Spinal Cord Injuries in Pittsburgh

Seek compensation for your spinal cord injury today!

Injuries to the spinal cord are extremely damaging as when the spine sustains trauma it causes swelling, compressing the nerves and inhibiting their ability to send and receive messages between the brain and the body. Unfortunately, these types of injuries can result in paraplegia or quadriplegia, where a patient loses control over large parts of their body.

The physical and emotional consequences of spinal cord injuries can be not only expensive, but also permanent. Patients with spinal cord injuries often require medical care, surgeries, physical therapy, rehabilitation and assistive devices; quadriplegics can need in-home care in addition to these other medical needs. If you are suffering, we encourage you to speak with a Pittsburgh injury attorney from the law office of Frank Walker today.

Diagnosis, Treatment & Prognosis

Following any major accident, it is important for the victim(s) to be kept perfectly still in case of spinal cord injuries. Due to the severity of the injury, this is something that is not only typically looked for, but kept as a possibility until ruled out. In fact, it is almost always something that is taken into consideration following traumatic accidents – especially when the victim is displaying tell-tale symptoms. Some common symptoms include the following:

• Inability to move;
• Lack of sensation;
• Extreme pain or pressure;
• Poorly positioned body;
• Weakness & incoordination; and
• Inability to control bowel / bladder.

If a victim is exhibiting these symptoms, medical professionals will begin to run several tests to look deeper into the possibility of the injury by not only inspecting the patient hands-on, but performing several questions and diagnostic tests. This can include x-rays, CT scans and MRIs. All of these, along with simple tests, can be used to help diagnose injuries, as well as location and severity.

Upon completely diagnosing the injury, there will be immediate action taken as while the damage cannot be reversed, there are steps that can be taken to help slow down the injury. These will include maintaining and monitoring vital signs, as well as immobilizing the area and preventing shock. It can also lead to medications, surgical intervention or experimental alternatives.

Due to the severity of the injury, this one that often results in the need for on-going care. Luckily, due to advances in medicine, the prognosis for victims is brighter than it was before, but, as stated above, there is no way to cure a spinal cord injury. The damage done is permanent. Therefore, long-term treatment often focuses on rehabilitation to help deal with maintenance, avoiding complications and helping the patient to learn new life skills to improve the quality of their life as much as possible.

Contact Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyer Frank Walker

If your personal injury was caused by someone else's negligence, a personal injury lawyer will be able to help you seek compensation for your damages. Our firm is prepared to fight aggressively on behalf of all of our clients. We have earned a reputation for obtaining favorable outcomes based on our excellent case results. You want to know that you are choosing the best legal representation possible, and Attorney Frank Walker has become one of the most sought-after trial attorneys in the western Pennsylvania area due to his dedication, drive and effectiveness.