A spinal cord injury can have devastating consequences for a victim. The spinal cord controls several of the body’s functions, and a serious injury could mean paralysis and significant medical bills. You should not have to endure those burdens because of the negligence of another person. If you or your family member has suffered a serious spinal cord injury, you should consult with an experienced Baltimore spinal cord injury lawyer. The devoted attorneys at Bennett & Heyman, P.A. are prepared to help you with your spinal cord injury case. Bennett & Heyman, P.A. is here to explain when you can sue for a spinal cord injury in Maryland.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are typically divided into two categories: incomplete spinal cord injuries and complete spinal cord injuries. Incomplete spinal cord injuries occur when the spinal cord is partially severed. This means that the injured person may have function in some part of their body below the portion of the spinal cord that was injured. A complete spinal cord injury means that the injured person does not have function (sensation/movement) below the area of the spinal cord that was injured. Both incomplete and complete spinal cord injuries can happen at any level of the spinal cord.
Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), treatment options are improving for incomplete spinal cord injuries. However, incomplete spinal cord injuries can still make life extremely difficult for an injured person.
Anterior cord syndrome is an injury to the front part of the spinal cord that controls motor and sensory functions. Individuals who sustain this injury can retain some sensation but will have trouble with movement and experiencing deep sensation.
Central cord syndrome is an injury to the center of a person’s spinal cord. This injury is typically caused by trauma and affects a bundle of nerves that send information from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord. This means that a person who suffers this type of injury may experience a loss of motor skills, paralysis in one or both arms, and partial paralysis in the legs.
Brown-Sequard syndrome is another type of incomplete injury that affects only one side of a person’s spinal cord. A person who sustains this injury may experience sensation on only one side of their body.
Complete Spinal Cord Injuries
A person with a complete spinal cord injury will likely experience more serious conditions than a person with an incomplete injury.
One example of a complete spinal cord injury is tetraplegia, also referred to as quadriplegia. Tetraplegia is an injury that causes varying levels of paralysis to all of a person’s limbs. This injury also causes paralysis below the site of the injury and may cause difficulties with bowel functions and other bodily functions.
Paraplegia is another type of complete injury. Paraplegia is when an individual sustains a spinal injury that eliminates sensation and movement in the lower half of their body. Triplegia is a similar injury, causing paralysis in one arm and both legs. Triplegia often occurs because an incomplete spinal injury was exacerbated. Injuries that are made worse by a physician or hospital could result in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
When to File Your Spinal Cord Injury Claim in Baltimore
If your spinal cord injury was caused by another person, you could potentially file a personal injury claim against that person. Personal injury claims are usually based on negligence. A negligence claim implies that the person who injured you did not exercise reasonable care when they caused your injury. For example, if a person was driving 30 miles over the speed limit and collides with your vehicle, the cause of the car accident will likely be considered negligence.
If you plan to file a personal injury claim for your spinal cord injury, you should know that Maryland has a deadline to file personal injury cases. In Maryland, if you do not file your personal injury case within three years, the court may bar your claim. The reason for this deadline is statute of limitation laws. These laws set the amount of time for a lawsuit to avoid people filing lawsuits after a significant amount of years have passed. Therefore, you should file your personal injury case as soon as possible.
Baltimore SCI Lawyers Can File Your Personal Injury Lawsuit
If you or a family member has sustained a spinal cord injury in Maryland, you should speak with an experienced Baltimore personal injury attorney. Bennett & Heyman, P.A. knows how a spinal cord injury can completely change your life, and we are here for you. Our dedicated attorneys can provide you with aggressive legal representation to fight your injury case. To schedule your free consultation, call us at 410-429-7856 or reach us online.
