The San Diego spinal cord injury attorneys at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo have been there for their clients throughout their 30+ years of practicing spinal cord injury law. Our clients have suffered spinal cord injuries while they were at home, on the job, in a car accident, slipping or falling and from many other injury circumstances. We provide each and every one of our clients with extraordinary personal service and prudent representation. This is true regardless of whether the case is a workers’ compensation, work injury, or personal injury claim. We investigate all injury cases for ways of maximizing the scope of the case. This includes looking for circumstances where a third party may have also been involved.
trust us to help you
It is important for you to speak with seasoned lawyers as soon as possible. We will protect your legal rights, take over the majority of the paperwork and headaches of the legal process and represent you in court. Our firm’s priority will be to help you receive the full and fair compensation that you deserve legally. Our San Diego California spinal cord injury lawyers will put together an experienced team of quality staff, physicians, economists, lawyers, and accident reconstructionists who will work to help us prepare and carry out your case. Call us right now at (619) 946-6466 to setup your free initial consultation and case evaluation so you know what your options are.
definition of a spinal cord injury
A Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is when harm has happened to the spinal cord that causes the loss of one or more functions. A few functions that could be partially or completely lost because of SCI include the following: feeling, balance, trunk stability, and mobility. The spinal cord’s job is to carry information, feedback, commands, and signals to and from your brain.
causes of spinal cord injuries
The causes for SCI can be generally listed within two categories: external and internal causes. The most common external causes for spinal cord injuries are:
- Violence;
- Slip, trip and fall accidents;
- Vehicle, trucking/truck and SUV accidents;
- Ladders;
- Crosswalk accidents;
- Gun shots;
- Pedestrian accidents;
- Bicycle accidents;
- Skateboard accidents;
- Work injury;
- Motorcycle accidents;
- Sports; and
- On the job accidents.
The vast majority of spinal cord injuries have external causes to blame that fall within three categories: motorized vehicle accidents (36%), violence (28.9%), and slipping, tripping and falling (21.2%).
The typical internal causes for spinal cord injuries are:
- Neurodegenerative diseases;
- Transverse myelitis (resulting from a stroke or inflammation);
- Tumors;
- Ischemia from the occlusion of spinal blood vessels (including aneurysms, emboli, dissecting aortic and arteriosclerosis);
- Vascular malformations; and
- Developmental disorders.
Three syndromes can also be the cause of a spinal cord injury. The three are: central cord syndrome, anterior cord syndrome, and Brown-Sequard syndrome. Central cord syndrome has been linked to necrosis, hemorrhage, and ischemia.
The list of tumors that may cause an SCI includes: astrocytomas, meningiomas, ependymomas, and metastatic cancer. The developmental diseases that can cause an injury to the spinal cord include spina bifida, meningomyolcoele, and mentakengithupthtehbatty.
The list of vascular malformations that could play a part in causing harm to the spinal cord include arteriovenous malformation (AVM), cavernous angioma, dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF), spinal hemangioma, and aneurysms. Neurodegenerative diseases can also cause spinal cord injuries and examples of these are Friedreich’s ataxia and spinocerebellar ataxia.
spinal cord segments
Each segment of the spinal cord will generally control one or more specific areas of our body. This section of the webpage will discuss, in general terms, what could happen when harm occurs at each part of the spinal cord.
Sacral Vertebra – S1, S2, S3, S4 & S5
Injuries that cause damage to this segment could result in the partial or full loss of leg and hip functions. Additionally, the urinary and anus could be affected. This segment goes from the bottom end of the spine up to the pelvis.
S1 and S2 work together to control the flexion of the toes, the plantar flexion of the foot, the legs movements that extends from the hips and the flexion from the knee. S3 and S4 work jointly to control the urinary system and the bladder. S5’s main task is to control the coccygeus muscle.
Lumbar Vertebra – L1, L2, L3, L4 & L5
This region is above the pelvis but below the chest area. L1 controls the abdominal muscles and thigh flexion. L2 and L3 combine to control the thigh adduction, thigh flexion, and the extension of the legs at the knees. L4 also assists in controlling control thigh adduction, thigh flexion, and the leg extension at the knee. L4 teams with L5 to control hamstring movements, thigh abduction, extension of toes and the dorsiflexion of the foot. L5 is also important for the plantar flexion of the foot and the flexion of the toes.
Thoracic Vertebra includes T1 down to T12
Paraplegia is one possible outcome for spinal cord injuries in the thoracic spine segment. Injuries here are very serious as mobility, balance, and stability functions can be lost or disrupted.
Spinal cord injuries at T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, & T8 can lessen one’s control over their set of ab muscles. Spinal cord injuries that happen to thoracic vertebra lower than T8 (consisting of T9, T10, T11 and T12) also may result in the complete or partial loss of abdominal function. The thoracic vertebrae are located behind the chest region.
Cervical Vertebra – C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7 & C8
Cervical spinal cord injuries generally can result in the loss of leg, hand, and/or arm functions for an injured patient. The cervical segment is located in the neck area of the body. Quadriplegia is one possible result of a severe injury here.
- C1, C2, & C3: Injuries here may cause the diaphragm functions to be lost.
- C4: SCI here could result in the bicep and shoulder functions being partially or completely lost.
- C5: Injuries here may result in the complete loss of wrist and hand function.
- C6: Damage here may result in the partial or full loss of hand function and it may also limit wrist control.
- C7: Injuries here could cause the limited use of the arms and result in the lack of dexterity for the fingers and hands.
other issues caused by sci
The following is a summarized list of the additional problems spinal cord injuries may cause: osteoporosis, atrophying of the muscles, spasticity, trouble breathing, Lower Motor Neurons (LMNs), Upper Motor Neurons (UMNs), Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems, neuropathic pain, chronic pain, Peripheral Nervous System, Central Nervous System (including the brain), bone degeneration, autonomic dysreflexia, dysfunction of the bowel and bladder, and problems with sexual function and fertility.
spinal cord injuries ~ treatments
Treatments for spinal cord injuries can vary from traction to surgery. The initial treatments could be all about stabilizing the patient. This includes the immobilization of the back and neck, keeping the patient breathing, preventing shock, and working to prevent respiratory, stool, urine, and cardiovascular problems. Once the patient is at a hospital, emergency room, or spine injury center, they might be treated in the intensive care unit. The ICU should have a full team of surgeons, social workers, neurosurgeons, occupational therapists, psychologists, and spinal cord specialists. Back, neck or spinal cord surgery may be done to remove herniated disks, fractured vertebrae, and bone fragments.
contact us today
The Law Offices of DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo
San Diego, California ~ (619) 946-6466
We want you to eventually get to better days and we want to be some of the people who help get you there. The initial case consultations and evaluations are free. You will meet with an attorney who will answer your questions and give you a road map as to where your case could go from here. You will not incur any legal fees unless and until we win your case. The San Diego spinal cord injury lawyers at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo are ready meet you at our office, your home or your hospital room during Monday to Friday between the hours of 8:30am and 5:30pm. Our work injury lawyers and staff will also meet you, by appointment, any other time including Saturdays, Sundays and evenings.
