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Spinal Cord Injuries.

May 7, 2008 - In the United States, there are about eleven thousand (11,000) individuals who suffer from spinal cord injuries every year. These type of injuries can be caused by such events as car accidents, playing sports, falls, birth trauma, etc. Some people can recover and go on with their lives, while other victims may be permanently paralyzed.

What exactly is a spinal cord injury?

The spinal cord moves nerve impulses between the brain and the rest of the body. Spinal cord injuries often start with a painful blow to the spine that fractures or dislocates vertebrae. Once the impact causes the vertebrae to fracture or compress, it will crush the nerve cells (axons) which carry signals along the spinal cord between the brain and the body. An injury can either damage a number of axons or all of them.

There are two types of spinal cord injuries:  complete or incomplete. Complete spinal cord injuries lack sensory and motor function below the level of the injury, and incomplete spinal cord injuries retain some sensory motor function below the injury site.

Often the victim of a spinal cord injury is physically and emotionally drained, but his personal finances can also be affected because of costly medical care. Some individuals will also experience other problems such as pain, respiratory and heart problems, pressure sores, or spasticity and scoliosis.

Murphy & Associates represents many victims of spinal cord injuries, and we seek fair and just compensation for them.