer will also prove beneficial if the insurance company should take the stance that you were somehow to blame for your spinal cord injury. While this is not an uncommon tactic, it can still take some people by surprise and an attorney will be able to help walk you through everything so you can be confident in your case outcome.
Why Choose Portner Bond, PLLC To Handle My Case?
Trent Bond is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is the vice president and former director of the Jefferson County Bar Association.
Texas Super Lawyers recognized Chris Portner in 2007 and 2008 as a rising star in Texas Monthly. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum as well as the Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, Jefferson County Bar Association, and State Bar of Texas.
Portner Bond, PLLC serves clients in Beaumont, Port Arthur, Sugar Land, Jasper, Galveston, Vidor, Bronson, Nederland, Baytown, Groves, Crystal Beach, Orange, Port Neches, The Woodlands, Houston, Friendswood, Conroe, Humble, Texas City, and Pasadena. Our service area also includes communities in Jefferson County, Chambers County, Tyler County, Jasper County, Orange County, Hardin County, Galveston County, Fort Bend County, and Liberty County.
Our firm is committed to achieving a settlement but can file a lawsuit to try your case in court if an insurance company refuses to do what is right. Portner Bond, PLLC provides legal representation on a contingency fee basis so you only pay if you receive a monetary award.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries Cases We Handle
People can suffer spinal cord injuries in a wide variety of accidents. Some of the most common causes include, but are not limited to:
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Workplace Accidents
- Industrial Accidents
- Construction Accidents
- Refinery Accidents
- Oil and Gas Accidents
- Third-Party Negligence
- Medical Malpractice
- Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
- Amusement Park Accidents
- Day Care Accidents and Negligent Supervision
- Product Liability
The extent of a spinal cord injury depends on the particular vertebrae affected by the injury. A human vertebral column includes 33 vertebrae divided into sections, and the most serious spinal cord injuries usually involve damage to vertebrae in one of these three regions:
- Cervical Vertebrae (C1-C7) — Injuries to the high-cervical nerves (C1-C4) are frequently some of the most damaging kinds of spinal cord injuries, possibly causing difficulty breathing or controlling bowel or bladder movements. Some victims could suffer paralysis in the arms, hands, or legs or an impaired or reduced ability to speak, with many victims needing full-time assistance 24 hours a day. Injuries to low-cervical nerves (C5-C7) are not as serious, but C5-C7 injuries may affect a person’s ability to control their arms and hands. C6 or C7 injuries could affect bowel or bladder movements.
- Thoracic Vertebrae (T1-T12) — Injuries to the vertebrae in the upper back (T1-T5) can affect a victim’s legs and trunk (the central part of their body), possibly requiring a wheelchair. Injuries to the vertebrae in the middle of the back (T6-T12) also affect the trunk, but victims usually retain use of hands and arms and can often walk again with braces.
- Lumbar Vertebrae (L1-L5) — The hip and legs of a victim can be affected by injuries to the lumbar nerves, and some injuries may cause loss of bowel and bladder control or require wheelchairs. Some people are able to walk again with braces.
The spinal cord has two other regions: the sacral vertebrae (S1-S5), near a person’s pelvis, and the coccyx, more commonly known as the tailbone. While injuries to the sacral vertebrae can potentially result in loss of bowel and bladder control, most victims are able to walk again. Coccyx injuries cause pain, but rarely involve the same kinds of additional effects created by other spinal cord injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Spinal Cord Injuries
Due to the complexity and seriousness of spinal cord injuries, victims often come to our firm with any questions. Below are a few of the common questions our Beaumont spinal cord injury attorneys get from clients. We hope you find the information in our answers helpful. If you have questions about your specific spinal cord injury case, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
What is the difference between a complete and incomplete spinal cord injury?
The completeness of the injury is determined by the level of severance of a spinal cord. Incomplete spinal cord injuries involve the partial severance of the spinal cord and victims often retain function below the affected areas. Complete spinal cord injuries involve the complete severance of the spinal cord with the victim losing all feeling and ability to control movement below the affected area.
Common kinds of complete spinal cord injuries include paraplegia (paralysis of the legs and the lower half of the body), tetraplegia or quadriplegia (paralysis of all limbs), monoplegia (paralysis of one arm or one leg), triplegia (paralysis of one arm and both legs), or hemiplegia (paralysis of one arm and one leg on the same side of the body). Incomplete spinal cord injuries include Brown-Sequard syndrome, anterior cord syndrome, and central cord syndrome.
What is spinal shock?
Spinal shock refers to a loss of motor and sensory function of reflexes below the level of a spinal cord injury that often occurs suddenly or soon after an accident. Spinal shock should not be confused with the medical condition of shock, as they are different things and it is possible for a person to not even know they are in a state of spinal shock.
Is there a cure for spinal cord injuries?
While there is not an established cure-all for spinal cord injuries, there are many options that help some victims regain the ability to walk. Chances of recovery are often dictated by the affected area, so rehabilitation offers more promise to some people than others. Medical research is continuously being conducted into spinal cord injuries, so there remains good reason to believe additional treatments will be discovered in the near future.
Spinal Cord Injuries Statistics
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) reported that there are approximately 17,730 new spinal cord injury cases every year and an estimated 291,000 people are living with spinal cord injuries in the United States. According to the NSCISC, 38.5% of spinal cord injuries are caused by motor vehicle crashes, with falls being the second most common cause with 31.6%.
The NSCISC stated that the estimated average yearly expenses for high tetraplegia victims (C1-C4) is $1,129,302 for the first year and $196,107 for each subsequent year. Low tetraplegia victims face expenses of $816,019 in the first year and $120,303 each subsequent year. Paraplegia victims face expenses of $550,381 in the first year and $72,909 each subsequent year.
Contact a Beaumont Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Today
Did you suffer a spinal cord injury in Beaumont? Contact the experienced and compassionate attorneys of Portner Bond, PLLC to get justice. We will listen to you, discuss your rights, and will seek the maximum compensation possible on your behalf.
Our firm has more than 85 years of combined legal experience handling all kinds of catastrophic injury claims, including spinal cord injuries. We can discuss your rights when you call (409) 838-4444 or contact us online to set up a free consultation.