The spinal cord is one of the most important parts of the human body. This thick cluster of nerve cells runs from the brain down through the vertebrae of the spine, branching out with nerve endings that reach all over the rest of the body. The spinal cord allows the brain to communicate with the rest of body and manage every bodily function, from bowel movements and breathing to walking and talking. Unlike the rest of the human body, injuries to the spinal cord do not heal on their own over time. Any damage to the spinal cord is permanent; therefore, the resulting effects are permanent.

A spinal cord injury can have devastating consequences, including partial or total paralysis, so injured victims and their families should know their rights when these injuries happen due to negligence. The attorneys at Murphy Falcon Murphy want to help spinal cord injury victims in the Baltimore area protect their rights and secure the compensation they deserve after suffering these grievous injuries.

Classifying Spinal Cord Injuries

Doctors categorize spinal cord injuries in two general categories: complete and incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury is one in which the cord is completely severed, or a section of the spinal cord is destroyed. This makes it impossible for the brain to send and receive signals to and from the nerve endings below the injury site. A victim will lose motor function and sensation in the affected areas, and the extent of these effects depends on the location of the injury. A wound higher on the spinal cord will result in more extensive damage to the rest of the body, while a wound on the lower end of the spinal cord may only affect the legs and lower body.

An incomplete spinal cord injury is one in which the spinal cord is damaged but still partially intact, meaning the brain can still transmit and receive some signals to and from the affected areas. Victims who sustain incomplete spinal cord injuries often lose motor function and retain sensation or vice versa. Some incomplete spinal cord injuries may improve over time, but this is rare and takes an extensive amount of therapy and rehabilitation.

Filing a Lawsuit

If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury from a car accident, a slip and fall, a construction zone accident, or a work-related injury, you may have options for legal recourse if the injury occurred due to another’s negligence. For example, if your spinal cord injury happened in a car accident when another driver ran a red light, the other driver would be liable for your damages. When a spinal cord injury occurs due to negligence, the victim and his or her family may file a personal injury lawsuit to secure compensation for their damages.

Personal injury law hinges on the legal concept of negligence, which is a term describing one party’s failure to meet an acceptable duty of care for a given situation. For example, drivers have a duty of care to the other people on the road to follow the traffic laws and obey signs and signals. Succeeding in a personal injury claim for a spinal cord injury requires proving the defendant was negligent and that his or her negligence directly resulted in the spinal cord injury.

The attorneys at Murphy Falcon Murphy have a great deal of experience handling all types of civil claims for our clients in the Baltimore area. A spinal cord injury lawsuit can potentially yield compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost income, and any other damages resulting from a defendant’s negligence. Contact Murphy Falcon Murphy today for more information about our firm or to schedule a consultation with one of our trial-tested attorneys. We’ll review your spinal cord injury case and let you know what to expect from a lawsuit.