Spinal Cord Injuries
Unfortunately, motorcyclists injured in accidents often suffer severe
injuries. Because motorcycles offer little protection for the rider, the
force of impact with the ground, an object, or from the bike itself can
result in serious injuries such as paralysis or other spinal cord
injuries.
The spinal cord is the largest nerve in the body. It is
approximately 18 inches long and runs from the base of the brain, down
the middle of the back, to the waist. The spinal cord is made up of
nerve fibers. Around the nerve fibers are protective bone segments
called the vertebral column or the spinal column.
These nerve fibers
are responsible for the body's communication systems, which include
sensory, motor, and autonomic functions.
- Sensory function means the ability to feel sensations, like pain.
- Motor function is the ability to voluntarily move your body.
- Autonomic functions are involuntary body functions, like the ability to sweat and breathe.
What is a spinal cord injury?
A spinal cord injury is any injury of the nerve elements within the spinal cord. Most spinal cord injuries result from trauma to the vertebral column. Trauma of this nature is unfortunately common in motorcycle accidents. The trauma can occur from the biker's head hitting the pavement or a stationary object such as a pole, or the trauma can occur from the force of the collision or fall.
An injury to the spinal cord can affect its ability to send and receive messages from the brain to the parts of the body that control sensory, motor, and autonomic functions. The effect on the body depends on the location and severity of the spinal cord injury.
A spinal cord injury can be "complete" or "incomplete." A "complete" spinal cord injury is where the nerve damage obstructs all signals coming from the brain to the body parts below the injury site. An "incomplete" spinal cord injury is where the nerve damage only affects some of those signals. The closer the injury is to the brain, the greater the loss of feeling and function.
Spinal cord legal cases
Spinal cord injuries are not only complex medical cases, they are also complex legal cases. Our Law Firm can help you to:
- Recover any benefits that are due for spinal cord injuries
- Provide experts who can help to reconstruct the accident
- Provide experts who can develop a Life Care Plan for a victim of a spinal cord injury
- Structure a settlement so that the injured person will be provided for in the future
- Determine if a person is eligible for other benefits such as Work Comp or Social Security Disability benefits
- Determine if a defective product (such as a motorcycle helmet) was at fault, or contributed to, the injury.
Injured in a motorcycle accident? Put our experience to work for you.
For over 25 years, our attorneys have represented more than 30,000 people who have been injured in all types of accidents including motorcycle accidents. In addition our legal team has answered over 350,000 injury-related legal questions. When a motorcycle injury occurs and legal help is needed, experience counts.
Free Legal Evaluation
If you, or someone you care about, have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you can contact our law firm for a free evaluation by:
- Filling out a simple online form so we can evaluate your claim
- Calling toll free 1-866-881-3317. Our phones answer 24 hours a day/7 days a week
Our law firm will evaluate your claim free of charge and advise you on your legal rights to collect compensation. There is no obligation to use our services, and there is never a fee unless we get money for you.
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