Injury Classification SCI Terminology Find A SCI Lawyer

$700,000 for rear-end auto accident that resulted in two cervical spine surgeries for Plaintiff with a third recommended.

$175,000 for Plaintiff who suffered severe spinal injuries in an automobile accident.

More Case Results

California Spine Injury Lawyers

Spinal Cord Injury Classification

Doctors divide spinal cord injuries into two types:

Complete injuries, in which sensation and movement is lost in all areas below where the injury occurred. That is, if a patient sustains a complete injury to the neck, he or she loses all function below the neck.

Incomplete injuries, in which some sensation or movement is still possible below the injury. How and where the patient can still function depends on the type of injury and where it’s located. For example, partial damage to the right side of the spine (Brown-Sequard Syndrome) would result in paralysis below the injury on the right side of the body, but not effect on the left side of the body.

Medical professionals divide the spine into four regions. Where a patient was injured often determines which parts of the body are affected.

• Cervical injuries are injuries to the neck. People with cervical injuries are usually partly or totally teraplegic -- paralyzed in all limbs, but with some function of the arms and hands.
• Thoracic injuries are injuries roughly between the neck and the lower back. These usually result in paraplegia, paralysis of the lower body that leaves arms, hands and sometimes the trunk unaffected.
• Lumbar injuries, which are injuries to the inward-curving part of the lower spine, rob victims of control of parts of their legs and feet. They may still be able to walk with aids like a cane or a walker.
• Sacral injuries are injuries to the very bottom of the spine, where it meets the pelvis. A sacral injury can damage nearby nerves that regulate excretory and sexual function, as well as control of the hips.

Spinal injuries can be catastrophic, affecting every part of the injured person’s life. They can also be very expensive. If you or someone you love has been injured by someone else’s carelessness, you should contact Gillin, Jacobson, Ellis & Larsen as soon as possible. With more than 30 years of experience, our Northern California spinal cord injury attorneys can help you ask a court for money to cover past and future medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering and other expenses caused by the accident.