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Spinal Cord Injury Can Have Life-Altering Consequences

On behalf of Law Office of Jason Skala Sept. 25, 2018

Sometimes, the negligence of individuals in Alaska can cause catastrophic injuries to others. A spinal cord injury is one such injury that could be traumatic and life-changing. A sports injury, fall, automobile accident, assault or workplace accident can damage the spinal cord.

The spinal cord consists of the primary nerve bundle that carries messages or pulses from the nerve ends throughout the body to the brain and back. This cord is encased and protected by the spinal column, which consists of vertebrae. When a back injury causes harm to the spinal cord, loss of function can result. This means that the victim might lose mobility and feeling to some degree.

The severity of the injury will determine the resulting type of spinal cord injury. Instances in which the cord is severed, the consequences will be severe. This is called a complete spinal cord injury, which causes the victim to lose all feeling and voluntary movement below the level at which the damage occurred. In a case in which the cord was compressed rather than penetrated, the injury will be classified as incomplete, and the victim will retain some feeling and functioning.

Anyone who is suffering the consequences of a spinal cord injury that was caused by another party’s negligence will likely be overwhelmed by the medical expenses and lost income. Furthermore, there could be additional costs of necessary changes to his or her home to accommodate a wheelchair in the case of a complete injury. These are but some of the financial damages that might be recoverable through the civil justice system of Alaska. With the support and guidance of an experienced personal injury attorney, these and other economic losses can form part of a documented claim to present to the court, along with pain and suffering and other emotional damages.