Spine Injuries
The spinal column carries messages between the body and the brain. As such, injury to the spine generally results in loss of sensation and movement that is often permanent. Despite experimental work that is being done to find a treatment for this condition—such as stem cell research—a victim stands to face a lifetime of pain and a diminished quality of life. For this reason it is essential to have an experienced and compassionate New Jersey spine injury attorney in one’s corner.
How Spinal Injury Occurs
Spinal injury occurs from trauma accidents, illness, or exposure to toxic substances. Trauma injuries are those in which the spine is pulled, pressed, compressed, or jarred. If bleeding and leakage of other fluids occurs, this can build up and put pressure on the spine, further complicating the injury. The very young and old tend to be more susceptible to spinal injuries.
Trauma to the spine often involves a fracture or slipped disk. If the damage is of any severity, it is not usually possible for the victim to heal fully. A New Jersey spine injury attorney will take this fact into account when determining how much compensation the client will need to sustain him for life.
Causes of Accidents Leading to Spine Injury
While illness and disease can cause spinal damage, accidents account for the lion’s share of such injury. Among the more common of such accidents are:
- Motor vehicle crashes
- Slip and fall injuries
- Falls from ladders
- Falling objects
- Machinery accident on the job
- Medical malpractice
- Sports injuries
Common Defenses
Insurance companies don’t want to pay out more compensation than they have to. Since spinal injury claims generally involve large sums, the insurer may seek a way to reduce its liability. One way is to argue contributory or comparative negligence. In other words, they will seek a way to prove that the victim was at least partly responsible for the accident. A New Jersey spine injury attorney can prove to be the key in such a fight to helping the victim gain compensation for medical costs, loss of income, pain, suffering, loss of consortium, and more.
If You Have Been Injured
If you suffer a spine injury due to the negligence of another, New Jersey spine injury attorney Dan T. Matrafajlo may be able to help. Mr. Matrafajlo is an experienced personal injury attorney who will fight to help you gain compensation. Call 908-248-4404 today to arrange a free consultation.
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Because the spinal cord has very limited capacity to repair itself once its nerve tissue is damaged, unlike many other tissues in the body. While experimental treatments such as stem cell research are being studied, there is currently no established cure, meaning most victims face lifelong effects rather than a defined recovery timeline.
Compensation can include medical costs (both current and future), loss of income and earning capacity, pain and suffering, and loss of consortium — the impact on a spouse's relationship — in addition to costs associated with long-term care, assistive equipment, and home modifications where paralysis is involved.
Yes. If a workplace machinery accident or similar incident caused the spinal injury, you may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits through your employer, and separately, a third-party personal injury claim if a negligent party other than your employer — such as an equipment manufacturer or subcontractor — contributed to the accident.
Yes. Surgical errors, improper handling during a procedure, delayed diagnosis of spinal compression, or anesthesia complications during spine-related surgery can all result in spinal cord damage, and may support a medical malpractice claim in addition to or instead of a standard personal injury claim, depending on the circumstances.
Because an accurate prognosis — including the likelihood of any functional recovery, the extent of permanent impairment, and lifetime care needs — often can't be determined until well after the initial injury, sometimes a year or more. Settling before this is clear risks accepting compensation far below what lifetime care will actually cost.
No. While spinal cord injuries carry a high likelihood of some permanent effect, the outcome depends heavily on whether the injury is complete or incomplete, its exact location on the spine, and how quickly treatment was received — some incomplete injuries allow for partial recovery of function over time, though this can be difficult to predict early on.
These cases require understanding the medical distinctions between complete and incomplete injuries, coordinating with neurologists and life care planners to project lifetime costs, and fighting insurers who routinely raise comparative negligence given the size of these claims. Experience specific to spinal injuries — not just general personal injury work — often determines whether a settlement reflects a lifetime of actual need.
A spine injury specifically refers to damage to the spinal cord itself — the bundle of nerves that carries signals between the brain and body — which typically causes loss of sensation or movement. A back injury more broadly can refer to muscles, ligaments, discs, or vertebrae without necessarily involving the spinal cord, and often has a better prognosis for recovery.
