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San Francisco Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers

The San Francisco Bay Area spinal cord injury attorneys at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo have seen how hard spinal cord injuries can be for the victim and their family. We want more than anything for them to see better days and we are honored to be part of the team that gets them there. During our 30+ years of spinal cord injury law practice, our clients have suffered spinal cord injuries while they were on the job, in a car accident, at home, slipping or falling and from many other injury circumstances. We have worked diligently for all the cases regardless of whether it is a workers’ compensation, work injury, or personal injury claim. Furthermore, we investigate all injury cases to maximize the scope of the case. This includes looking for circumstances where a third party may have also been involved.

Call Us 24 Hours/Day

It is important for you to consult with a seasoned spinal cord injury lawyer as soon as possible after the injury. We will watch out for your rights, take over the majority of the paperwork and hassle of the legal process and give you quality representation inside and out of court. Our firm’s main priority will be to help you be awarded the full and fair compensation that you legally deserve. Our San Francisco California spinal cord injury attorneys will bring together an experienced group of internal and external staff, physicians, economists, lawyers, and accident reconstructionists who will work to assist in preparing and carrying out your SCI case. Call us any time at (415) 200-0701 to setup your free initial consultation and case evaluation.

Definition: Spinal Cord Injury

A Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is when harm has occurred to the spinal cord that has caused the loss of one or more functions. A few functions that could be partially or completely lost because of SCI include the following: balance, trunk stability, feeling, and mobility. The spinal cord’s job is to carry the information, feedback, commands, and signals that your brain sends.

Spinal Cord Injuries Causes

The causes for spinal cord injuries can be put into two general categories: external and internal. The common external causes for SCI are:

Over 85% of spinal cord injuries have external causes that are within three categories: motorized vehicle accidents (36%), violence (28.9%), and slipping, tripping and falling (21.2%).

Common internal causes for spinal cord injuries are:

  • Transverse myelitis (resulting from a stroke or inflammation);
  • Tumors;
  • Vascular malformations;
  • Neurodegenerative diseases;
  • Ischemia from the occlusion of spinal blood vessels (including aneurysms, emboli, dissecting aortic and arteriosclerosis); and
  • Developmental disorders.

The list of tumors that may cause an SCI includes: astrocytomas, meningiomas, ependymomas, and metastatic cancer. The developmental diseases that can cause an injury to the spinal cord include spina bifida, meningomyolcoele, and mentakengithupthtehbatty.

The list of vascular malformations that may cause harm to the spinal cord include arteriovenous malformation (AVM), dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF), cavernous angioma, spinal hemangioma, and aneurysms. Neurodegenerative diseases can also cause spinal cord injuries and examples of these are Friedreich's ataxia and spinocerebellar ataxia.

The three syndromes that can cause SCI are: anterior cord syndrome, central cord syndrome, and Brown-Sequard syndrome. Central cord syndrome has been linked to necrosis, hemorrhage, and ischemia.

Spinal Cord: Segments

This section will discuss, in very general terms, what might happen if harm occurs at each part of the spinal cord.

Sacral Vertebra (S1, S2, S3, S4 & S5)

This segment goes from the bottom end of the spine up to the pelvis. S1 and S2 work together to control the legs movements that extends from the hips, the flexion of the toes, the plantar flexion of the foot, and the flexion from the knee. S3 and S4 work jointly to control the urinary system and the bladder. S5’s job is mainly to control the coccygeus muscle.

Lumbar Vertebra (L1, L2, L3, L4 & L5)

This region is above the pelvis but below the chest area. L1 controls the abdominal muscles and thigh flexion. L2 and L3 combine to control the thigh adduction, thigh flexion, and the extension of the legs at the knees. L4 also assists in controlling control thigh adduction, thigh flexion, and the leg extension at the knee. L4 teams with L5 to control hamstring movements, thigh abduction, extension of toes and the dorsiflexion of the foot. L5 is also important for the plantar flexion of the foot and the flexion of the toes.

Thoracic Vertebra (includes T1 down to T12)

Paraplegia is one potential outcome for spinal cord injuries in the thoracic spine segment. The thoracic vertebrae are located behind the chest region. Spinal cord injuries at T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, and T8 can decrease one’s control over their abdominals. Spinal cord injuries that happen to thoracic vertebra lower than T8 (T9, T10, T11 and T12) also could result in the complete or partial loss of abdominal function.

Cervical Vertebra (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7 & C8)

Cervical SCI may result in the loss of hand, leg, and/or arm functions. The cervical segment is located in the neck area. Quadriplegia is a possible result of a severe injury to this segment.

  • C1, C2, & C3: SCI here may result in the loss of diaphragm functions.
  • C4: Injuries to the spinal cord here could result in the bicep and shoulder functions being partially or completely lost.
  • C5: Injuries at C5 could result in the full loss of wrist and hand function.
  • C6: Damage here may result in the partial or full loss of hand function and it may also limit wrist control.
  • C7: Injuries here may cause the limited use of the arms, fingers and hands.

Additional Issues Caused by SCI

The following list highlights additional problems that spinal cord injuries may cause: atrophying of the muscles, spasticity, trouble breathing, osteoporosis, Upper Motor Neurons (UMNs), Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems, neuropathic pain, Lower Motor Neurons (LMNs), chronic pain, dysfunction of the bowel and bladder, bone degeneration, autonomic dysreflexia, and problems with sexual function and fertility.

SCI Treatments

Treatments for spinal cord injuries can vary from traction and medication to surgery. The initial treatments are usually intended to stabilize the injured person. This includes the immobilization of the back and neck, preventing shock, keeping the patient breathing, and working to prevent respiratory, urine, stool, and cardiovascular problems. Once the patient is at a hospital, emergency room, or spine injury center, there is a good chance they will be treated in the intensive care unit. The ICU should have a full team of psychologists, surgeons, neurosurgeons, occupational therapists, social workers, and spinal cord specialists. Back, neck or spinal cord surgery may be done to remove fractured vertebrae, herniated disks, and bone fragments.

Contact the Firm You can Trust

The Law Offices of DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo
San Francisco, California ~ (415) 200-0701

We want you to reach Maximum Medical Improvement as soon as possible and we want you to recover what you are due. The initial case consultations and evaluations are free. You will meet with an attorney who will be able to answer your questions and concerns and give you a road map as to your options and where the case could go from here. You will not incur any legal fees unless and until we win your case. The San Francisco spinal cord injury lawyers at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo are ready meet you at our office, your home or your hospital room during Monday to Friday between the hours of 8:30am and 5:30pm. Our work injury lawyers and staff will also meet you, by appointment, any other time including Saturdays, Sundays and evenings. Thank you for reading this webpage and we look forward to helping you.