Spinal injuries
It is estimated that 1,000 people in the UK suffer a spinal cord injury each year. In a matter of seconds, a catastrophic injury may irrevocably alter the whole pattern of a person’s life causing devastation to the lives of the individual and their families. Leigh Day's team of expert spinal injury claim lawyers has extensive experience in successfully obtaining compensation for people whose spinal injuries have happened in road traffic accidents, in criminal assualts, or as a result of negligence surgery or medical treatment.
Spinal cord injury is damage caused to the spinal cord by trauma or disease resulting in motor and sensory paralysis. The spinal cord is the information superhighway, it allows communication between the brain and the rest of the body. The extent of the paralysis depends on where in the spinal cord the injury occurs. However the paralysis can usually be catagorised in one of two ways: tetraplegia or paraplegia.
These injuries can affect bladder, bowel and sexual function as well as causing respiratory difficulties, pressure sores and significant impairment of mobility.
After spinal cord injury, the highway is damaged and the brain is unable to send signals to the relevant part of the body it wishes to function. As a result the person with the spinal cord injury loses sensory function and muscle control below the point of the injury.
The level of disability and paralysis depends on the level of the spinal cord injury. A general rule of thumb is the higher the level of the damage to the spine the higher the level of paralysis.
Causes of spinal injury
The most common cause of spinal cord injury results as a consequence of damage to the bony spinal column that surrounds the spinal cord. This can result in damage to the nerves of the spinal cord and is known as a traumatic injury. It can be caused by the following:
- Medical negligence i.e. result of treatment or surgery
- Road traffic collisions
- Work-related accidents
- Sporting injuries
If any of the above caused your spinal injury, then you may be able to seek a claim for compensation.
Leigh Day & Co solicitors is accredited by:
Accidents against Medical Accidents (AvMA), the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), the Child Brain Injury Trust, Headway, the Spinal Injuries Association as a firm of solicitors able to represent clients with complex and serious brain and spinal injury claims. We are retained by British Cycling and the British Triathlon Federation to provide legal advice for members of these associations who have been injured in road crashes.
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David Mattis, who was stabbed by an unlicensed doorman, has finally received compensation after a protracted legal battle against the owner of the Woolwich nightclub.
An interim award of £750,000 has been given to a teenager who fractured his spine when he was knocked of his moped.