Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)- Basic Information
"Spinal cord injury" is a term used to describe any injury involving
the nerves within the spinal cord. The spinal cord works together
with the brain to control the central functions of the body.
The spinal cord is made of nerve fibers connected to the
brain which are responsible for the body's ability to feel, move
and perform functions such as breathing and walking. The spinal
cord is protected by bone segments called the vertebral or spinal
column. Loss of function following a spinal cord injury depends
on the location and seriousness of the impact on the vertebral column.
What types of Spinal Cord Injury are there?
Paraplegia is a form of spinal cord injury that usually results from an injury to the
lower part of the spinal cord- such as the thoracic or lumbar region. The paralysis
that results from paraplegia generally affects just the legs and/or
lower parts of the body. On the other hand quadriplegia is a form of
spinal cord injury that usually results from an injury to the
upper part of the spinal cord- such as the cervical region (the neck).
Quadraplegia generally affects both the arms and legs- although it may
cause more disability on one side of the body compared to the other.
A spinal cord injury, depending on where it is occurs, will affect
the movement and sensation of particular parts of the body or lead to a complete
loss of movement and/or sensation in those areas.
Most spinal cord injuries, like paraplegia and quadraplegia, are very
serious conditions that require permanent care and life-long support.
There are many causes of paraplegia and quadraplegia that are
preventable.
Leading
causes of a spinal cord injury include vehicle crashes,
violence, falls, and sports. Depending on the location
of the spinal cord injury the spinal cord injury patient
can become permanently paralyzed. A spinal cord injury
causing paraplegia allows just forty percent of the
spinal cord injury patients to return to their jobs
and one causing causing
quadriplegia allows only about thirty percent of
the patients to return to their jobs eventually. In
addition to the pain and suffering a spinal cord injury
can create, a spinal cord injury can create large financial
problems for the patients and their families.
The Deadline to File a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Claim
The
deadline for filing most spinal cord injury claims in
court in Hawaii is two (2) years from the date when (a) the
victim was exposed to the danger and (b) SOME injuries resulted
therefrom. The time may NOT be measured as two years from when
a spinal cord injury actually becomes full-blown- if
that is later.
It should be noted, however, that there are
exceptions to this rule- for example, claims
against the City and County of Honolulu and
the various other Counties must be filed with the appropriate agency
within six (6) months of the date of the accident.
Claims against
the State of Hawaii may have to be filed within two (2) years
of the date of the accident - regardless of when or how the injury
manifests itself.
You must file your claims in
court prior to the expiration of such deadlines, or your
claims may be lost—regardless of their merit.
To be wise it is recommended that you immediately contact an attorney
after an accident giving rise to injuries occurs- please do not
hesitate to :
Contact
Brain Injury Lawyer Hawaii now for a free evaluation of your case.
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) - Hope
Medical advances have made it possible for many of those with spinal cord
injuries to live an essentially normal life span, and to lead a full,
meaningful and productive life. Inevitably, however, spinal cord injury
superimposes special considerations on the routine activities
of life, and activities that might once have been easy can
in many cases be considerably more difficult. There are additional
medical and nonmedical problems that individuals with SCI face as
they age and wise medical and nonmedical counsel will help
the SCI victim to tackle the challenges of health, the
social support system, aging and finances.
Unquestionably, spinal cord injuries change lives. Our clients
with spinal cord injuries and their families often must
deal with permanent disabilities that may require
significant medical and legal needs. Injury Lawyer Hawaii William
H. Lawson consults with medical doctors, other lawyers, therapists,
support personnel and others to assist our injured clients with
making decisions relating to both medical treatment and legal issues.
We work with victims and their families to determine the need for
further medical evaluation of their physical conditions as well as the
psychic trauma that often accompanies spinal cord injuries, such as Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), phobias or other anxiety disorders.
An experienced spinal cord injury attorney will properly investigate
an accident to identify the parties responsible for causing
a spinal cord injury. A dedicated spinal cord injury attorney
will seek the damages to which the spinal cord injury patient
and his family are entitled. Because a spinal cord injury can
drastically alter a person's life and since the majority
of spinal cord injury patients suffer the accident at
a young age, there is much at stake and multiple issues
must be addressed.
There is hope for those who suffer spinal cord injuries. Such
patients are thrown into a world of sudden and overwhelming
change. They start from trauma and confusion, their vision of the
future challenged to the core, but ultimately arrive at a place in
which each of them in their own way has made the "adjustment to disability."
This is a place of re-employment, renewed family life and dreams
for the future. The tough part is what lies in between - the actual
journey to adjustment, acceptance, meaning, and possibility.
Having the resources to cope with the process and obtaining the
information on what steps to take is the lifeline that can help spinal cord injury
patients return to productive, healthful lives.
For further information about spinal cord injuries: you may wish to contact:
the National Spinal Cord Injury Association or
the American Paraplegia Society
for more information.
To confer with
a spinal cord injury attorney, please
contact us.
1999-2005 by Hawaii Brain Injury Lawyer Hawaii
