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When Paralysis Threatens to Destroy Your Life, Your Experienced Raleigh Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Fights for Justice and Compensation

An injury to your spine can change your life forever. Your spinal cord controls all parts of your body, so when your spinal cord is damaged in an accident, you may suddenly find yourself unable to feel or move as you did before. And the damage can often be permanent.

In our nearly five decades of experience helping accident victims, we have seen that injuries to the spinal cord can be catastrophic. While our legal team cannot turn back the clock and erase the injuries, we have the experience needed to achieve justice for your suffering and enable you to recover compensation to offset your losses and provide for future needs for yourself and your family.

If you are facing challenges dealing with spinal cord injuries, a Raleigh spinal cord injury attorney at Martin & Jones is ready to help. When big corporations and insurance companies try to deny liability or minimize your claim for fair and just compensation, we know how to fight back effectively to secure the compensation you need and deserve to build your best future.

Why Spinal Cord Injuries Are So Devastating

Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs from your brain through the center of your spine down to your lower back. It serves three vitally important functions in your body:

• The spinal cord sends commands from your brain to the rest of your body so that you can control your movements
• The spinal cord carries information from your senses to the brain so that you can understand the sensations your body is feeling, such as whether the surface you are touching is hot or cold
• The spinal cord independently coordinates reflexes so your body can react to danger immediately without waiting for a conscious response from your brain

Even a small amount of damage to your spinal cord or spinal nerves can interfere with one or all of these functions, which can suddenly make you feel you’ve lost your independence. If you lose the ability to control your legs, you can’t walk. If you lose sensation in or control of your bladder, you become incontinent. If you can’t feel heat or react to pain, you may end up with serious burns. If your reflexes become exaggerated, you could suffer constant spasms. Spinal cord injuries can make it impossible to work, eat, drink, or even breathe. It can adversely impact all of your activities of daily living.

And there is often no cure.

How Spinal Cord Injuries Occur

Because the spinal cord is such a critical part of the body, it is protected by 33 vertebrae—thick pieces of bone that form your back and surround your spinal cord. Connecting these bones are three dense layers of tissue that also protect the nerves in your spinal cord. But there are many situations that can cause damage either directly to the spinal cord or to the bones and tissue that surround it, interfering with nerve functions.

When damage occurs, it can cause changes in the ability to feel, move, or control body parts below the point of injury. If only some of the nerves are damaged, or the damage is not as severe, then the spinal cord can continue to relay some messages to and from the brain, and the injured person may retain partial control of or feeling. When an injury to the spinal cord is considered complete, the nerves below the site of the injury cannot communicate at all. Damage that occurs low on the spinal cord may affect only the legs, while damage on the upper part of the spinal cord can lead to paralysis of the entire body.

So, how does that damage occur when the body provides so much natural protection for the spinal cord? It usually occurs when the body is subjected to sudden trauma. When the vertebrae in the back get compressed or fractured, that can cause a complete injury to the spinal cord, leading to paralysis.

Traumatic events that frequently cause spinal cord injuries in North Carolina include:

• Collisions involving motor vehicles such as cars, trucks, and motorcycles
• Falls in the workplace
• Bicycle and scooter accidents
• Pedestrians hit by motor vehicles
• Explosions caused by defective products

In addition, if a doctor fails to diagnose or properly treat an infection or illness, these conditions can damage the central nervous system. An experienced Raleigh spinal cord injury attorney on our team will know how to collect and present evidence to show that someone’s negligence in an accident or malpractice caused the injuries and why you are entitled to substantial compensation for past, present, and future losses.

Problems Caused by Spinal Cord Injuries

While a severe or complete spinal cord injury generally leads to paralysis, injuries to the spinal cord can cause other problems as well.

Breathing Difficulties

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, one out of every three people who suffer spinal cord injuries have problems with breathing that require temporary or permanent assistance just to fulfill this basic function of life. People in this situation also need help swallowing, so just being able to eat, drink, and breathe may be a constant struggle each day. Breathing difficulties also make these individuals much more susceptible to pneumonia.

Blood Flow

Spinal cord injuries often affect the blood flow, leading to heart arrhythmias, blood clots, and unstable blood pressure. The flow of blood frequently slows or stops in the leg veins, causing life-threatening blood clots.
In addition, the combination of reduced blood flow and pressure of bony tissue against the skin due to paralysis can cause pressure sores, also known as pressure ulcers. These sores lead to the breakdown of skin and deeper tissue and can easily become infected, leading to further injuries.

Reflex Actions

Those with injuries near the neck or upper back often suffer from a potentially deadly reflex action known as autonomic dysreflexia. This syndrome causes the autonomic nervous system to overreact to sensory input, shooting the blood pressure up to dangerously high levels. Those who have suffered a spinal cord injury at or above the level of the T6 thoracic spinal nerve can suffer episodes of autonomic dysreflexia as many as 40 times every day.

An injury to any part of the spine can cause reflexes to become exaggerated, making muscles stiff and often spastic.

Incontinence

Being unable to sense the need to urinate or defecate, or not being able to control the bladder or bowels leads to incontinence. This is harmful to mental health as well as physical health. A dedicated Raleigh spinal cord injury attorney knows that when spinal cord injuries from an accident cause bladder and bowel problems, victims often feel embarrassed and helpless and can be reluctant to leave home, leading to a drastic decrease in the quality of life.

Sexual Dysfunction

Spinal cord injuries often have a negative impact on fertility and sexual function for both males and females. This is another consequence that has a profound impact on mental as well as physical health.

Pain

Contrary to popular belief, injuries to the spinal cord do not always result in decreased sensations. Many people develop neurogenic pain after a spinal cord injury, causing them to endure intense burning or stinging sensations. This pain may be intermittent or constant, and it can even be felt in parts of the body that have no sensation otherwise.

These and other effects make it impossible for someone with a spinal cord injury to enjoy life as they did before the injuries. Often, they are unable to work to support themselves and their families, and they require extensive and costly ongoing medical treatment as well as skilled caregivers. It is not surprising, then, to know that it is quite common for victims of spinal cord injuries to suffer severe depression in addition to all the other effects.

Get Help from a Legal Team That Cares

Unfortunately, no matter how drastically spinal cord injuries have impacted your life, you still must prove the legal liability of those responsible for your injuries before you can recover compensation to cover your medical needs, lost income, pain, suffering, and so many other consequences. That’s why it is critical to start working with an experienced Raleigh spinal cord injury attorney as soon as possible after your injuries.

At Martin & Jones, we start right away collecting and preserving essential evidence to build your liability case. When you work with our team, we can provide guidance and assistance throughout your recovery process, and we can handle all the questions from investigators and insurance companies, allowing you time to heal and rebuild your life in peace.

You owe us no fees until we’ve won your case. So, if you or a loved one suffered spinal cord injuries caused by someone else’s negligent or reckless conduct, call us at 800-662-1234 or contact us online now to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation so you can learn more about the ways we can help during this difficult time.

Hear it from our clients

“We hired Martin & Jones in March 2015 and Steven Corriveau became our personal lawyer. Steven is a true professional who is understanding and easy to communicate with. He clearly explained the legal process to us. We are confident in the specific information, advice and feedback he gives us and know that he always has our best interest in the case. He responds quickly to our questions and concerns being available 24 hours a day. As our legal journey continues we look at the number of contacts we have with Steven. There have been 52 plus phone calls and conversations, 50 plus emails, 3 plus personal meetings, and 18 plus legal documents. We are honored to have such a caring lawyer as Steven in a stressful situation, in which he makes the process less difficult. We highly recommend Steven Corriveau who is great, intelligent, persistent and will deliver to the client. Our expectations are very high and Steven is the best.” 

- Ronnie & Patricia

“We would like to express our gratitude to you (Hunt Willis) for accepting our case. First of all, when I called this law firm, a very sweet and kind lady answered the telephone and gave me assurance by asking and going over the accident with me, while my husband was in the hospital. I felt assured I was doing the right thing for us. She was so helpful in so many ways. What a professional lady. Secondly, we are much pleased that you have settled this case with the insurance company to receive the proper amount to assist us in so many ways. My husband and I are very happy with you and the firm in handling our case. You made us have confidence in your professional and integrity along with your assistant Ms. Routh, when you both came to see us in our home, in which we saw your compassion and thoughtfulness at that time. We will never forget what you have done for us, and we thank the lord for directing me to contact this firm. I’m glad I did.” 

- Linda

“I would like to leave a testimonial thanking Steven and Allison for their care and understanding. Steven’s pursuit and success in getting some compensation for our loss. A final closure of our loss of brother Mike. Thanks to Martin & Jones for looking after Mike’s care since his injury in 2005. You have been there for Mike and his family for a long time. Mike passed in 2016 and you stood for the family up to the present (July 2017). Many thanks.”

- Dan

“Thank you for always making me feel welcome and at ease in your office. I respect the work you do and your enthusiasm for it and am grateful for your talents.”

- Tracy

“Thank you for the work you have done for Carl and our family. We so much appreciate your sincere professionalism and kindness you showed us. I know Carl is smiling right now and the Lord has blessed us through you. May God bless you.”

- Connie, whose husband Carl worked as a brakeman for CSX Transportation and died of mesothelioma

“Thank you for your concern of my well-being every time I spoke with you. It always meant so much. I hear nothing but awful stories of dealing with attorneys and their offices, but I have had nothing but positive experience. You have many special ways of working with people in need of help. Words can never express the way your support has been so helpful. I pray you will continue to help others. I wish you all the best.”

- Mary

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