Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries

Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys

Brain and spinal cord injuries create incredible challenges for individuals and families that are forced to face them. Although some of the most common causes of brain and spinal cord injury are car accidents, slip and falls and assaults, any trauma to the brain, neck, or back may result in damage to central nervous system. And serious injuries are almost always the result something sudden and unexpected. Roughly 200,000 people annually die from brain injuries, with 500,000 more receiving treatment – many suffering from long term impairment or disabilities. Approximately 450,000 more Americans suffer from spinal cord injuries.

Differences Between Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries

Brain injuries, which are often times fatal, are classified by sudden trauma and damage to the brain, and are generally categorized into two categories –

• Closed (such as an impact with the ground)
• Penetrating (for example, a bullet)

Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can vary with each individual, but knowing some of the classic symptoms of a brain injury can help a person seek timely care. If you or a loved one has been in an accident and suffered a blow to the head, look for symptoms such as 1) loss of consciousness or memory, 2) confusion or disorientation, 3) problems with speech, vision or hearing, 4) headache or vomiting, and 5) fatigue or dizziness. If any of these are present, seek medical treatment as soon as possible.

Spinal cord injuries are less often fatal, and occur when there is trauma and damage to the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a thick, compact pathway of nerves exiting the brain and traveling down the spine between the vertebrae. Branching out from the spinal cord are smaller nerves that control motor and sensory functions. Therefore, spinal cord injuries generally result in mobility or sensory loss in areas below the damage.

Important Factors When Facing a Brain or Spinal Cord Injury

Brain and spinal cord injuries immediately change the lives of those involved. This is especially true of from a financial perspective. The cost of treatment can be extremely high and continue for many years after an accident. These expenses can include:

• Ambulance and hospitalization costs
• Surgery or other intensive, immediate medical treatments
• Long-term physical therapy or other rehabilitative treatments
• Emotional counseling or psychiatric care
• Lost income from work
• Home and activity modification and adaptation

How a Brain or Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Can Help

Because of the significant challenges involved, it is very important to have the best brain and spinal cord injury attorney working on your family’s behalf. Experience is very important; both for legal and factual issues that will arise in your case. Please contact the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers legal team today at (404) 460-0101 to discuss your matter. We offer a free, confidential initial consultation, and you pay no attorneys’ fees unless we win your case. We represent families across the state of Georgia, including the cities of Marietta, Duluth, Decatur, Atlanta, Rome, and Jonesboro.