Chicago Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

I practice extensively in Chicago on behalf of persons who have suffered spinal cord injury
resulting in paraplegia or quadripelgia/ tetraplegia from autombile accidents, medical
malpractice, falls and other serious and catastrophic injuries due to the negligence of others. 

Spinal cord injury is defined as damage or trauma to the spinal cord that in turn results in a loss
or impaired function resulting in reduced mobility or feeling. Spinal cord injury is a leading
cause of disability in the United States

Common causes of damage to the spinal cord, are trauma (for example, car/motorcycle/truck
accidents, violent related accidents, falls, sports injuries, etc), or disease (for example, Transverse
Myelitis, Cauda Equina, locked in syndrome).

When an injury to the spine occurs, whether at the neck (cervical) or back (lumbar) area, there is
a loss of motor function and the ability to do the things we take for granted, like walking, bathing
and dressing and working

The resulting damage to the spinal cord is known as a lesion, and the paralysis is known as
Quadriplegia or Quadraplegia / Tetraplegia if the injury is in the area of the neck or as Paraplegia
if the injury is in the Thoracic, Lumbar or Sacral region.

Loss of sensation, motor function, bowel and bladder control can be temporary or permanent. 
The injury can be incomplete, that is the ability to do some activities related to the level of injury
can be present or complete in which all function is lost below the level of injury. 

It is possible for someone to suffer a Broken Neck,or a Broken Back without becoming
paralysed. This occurs when there is a fracture or dislocation of the vertebrae, but the spinal cord
has not been damaged. 

If the serious or catastrophic injury is to the lower spine injury (lumbar) one usually loses the
ability to walk independently and will have bowel and bladder dysfunction. Those with neck
(cervical) injuries will lose the ability to use their arms and legs. A high neck injury (above C4)
can result in permanent use of a ventilator for breathing support. 

Recovering from a spinal cord injury requires long rehabilitation and can be physically and
financially draining. Although some will fully recover, many will need long-term medical and
rehabilitative care. Home modifications are necessary and work may or may not be available for
you. 

A jury will ordinarily have sympathy for the person who suffers a serious and catastrophic injury
like a spinal cord injury. The judge will tell the jurors, however, not to take sympathy into
consideration in arriving at a verdict. A trial lawyer argues, as I have, that empathy is much
different from sympathy. It involves an understanding of what has happened to the person, how
the person has undergone pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, all of which the jury
will be told it can properly consider in arriving at a verdict. 

In order to obtain a full recovery for a person who has suffered a spinal cord injury due to the
negligence of others, a trial lawyer must educate the jury on the cost of future care, which
typically runs into tens of millions of dollars. The defense will frequently argue that the cost of
future care is a fraction of that because family will provide the care. A trial lawyer needs to
retain a life care planner to come up with a life care plan for future care. Not only should the
family not be overly burdened but there is no telling how long family will be around for should
the spinal cord injured patient survive them. Once you convince the jury that the defendant acted
negligently, then the person with the spinal cord injury should receive the best of reasonable care
as everything possible should be done to provide for a life free from worry about how to pay for
the right care.

I understand the complexities needed in assisting you with your case. I want you to get in as
good of health as you can. As your trial attorney I will fight for you to obtain the most money
that you can get as I understand that is critical to you becoming the best that you can be now that
you have suffered this this life changing injury.

If you have a spinal cord injury and need an attorney for a case in the Chicago area, please call
me now at 1-800-913-1708 or contact me now.