Cullotta Law Offices - (847) 651-7191
Leading Lawyers in Illinois Brain Injury & IL Spinal Injuries -- Greater Chicago Area & Throughout Illinois
Each year, 11,000 Americans suffer a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries, like brain injuries, are often caused by serious car accidents and slip and fall accidents, and they typically result in paralysis. Living with a spinal cord injury or a traumatic brain injury is devastating enough. However, the astronomical financial costs of the required medical care can push victims and their families into serious economic crisis.
Cullotta Law Offices (847) 651-7191 are Leading Illinois Brain Injury & IL Spinal Injury Lawyers - THROUGHOUT Illinois. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
The effects of a spinal cord injury depend on the type of injury and the level of the injury. A spinal cord injury can be divided into two types of injury — complete and incomplete.
- Complete: A complete injury means that there is no function below the level of the injury; no sensation and no voluntary movement. Both sides of the body are equally affected.
- Incomplete: An incomplete injury means that there is some functioning below the primary level of the injury. A person with an incomplete injury may be able to move one limb more than another, may be able to feel parts of the body that cannot be moved, or may have more functioning on one side of the body than the other. With the advances in acute treatment of SCI, incomplete injuries are becoming more common.
Locations of Spinal Cord Injuries
Cervical (Neck) Injuries (C1 - C7)
- Injuries to C-1 and C-2 can result in a loss of many involuntary functions (e.g., inability to breathe) requiring breathing aids (e.g., ventilators or diaphragmatic pacemakers)
- Injuries above the C-4 level may require a ventilator for the person to breathe properly.
- Injuries to C-5 often have no control at the wrist or hand.
- An injury to the spinal cord between C6 and C7 vertebrae is called a C6-7 injury. These injuries generally allow wrist control, but no hand function.
- Injuries to C-7 and T-1 can straighten their arms but still may have dexterity problems with the hand and fingers. Injuries at the thoracic level and below result in paraplegia, with the hands not affected.
Thoracic Vertebrae (T1 - T12) Injuries
- Spinal cord injuries below the T1 vertebra affect the legs and trunk below the injury.
- Paraplegia — is paralysis of the legs.
- Quadriplegia — is paralysis of the arms and legs.
- L1: starts at the ninth rib.
- L3 - L5: involve much of the motion in the back
- L4 - L5 and L5 - S1: are the most likely to herniate (a.k.a., herniated disc, bulging disk, compressed disk, herniated intervertebral disk, herniated nucleus pulposus, prolapsed disk, ruptured disk, slipped disk). The effects of this can cause pain and numbness that can radiate through the leg and extend down to the feet (sciatica).
Sacral Spine (S1 - S5) Injuries
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S1-S5: are the five bones that fit between the two hipbones connecting the spine to the pelvis.
Spinal Injury Research Video
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If you or a loved one to suffered a spinal cord injury, it is important to discuss your case with an experienced Illinois Brain Injury attorney & IL spinal injury lawyer. Cullotta Law Offices (847) 651-7191 have a proven track record in dealing with spinal cord injury cases, whether the cause was an car accident or other serious accident as a result of someone else's negligence / wrong doing.
Call (847) 651-7191 or contact us online today to schedule your free consultation.
CULLOTTA LAW OFFICES, PC
2614 Patriot Blvd., Bldg. A
Glenview, IL 60026
Tel: (847) 651-7191
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