California Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers

For several decades, the spine injury attorneys at Masry & Vititoe have represented those who have been seriously injured. Through experience and education, our firm is able to expertly evaluate medical injuries and pursue personal injury claims on behalf of the injured plaintiff. Masry & Vititoe provides sophisticated legal services for almost any type of injury. We not only handle claims for plaintiffs with obvious injuries, but we also vigorously pursue the more challenging and less obvious injuries such as brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and closed head injuries.

Nearly 200,000 people suffer from a spinal cord injury (SCI) each year in the US. Most of these injuries are the result of an accident. Even though it is protected by the bony vertebrae of the spine, the spinal cord can suffer disastrous injury. Auto accidents are the primary cause of all spinal cord injuries, but other causes include acts of violence, falls, and sports.

The spinal cord consists of a bundle of nerves that runs from the base of the brain and down the back. The vertebrae surrounding the fragile spinal cord are commonly referred to as the backbone. If the spinal vertebrae are fractured or broken, the spinal cord itself is compromised. An example is when the spinal vertebrae are compressed in an automobile accident. Spinal cord injuries may follow the crash when the backbone is unable to support the nerve bundle. The severity of the injury depends on the location of the fracture.

In general, the nerves above the injury site continue to function normally, and those nerves located at or below the injury do not. The higher the location of the injury, the more severe the effects are. A person may suffer from a complete injury when there is no feeling or voluntary movement on either side of the body or an incomplete injury when some sensation or partial movement is intact.

The precise effects of the spinal cord injury depend on the location and completeness of the injury. Usually, some swelling of the spinal cord immediately follows the injury and affects the entire body. Rarely does all functioning remain after a spinal cord injury, but as the swelling subsides, some function may be regained as the months go by. These functions include walking, blood pressure, body temperature, sexual function, bowel and bladder control, and pain levels.

Currently, there is no cure for the effects of spinal cord injuries. The main goal of treatment today is to prevent any further injury. Until science advances to a point where the damaged spinal cord nerves can be healed and regenerated, few options are available to those suffering from spinal cord injuries.

An experienced spine injury attorney can help victims of spinal cord injury by employing the necessary experts to testify to the injuries claimed by the victim. The damages are clearly articulated and losses are relentlessly defended to insurance companies and juries. An attorney who has previously represented a spinal cord injury victim knows the painful road he or she is on.

Masry & Vititoe believes that in order to represent our spinal cord injury clients in the best possible manner, our firm must have an understanding of the human anatomy and how it responds to an injury to the spine. Therefore, through experience and education, our law firm is able to expertly evaluate spinal cord injuries and successfully pursue claims on behalf of the injured plaintiff.

While proving a physical, emotional, or cognitive injury can be difficult, our experienced and knowledgeable attorneys and staff are able to undertake difficult cases and prevail, convincing skeptics of the merits of a claim via credible, trustworthy evidence and objective test findings. Our firm is committed to protecting our client's rights and has repeatedly demonstrated our ability to succeed in the most challenging and complex spinal cord injury cases.

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