A spinal cord injury can cause a permanent loss of bodily functions and mobility to victims, and they can have an overwhelming emotional and financial impact on victims’ families.

Beaumont injury attorney Tony Malley understands that no amount of money can reverse the damage of spinal cord injuries, but Mr. Malley can help you pursue the financial compensation you and your family need for medical expenses, lifestyle modifications and general peace of mind.

Spinal cord injuries are most often the result of a sudden, forceful impact that jars all or part of your spinal cord, from the base of your brain through your neck and down to the upper portion of your lower back. Spinal cord injuries are commonly the result of accidents triggered by negligence, including:

• Truck and commercial vehicle accidents
• Personal watercraft accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Auto accidents
• Workplace accidents

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), an estimated 40 percent of all spinal cord injuries are sustained in motor vehicle accidents.

Your spinal cord is part of your central nervous system and contains a complicated network of nerves that relay information to and from your brain. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae that make up your spinal column, but it is susceptible to injury when the spinal column is damaged.

Your spinal column is categorized by different levels of vertebrae: cervical (neck), thoracic (middle), lumbar (back) and sacral (tailbone) vertebrae. The higher up the spinal column a spinal injury, the greater likelihood that a victim will suffer extensive loss of function.

Damage to the spinal cord in the cervical area may cause:

• Paralysis
• Loss of arm and hand function
• Respiratory loss
• Quadriplegia
• Death as a result of inability to breathe

Injury to the spinal cord in the thoracic area may result in:

• Loss of manual dexterity
• Loss of abdominal muscle control and body function
• Paraplegia

Damage to the spinal cord in the lumbar and sacral regions may cause:

• Loss of leg muscle function
• Loss of bladder control
• Sexual dysfunction

When the nerves in the spinal cord are severed, victims require lifelong care to cope with lack of mobility and the loss of bodily function control. Even when spinal cord injury recovery is possible, full mobility may not be regained and victims must undergo a costly process that includes expensive medications, multiple surgical procedures and long-term rehabilitation.

If you or a family member suffered a spinal cord injury due to the negligence of another, please contact the Malley Law Firm for your free case consultation. You may have grounds for a personal injury or wrongful death claim. Mr. Malley welcomes clients from the Houston and Beaumont, Texas, areas and across the United States.