EXPERIENCED ST. LOUIS SPINAL CORD INJURY ATTORNEYS
Injuries to the neck, back and spinal cord are common injuries in many Missouri vehicle accidents. Neck, back and spine injuries can be some of the most debilitating injuries following a car crash because so much of a person’s daily activities involve the use of your neck and back. If you have ever experienced a neck or back injury you are well aware that it is likely that you will lose time from your job as a result of this injury. Missouri spinal cord injury attorney Robert A. Strauss has nearly 25 years each of experience fighting for victims like you to obtain full and fair compensation for your medical bills, lost income and for all of your pain and suffering.
PINPOINTING THE PROBLEM
As you may know by now, it is not always easy for doctors to locate your point of injury in a spinal cord trauma. Neck and back injuries can vary in degree from simple neck strains and sprains to more serious injuries. Often times, healthcare personnel are unable to locate your neck or back injury with x-rays alone. As you may know, x-rays only show breaks or fractures of bones and not injuries to ligaments, muscles, or disc tissues. With this in mind, sometimes an injured person can ask their doctor if he or she might recommend an MRI to really see what the problem may be.
Once the particular point of the cervical strain, sprain or whiplash is located, your doctor may prescribe physical therapy or chiropractic treatments. In addition, your doctor may prescribe medications such as pain relievers or muscle relaxers. Sometimes, with this type of treatment, a soft tissue injury will respond quickly to treatment and the injured party will recover within a reasonable time. Other times, a soft tissue injury can linger for a long time and can even leave a person with some level of permanent impairment.
DISC BULGES AND HERNIATIONS ARE MORE SERIOUS
Not all spinal cord injuries are “soft tissue” injuries. More serious Missouri car accidents and Missouri truck accidents can cause more extensive neck, back and spinal injuries. Common sense would tell you that a more severe jolt to the neck or back, from a car wreck, can cause damage to the discs of the spinal cord. As you may know, discs are sacks filled with a soft jelly-like substance in order to support and cushion the vertebrae in the neck and back. Often times the severe trauma of a car accident can cause a disc to shift out of place and impinge on nerves in the spine causing pain and injury. If the jolt is severe enough, the disc can become ruptured or herniated.
LAST RESORT: SURGERY
Sometimes, conservative treatment is not enough. Under these circumstances, you or your loved one may have a disc injury so severe that surgery is your only option for relief. At this point, your doctor should make clear that there are several levels of surgery. If the disc is herniated (punctured), the surgeon may have to remove the disc. This type of surgery is called a discectomy. In these situations or others, very often the vertebrae of the spinal cord have to be fused or bonded with plates. You should know that attorney Robert A. Strauss has personal knowledge and sympathy for this situation, as a bicycle accident caused him to undergo a neck surgery which included a disc removal and insertion of a titanium plate. Certainly, you or your loved one who experiences this type of surgery would be entitled to a more substantial recovery.
PERMANENCY AND PARALYSIS
In some Missouri car wrecks or truck crash situations, the spinal cord injuries can cause symptoms that last forever. Whether it is from the surgery described above or simply from the damage sustained to the spine from the impact, you or someone close to you may end up losing a sense of sensation and motor control. Depending on the area of the neck or back sustaining injury from the accident or trauma, the injury can cause paralysis to parts of the body or at a minimum a loss of range of motion. In a worst case situation, these injuries can result in paralysis. St. Louis spinal cord injury attorney Robert A. Strauss is aware from his experience that these are devastating and life altering injuries. Injuries like these require large expenditures for future medical and personal needs care which entitle you or your loved one to much greater compensation from the wrongdoer.
NO FEE IF NO RECOVERY
If you have suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident contact attorney Robert A. Strauss for a free consultation. Your claim will be handled on a No Fee if No Recovery basis. If you would like to discuss your claim with Mr. Strauss, please email or call toll free at (800) 991-8688. He handles cases in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Jefferson County, St. Francois County, Franklin County, Washington County, Lincoln County, Madison County, Kansas City, Jackson County, Greene County and any other county or city within the State of Missouri.