One of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries are motor vehicle accidents, specifically commercial trucking accidents. Victims and their families who have been injured in a semi-tractor trailer, big rig, box truck, tanker, flatbed or any other type of truck accident in Louisiana often face considerable personal injuries, lost wages, medical bills and other damages. This is particularly true for spinal cord injuries after a trucking accident in Houma, LA, where the lifetime medical costs for many paralyzing injuries can often reach over $1 million. Sadly, our experienced Houma trucking accident lawyer knows that many of these accidents are entirely preventable but for the negligence of a truck driver, trucking company, repair business, manufacturer or some other type of third-party. This means that many spinal cord injuries that result in life-altering changing are entirely preventable.
Despite being avoidable, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that there are approximately 500,000 new cases of spinal cord injuries each year, with motor vehicle accidents being the leading case. In the United States, there are almost 20,000 new cases of spinal cord injuries every year, with motor vehicle accidents also being the top cause. Of all motor vehicle accidents, traffic accidents involving large commercial vehicles remains a top cause of catastrophic injuries to other drives. Indeed, statistics reveal that, of over 150,000 injury-causing accidents involving trucks, 70% of all injuries and wrongful deaths are caused to occupants of other vehicles and not truckers.
At the Patrick Yancey Law Firm, our compassionate and skilled personal injury legal team can help victims and their families recover compensation for spinal cord injuries after a trucking accident in Houma. Whether you have completely recovered or have been diagnosed with paraplegia, quadriplegia or some other type of spinal cord injury, our Houma trucking accident lawyer can answer your questions and explain your legal rights under Louisiana law during a free consultation. Schedule your free consultation today to learn more about your rights to compensation.
Also known as a SCI, a spinal cord injury is any damage to the spinal cord, including the nerves at the base of the head or the nerves extending from in-between the vertebrae. The spinal cord is part of the central nervous system, or CNS, and serves as the critical communication pathway between the brain (also part of the CNS) and the rest of the body. Although the spinal cord is a very soft, jelly-like structure, it is encased in the center of the very strong vertebrae which make up the spinal column. Thus, it takes significant force to fracture the vertebrae and injury the spinal cord, but it is possible in trucking accidents. This is why spinal cord injuries after often called and considered to be a catastrophic injury.
Spinal cord injuries can result in a varying degree of conditions or symptoms to victims of a trucking wreck in Louisiana. These conditions or symptoms include paralysis, impaired movement and strength, loss of sensation, and dysfunction of bowel, bladder, and sexual systems. The severity and extent of these impairments depend largely on two critical factors.
The first factor is whether the injury partially or completely severs the spinal cord. The second factor is the location of the injury along the spine. Each of these factors combine together, and create many different possible outcomes for victims (i.e., complete severance and lower SCI, versus a partial severance and upper SCI).
The first factor is the type of spinal cord injury, being whether the spinal cord suffered a partial or complete injury. This classification is the first step in identifying all types of SCIs, and can give medical providers an immediate understanding of the severity of the injury to the victim.
Generally, the two types of spinal cord injuries after a trucking accident in Houma are the following:
The second factor is the location of the spinal cord injury. This is critically important because certain regions of the spinal column govern certain parts of your body. Said differently, every part of your body is connected to a different spot on your spinal cord, which in turn communicates with the brain. Thus, if the spinal cord is injured above that spot, it cannot effectively send messages there – or at all.
The locations on the spine that affect the conditions and symptoms of a spinal cord injury after a trucking accident in Houma include the following:
The cervical spine, consisting of seven vertebrae labeled C1 through C7, extends from the base of the skull (foramen magnum) through the upper back region. Injuries to this highest portion of the spinal cord typically result in quadriplegia or tetraplegia, affecting all four limbs and the torso. Depending on the precise location of cervical damage, victims may lose function from the chin or top of the shoulders down, or experience even more extensive paralysis.
The thoracic spine encompasses vertebrae T1 through T12, spanning from the shoulder blade area to the middle back region. Thoracic spinal injuries can affect sensation and function in the arms, legs, and torso, including critical organs such as the lungs. Victims may experience breathing difficulties, organ dysfunction, and various degrees of weakness or sensory loss in their extremities. Victims may suffer partial quadriplegia but more commonly partial or total paraplegia, depending on the extent of the SCI.
Located in the lower back area and consisting of vertebrae L1 through L5, the lumbar spine extends from the lower back to the hip region. Most people associate this area with common back pain from lifting or physical strain, but it also represents a frequent site of injury in motor vehicle accidents. Lumbar spinal cord damage typically causes impairments in the lower extremities, affecting strength, coordination, balance, sensation, and stability. They also tend to result in significant pain and restrictions related to lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling, or other common functions that most people do every day. As a result, victims with lumbar injuries often suffer more chronic pain rather than paralyzing injuries.
The sacral spine represents the lowest area where spinal injury can occur. Although actual spinal cord tissue does not extend into this region and these vertebrae are actually fused together, major nerve roots that exit the spinal column from above the sacral region follow this bony structure and can sustain damage here, leading to impaired movement, sensation, and function in the lower body. It is not common for this area to be injured in an accident, but it is possible and it often includes injuries to the hips or lumbar spine.
When considering the two factors, there are many combinations of SCIs that could be caused by a negligent truck driver, trucking company or another defendant in Louisiana. For instance, cervical injuries could be complete or incomplete, meaning the spinal cord was totally severally or partially remains intact. The conditions and symptoms of this type of location will be different than a lumbar spinal cord injury, which will vary based on the severity.
Applying these principles, here are some of the most common types of spinal cord injuries after a trucking accident in Houma include the following:
Paraplegia affects the lower portion of the body, typically resulting from thoracic or lumbar spinal cord injuries. Victims lose varying degrees of leg function and may also experience impaired sexual function and loss of bowel or bladder control. Complete (total) injuries result in total loss of lower body function, while incomplete (partial) injuries may allow some residual sensation or movement.
Even where there is complete SCI, victims often still retain some ability to maintain their autonomous body functions and can often care for themselves with medical equipment or certain assistance. However, complete SCIs mean that a victim will have no sensation below the injury site and will not be able to move his or her legs or feet at all. With a true complete SCI, there is no chance for recovery – although there are some promising treatments, which are often applicable for those with incomplete SCIs.
Paraplegia comes with serious costs for victims and their families. According to research statistics, the first-year costs for paraplegia are estimated to be almost $700,000 and each subsequent year is over $90,000. Based on this, the research estimates the total lifetime costs for a victim with paraplegia at the age of 25 is over $3 million, and at the age of 50 over $2 million.
Quadriplegia, also known as tetraplegia, represents the most severe form of paralysis resulting from cervical spinal cord injuries. This condition affects all four limbs and the torso, potentially impairing breathing and requiring extensive life support systems. Complete (total) cervical injuries can result in near-total body paralysis, while incomplete (partial) cervical injuries may allow some residual function throughout the body.
Victims who suffer a complete SCI may have complete loss of sensation, function and control over their entire body from the chin down. This is a very serious and devastating type of injury, and can result in victims having lost control over bodily functions – including those necessary for life support (i.e., breathing), or at least basic daily function (i.e., bowels). The differences here are whether the SCI is considered a “high” injury (C1-C4) or a low injury (C5-C7).
This means that that lifetime costs also change. According to the same research statistics, the first-year costs for a high cervical SCI is $1.4 million and almost $250,000 for each year after that. For a low cervical SCI, the first-year cost is roughly $1 million and another $150,000 for each year after that. Correspondingly, the lifetime estimated costs for a high cervical SCI at 25 years old is $6.2 million, and at 50 years old it is $3.4 million. Whereas for a low cervical SCI, those numbers are almost $4.6 million for a 25-year-old and $2.8 million for a 50-year-old.
Despite the severity of spinal cord injuries and the truth that many times they are negligently caused by a defendant, the sad reality is that trucking companies and their insurance providers employ teams of experienced lawyers and investigators to work against victims and their families by minimizing and undermining valid claims for compensation. Sometimes they even deny these claims, even where it is clear that their insured is completely liable.
Here at the Patrick Yancey Law Firm, we won’t let insurance companies and defense lawyers protect dangerous drivers in Louisiana. Our experienced Houma trucking accident lawyer and dedicated legal team have built a reputation on protecting the rights of innocent people throughout Terrebonne Parish and the rest of Louisiana. We will hold those responsible for your spinal cord injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and other damages accountable for their negligence.
If you or a loved one are facing the life-altering consequences of a spinal cord injury caused by a trucking accident, schedule your free consultation with our compassionate and knowledgeable legal team by calling (985) 313-9791 or by submitting a message through our contact form available on our website. But realize that, while we can help you and your family recover compensation for your trucking accident injuries, Louisiana has strict time limits on filing a personal injury lawsuit against those responsible. Do not delay in contacting us to get started, because trucking companies and their insurance adjusters, defense lawyers and other shareholders will do everything they can to stop you from getting fair and just compensation.
Call us today to learn how we can prevent that together, and get you and your family the compensation that you need – and that you deserve – under Louisiana law.
(985) 313-9791
