Myrtle Beach Spinal Cord Injuries Lawyers
Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers represents individuals who have suffered severe spinal cord injuries in accidents in Myrtle Beach and across South Carolina. We are here to help those who have been hurt and the families who have been impacted get the justice and compensation they deserve.
The spinal cord and brain comprise a person’s central nervous system, and the network of nerves strands that branch off from the spinal cord is considered a person’s peripheral nervous system. The two nervous systems control multiple body functions, which is why any damage to the spinal cord can have very damaging effects.
Any spinal cord injury has the potential to significantly alter the life of a victim, often impacting a person’s ability to function and possibly requiring 24-hour assistance with daily needs. The lifetime costs of treating spinal cord injuries can be staggering.
Did you or your loved one suffer a spinal cord injury in an accident caused by another party’s negligence in Myrtle Beach? While the damage caused by spinal cord injuries is often apparent, insurance companies will still try to resolve these claims for as little as possible. Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers will fight to make sure that you recover every dollar of compensation you are entitled to. Call (843) 839-4795 or fill out an online contact form to have our attorney review your case and answer all of your legal questions during a consultation.
Why Do I Need a Spinal Cord Injuries Lawyer?
Many victims who suffer spinal cord injuries are contacted very shortly after their accidents by insurance companies representing the negligent parties. You should always refuse to speak to any of these insurers.
Insurance companies often have representatives that express concern as well as a willingness to make sure victims are taken care of, but the goal of these conversations is often to get the victims to open up and share their recollections of their accident. Certain questions are specifically designed to get victims to unknowingly make written or recorded statements that are later used to demonstrate their own negligence.
Insurance companies will aggressively seek ways to claim that a victim’s own negligence caused or contributed to their injuries as a way to avoid or minimize liability. When this cannot be done, the insurer will usually offer a victim a lump-sum settlement.
Some settlements can seem fair at first, but victims quickly learn that they are not enough to cover many future expenses – forcing them to pay out of their own pocket for the remaining costs. This is why an attorney can be vital to your claim. An attorney can deal with the insurance company on your behalf and then work for a settlement that actually covers all of your past, present, and future expenses.
Why Choose Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers?
William J. Luse has over 12 years of legal experience and is licensed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit as well as state courts throughout South Carolina. He has been included among the Best Attorneys of America by Best Attorneys of America, LLC, was named one of the 10 Best Attorneys by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys and won the 10 Best Client Satisfaction Award from the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys.
Your case will not just be another file number at Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers. Our firm believes that we must take the time to get to know our clients and how their injuries have impacted their lives in all ways, large and small, to truly tell a story that resonates with a jury.
When we understand the full nature of your injuries, Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers can then negotiate for a fair and full settlement to your case. While settlements are the most common result of these cases, lawsuits may be necessary in cases in which insurance companies fail to make an adequate offer.
Our firm also represents clients on a contingency fee basis. This means that when you work with Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers, you do not pay anything until you receive a monetary award.
Spinal Cord Injury Cases We Handle
Spinal cord injuries typically involve damage to the vertebrae, ligaments, or even the spinal cord itself. In most cases, these injuries involve some kind of external force or a traumatic blow to a person’s back.
Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries include, but are not limited to:
- Car Accidents
- Drunk or Drugged Driving Accidents
- Rideshare Accidents
- Commercial Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Bus Accidents
- Workplace Accidents
- Slip and Fall Accidents
- Defective Products
The extent of a spinal cord injury usually depends on the vertebrae affected. The human vertebral column includes 33 vertebrae, and the most serious spinal cord injuries usually involve one of three areas of the back being affected:
- Cervical Vertebrae (C1-C7) — The most damaging kinds of spinal cord injuries involve the high-cervical nerves (C1-C4) in the neck. These injuries may cause paralysis in the arms, hands, and legs, and it can also be difficult for victims to control bowel or bladder movements or even breathe on their own. Injuries to low-cervical nerves (C5-C7) affect a victim’s ability to control their arms and hands. A C5 injury can lead to the need for assistance with daily activities while C6 or C7 injuries can result in an inability to control bowel or bladder movements.
- Thoracic Vertebrae (T1-T12) — A victim’s trunk (the central part of the body) and legs are usually affected by injuries to the vertebrae in the upper back (T1-T5), but hand and arm functions are often unaffected. These injuries usually require wheelchairs, but injuries to the vertebrae in the middle of the back (T6-T12) allow some victims to walk with braces.
- Lumbar Vertebrae (L1-L5) — Injuries to the lumbar nerves in the lower back affect a person’s hip and legs, and can result in loss of bowel and bladder control. Some victims require wheelchairs while others can walk with braces.
The sacral vertebrae (S1-S5) are vertebrae in a person’s pelvis that can also result in loss of bowel and bladder control when injured, but most victims who suffer these injuries are able to walk again. The coccyx is more commonly referred to as a person’s tailbone and is comprised of three to five vertebrae, but coccyx injuries generally do not affect other parts of the body although victims can certainly experience pain.
Paralysis is a common result of spinal cord injuries, and certain spinal cord injuries have specific names. Tetraplegia or quadriplegia involves paralysis of all limbs, paraplegia involves loss of sensation and movement in the lower half of the body, and triplegia involves loss of feeling and control in one arm and both legs.
What is spinal shock?
The loss of reflexes or motor and sensory function below a spinal cord injury is commonly referred to as spinal shock. Spinal shock often occurs suddenly or within a few hours, but it is not necessarily the medical condition of shock. Some victims may not realize they are in a state of spinal shock, as reflexes can return during spinal shock.
What is the difference between a complete and incomplete spinal cord injury?
A complete spinal cord injury involves the victim losing all feeling and all ability to control movement below the injury, but an incomplete spinal cord injury involves some degree of sensory or motor function below the affected area being retained.
How does a spinal cord injury affect the rest of the body?
Spinal cord injuries can affect many of a body’s functions. Therefore, different people can experience different problems. As previously mentioned, some victims have difficulty controlling bladder or bowel movements. Some people gain weight, others suffer from bone loss, and changes to sexual or reproductive functions are also possible. Certain victims may also suffer pressure ulcers (bedsores), muscle atrophy, or cardiovascular problems.
Spinal Cord Injury Statistics
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) reported that the annual incidence of spinal cord injury is approximately 54 cases per one million people in the United States, which translates to about 17,700 new spinal cord injury cases every year. The NSCISC estimated 288,000 people are living with spinal cord injuries in the United States.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, according to the NSCISC. Motor vehicle crashes were involved in 38.3 percent of cases since 2015 and falls accounted for 31.6 percent of cases.
According to the NSCISC, the estimated average yearly expenses for high tetraplegia victims (C1-C4) is $1,102,403 for the first year and $191,436 for each subsequent year. Estimated expenses can be $796,583 in the first year for low tetraplegia victims and $117,437 each subsequent year. For paraplegia victims, the first year can involve estimated expenses of $537,271 and $71,172 each subsequent year.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 500,000 people around the world suffer a spinal cord injury (SCI). WHO also reported spinal cord injury victims are two to five times more likely to die prematurely than individuals without spinal cord injuries.
Contact a Myrtle Beach Spinal Cord Injuries Attorney Today
If you or your loved one sustained a spinal cord injury in an accident caused by another party’s negligence in Myrtle Beach, make sure that you immediately retain legal counsel. An experienced lawyer will know how to hold the negligent party responsible. Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers is committed to getting justice for clients in Myrtle Beach, Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Socastee, Conway, and several other nearby areas in Marion County, Horry County, and Georgetown County. You can have our attorney provide a complete evaluation of your case when you call (843) 839-4795 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.
