Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function such as mobility or feeling. Frequent causes of damage are trauma (car accidents, gunshots, falls, etc.) or disease (polio, spina bifida, Friedreich’s Ataxia, etc.). The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results in loss of functioning. Almost 11,000 people in the U.S. sustain a traumatic spinal cord injury each year, resulting in temporary or permanent sensory deficit, motor deficit, or bowel or bladder dysfunction. In this country, nearly 200,000 people live with paralysis caused by SCI. More than half the people who sustain an SCI are between 16 and 30 years old. More males than females sustain this type of injury the ratio is more than four to one. The most common cause of SCI is motor vehicle crashes, accounting for at least 36% of these injuries (broken down as follows: no restraints used, 20%; restraints used, 13.7%; motorcycle, 7.4%; accidents involving pedestrians, 5.2%; other, 2.1%). Violence-related SCIs have been steadily increasing over the past two decades, and today, violence is associated with 29% of SCIs. Falls and sports cause 21% and 7% of SCI cases, respectively. The personal injury lawyers at Hamstead, Williams & Shook P.L.L.C. provide aggressive representation to victims of SCI in order to help them get the maximum compensation for their injuries.
Related Content
Related Links
- ASIA: American Spinal Injury Association
- Access Unlimited
- Handi-Ramp
- National Spinal Cord Injury Association
- New Mobility Magazine
- Paralinks Wheelchair Nation
- Rehab Research Center for SCI
- Spinal Cord Injury Information Network
In all matters involving personal injury it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and file a lawsuit prior to the deadline imposed by the Statute of Limitations. If you or a loved one is a victim of personal injuries, call Hamstead, Williams & Shook P.L.L.C. now at 888 – 298 – 2529. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a Contingent Fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don’t delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.
The above is not legal advice. That can only come from a qualified attorney who is familiar with all the facts and circumstances of a particular, specific case and the relevant law. See Terms of Use.