A Tampa, Florida Car Accident Lawyer for Spinal Cord Injuries

The leading cause of spinal cord injury is motor vehicle accidents. Vehicle accidents cause 38.5 percent of spinal cord injuries according to the Spinal Cord Injury Information Network at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Today, more than 250,000 people in the United States suffer from a spinal cord injury. Each spinal cord injury patient faces an average lifetime cost of up to $3 million in medical expenses alone. This figure does not include lost wages or lost earning capacity.

These sobering statistics demonstrate why it’s vital for you to find an experienced, board certified personal injury attorney if you’ve sustained a spinal cord injury during a car accident. The Tampa auto accident lawyers at Clark and Martino, P.A., have more than 25 years of experience in spinal cord injuries caused by car accidents. Since a personal injury attorney will greatly enhance your chances of receiving the compensation you deserve after a car accident, you must be careful to choose a car accident lawyer who understands your injuries and how those injuries will impact the rest of your life.

One point the general public usually doesn’t understand is that there is a difference between a spinal cord injury and a back or neck injury. A spinal cord injury involves damage to the spinal cord that causes a loss of function, mobility, and/or feeling. In contrast, a back or neck injury involves the bones around the spinal cord (backbone or vertebrae), but the spinal cord remains basically intact. A neck or back injury might be a ruptured disk or pinched nerve. A spinal cord injury results in paralysis, numbness, or both.

Since the spinal cord is responsible for carrying signals from the brain to the rest of the body, a spinal cord injury interrupts those signals. A spinal cord injury can be either complete or incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury means there is no feeling and no movement below the level of the injury, and both sides of the body are equally affected. An incomplete spinal cord injury means that there is some feeling and/or movement below the level of the injury. A person with an incomplete spinal cord injury might be able to move one leg but not the other; or that person might have feeling in both legs but not be able to move them.

In addition to the devastating loss of movement and feeling, car accident spinal cord injuries carry the risk of infection, unexplained pain signals, bedsores, and other complications that often shorten the lifespan of the patient. A car accident lawyer who is experienced with spinal cord injuries works with medical specialists who know the long-lasting ramifications of a spinal cord injury. These medical experts will testify at a trial, if necessary.

Whether your spinal cord injury was caused by a negligent driver or car manufacturer defect, each Tampa personal injury attorney at Clark and Martino, P.A., has the knowledge, experience, and certifications you need to pursue justice in your spinal cord injury case. A spinal cord injury is one of the most distressing and overwhelming injuries possible during a car accident. We hope you will seek an experienced, dependable car accident lawyer in Tampa, Florida by calling us at 1-888-868-5615. During a free consultation, you’ll learn your rights to be compensated for medical bills and lost wages.