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Why you need a spinal cord injury lawyer in Clayton, GA

A spinal cord injury is one of the most severe injuries you can get. You might suffer lasting pain, numbness, and even paralysis. If the injury is bad enough, you might need ongoing medical care.
At Pendergrass Law, we believe in holding negligent people accountable for their actions. If you have a spinal cord injury, you might be able to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages (both current and future), physical pain, and emotional distress. If you think you might have a case, reach out to our Clayton office and set up your free consultation today.

How spinal cord injuries happen

Many spinal cord injuries are caused by some kind of trauma to your spinal cord, but they don’t always happen that way. Here are some of the most common causes:

  • Car and motorcycle accidents
  • Physical assaults
  • Gunshot wounds
  • Medical injuries or injuries in surgery
  • Workplace or industrial accidents
  • Medical conditions

Some spinal cord injuries are more severe than others. If part of your spinal cord is damaged, you might get localized pain and numbness. However, if your spinal cord is completely severed, you’re likely to suffer paralysis. If your spinal cord is severed above your arms, you’ll likely be paralyzed in both your arms and legs — a condition called “quadriplegia.” If your spinal cord is severed between your arms and your legs, you’ll likely be paralyzed in your legs but not your arms — a condition called paraplegia. 

Can you treat spinal cord injuries?

Unfortunately, there isn’t currently a way to fix damage to your spinal cord. Depending on your injury, there might be some medical interventions that can help. For example, if a broken bone is pressing on your spinal cord, a doctor might be able to do surgery to relieve the pressure.
These are some of the medical interventions you might need if you have a spinal cord injury:

  • Medication: Steroids and other anti-inflammatories can reduce swelling and take pressure off your spinal cord
  • Traction: This is a stabilizing treatment that reduces movement and prevents instability from making the injury worse
  • Surgery: Surgery can’t directly repair your spinal cord, but it can repair surrounding injuries and relieve pressure that is making the injury worse
  • “Halo” or Other Supports: These are kind of like portable traction — they stabilize your injury, but you can walk around with them

Just because there’s no way to fix a damaged spinal cord now doesn’t mean there never will be. Researchers are currently trying to develop ways to reverse spinal cord damage and other kinds of nerve damage.

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Do you need long-term care for spinal cord injuries?

Because you can’t completely fix spinal cord injuries, you may need long-term care after you leave the hospital. Physical and occupational therapy can help you regain as much movement as possible. If you have speech difficulties because of the injury, speech therapy can help, too. 
Many people also need in-home care and support. And because spinal cord injuries are mentally taxing, you might need mental healthcare as well.

Do you have a spinal cord injury case?

Lots of people have the misconception that if you suffer a severe enough injury, you’re automatically entitled to a financial settlement. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. In order to go to court and win, your attorney needs to prove the following:

  • Someone had a duty to care (or a duty to act in a reasonable way)
  • They failed to perform that duty (or did not act like a reasonable person)
  • That failure directly caused your injury

The world of personal injury law is much more complex than it appears. If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury and think you might have a case, the first step is to set up a consultation with a personal injury attorney. The attorney can closely look at your case and tell you whether you have a good chance of winning in court.

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Need a spinal cord injury attorney in Clayton?

Having an injury as life-altering as a spinal cord injury can make you feel powerless, hopeless, and alone. But when you have a compassionate lawyer on your side, you maximize your chances of recovering the compensation you deserve. At Pendergrass Law, we understand that money can’t undo your injury. However, it can help alleviate the financial stress that your injury puts on you and your family. If you’re looking for a spinal cord injury lawyer in Clayton, contact us today for a free case review. We invite you to visit our Clayton office at 41 S Main St

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