Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Our law firm has have recovered millions for accident victims, including a recent $3,750,000 settlement. Attorneys Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen and Eric Hageman have all been named "Minnesota Super Lawyers" by Minnesota Law & Politics. To contact a Minnesota car accident lawyer at Pritzker | Olsen, P.A. about a spinal cord injury, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form.

Compensation for Spinal Cord Injury Victims

Car accident victims who have suffered a spinal cord injury may have a claim for the following:

Medical expenses (past and future)
Past earnings
Future earning capacity
Cost of care
Pain and suffering (past and future)
- Physical pain
- Suffering
- Disability
- Emotional distress

What is a Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury?

The Spinal Cord: The spinal cord is a bundle of nerve cells and their projections (called axons) approximately 1 ½ feet long that extends from the brain down the back. It is housed in the spinal column, a collection of 33 interconnected bones called vertebrae.

Trauma to Spinal Cord: Injury to the spinal cord can occur after a sudden or traumatic blow to the spinal column. This can displace spinal disc material, free ligaments or fracture the vertebrae which can then bruise, compress, penetrate, or cut the spinal cord. The degree of severity of the injury will depend on the level (higher or lower) of the injury and the type of injury. The most severe form of injury is a complete severing or “transaction” of the cord (called a complete spinal cord injury) but this is rare.

Spinal cord injury can result in changes in the ability to move and feel parts of the body, loss of bladder control and loss of other bodily function. The spectrum of injury runs from complete recovery to complete paralysis.

Spinal Shock: In the immediate period after a spinal cord injury a phenomenon know as “spinal shock” may ensue. During this period the spinal cord shuts down and little function can be detected. Upon coming out of this period of shock the doctors may begin to observe reflexes in the arms and /or legs. The extent of the spinal cord injury can be assessed once the spinal cord recovers from this initial “shock”.

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Recovery: Recovery from spinal cord injury can occur. The neurons in the spinal cord do have limited ability to be repaired. Under the right conditions the axons mentioned above can actually repair and reconnect themselves following injury. The repair of the nerve cells and their axons in the spinal cord then leads to “recovery of function”.

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms: Some symptoms of spinal cord injury:

Bowel or bladder retention or incontinence, that is, inability to control the bowels or bladder
Inability to urinate
Leg weakness or any new inability to walk
Ataxia (loss of balance)
Vertigo
Dizziness
Nausea and vomiting
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

Resources:
http://www.spinalcord.org/
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sci/sci.htm

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Attorney Fred Pritzker won $6,000,000 for a client whose right leg was amputated when the motorcycle on which she was a passenger was struck by a drunk driver. If you have been in an accident with a DUI driver, you may have a cliam against a bar or other place that sells alcohol.

Truck Wheel Accident Death

Our law firm recently won $2,850,000 for a family whose loved one was killed by a truck wheel that crashed through a car windshield. Read about a truck wheel off accident.

Tow Truck Accident

Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Elliot Olsen obtained a $2,750,000 recovery for a 59 year-old truck driver who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the loss of his left eye and significant disfigurement when the tow chain being used to pull the man’s semi tractor-trailer out of a ditch broke loose from a front-end loader to which it was attached.

Semi-Truck Crash Settlement

Pritzker Olsen attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman recently obtained a hard-fought $2,560,000 recovery for a couple who were seriously injured in a semi-truck crash. The husband suffered serious head injury (TBI). Read about the semi truck crash settlement.

Our lawyers have recovered millions more for our clients. Contact us for a free consultation about your accident.

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