Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers in Miami
Persuasive representation when accidents in Florida cause catastrophic injuries
A spinal cord injury is frightening. Damage to the spinal cord cannot be reversed. Victims may be paralyzed and require treatment by many different types of healthcare professionals, including neurosurgeons and physical therapists. Many spinal cord injury patients live with a lifetime of excruciating physical pain and challenges. Further, the emotional trauma of a spinal cord injury can be just as traumatic.
At Hickey Law Firm, our personal injury law firm is respected by former clients, insurance companies, and defense lawyers for our impressive record of settlements and verdicts. The Best Lawyers in America© recognizes John H. (Jack) Hickey in three areas: Admiralty and Maritime Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, and Medical Malpractice – Plaintiffs. We are quality over quantity. We don’t have hundreds of lawyers, we have a few. We don’t have thousands of clients, we have a good number. We don’t advertise on TV. We get interviewed on TV ... and in magazines, on RADIO, IN newspapers, and by online media. And we are not for everybody. We are for you, the honest person who was seriously injured.
Hickey Law Firm recovered $10,576,717 for a ship’s crewmember who suffered a spinal cord injury that led to central pain syndrome, a permanent condition that is difficult to control and medicate.
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What is a spinal cord injury?
University of Florida Health states that about 450,000 Americans are living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). There are about 10,000 new patients every year, many of whom are males between the ages of 16 to 30 years old. An SCI causes damage and/or loss of function below the level of the point of injury. This damage can include paralysis, sensory losses, and bowel/bladder/sexual dysfunction.
The spinal cord is a neural structure, traveling from the base of the brain, down your back, and your waist. It carries “nerve fibers from the brain to nerve cells at each level of the cord. There are both motor and sensory portions of the spinal nerves.” The spinal cord is surrounded by a ring of vertebrae which creates your spinal column. The vertebrae include seven cervical bones that allow for the rotation, extension, and flexion of your head. Twelve thoracic vertebrae support your chest and ribs. There are five lumbar spine vertebrae and vertebrae that “articulate with the sacrum. The sacrum attaches to the pelvis.”
Spinal cord injuries are classified as complete or incomplete. A complete SCI means a patient has no function or sensation below the level of the injury. Generally, there is little ability to recover from a complete SCI. An incomplete SCI means a victim has some function below the level of the injury. Patients may have some ability to recover from an incomplete SCI.
What causes spinal cord injuries?
At Hickey Law Firm, we work with investigators, the police, produce safety experts, doctors, and other professionals to help prove defendants caused your spinal cord injuries. Some of the leading causes of spinal cord injuries in Miami include:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Uber accidents
- Cruise ships accidents
- Boating accidents
- Jet ski accidents
- Premises liability accidents
- Construction accidents
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Medical malpractice
- Violence and assaults
WHEN PEOPLE NEED A SPECIALIST IN LIFE CHANGING INJURIES,
PEOPLE CHOOSE HICKEY LAW FIRM.
What are the symptoms of an SCI?
The higher up on the spinal cord the injury, the more neurological dysfunction a victim will experience. SCI injuries high up on the spinal cord affect the ability to breathe. They can also affect the ability to use wrists, hands, and legs. University of Florida Health also notes that “injuries at the thoracic level and below result in paraplegia, with the hands not affected.” In addition to loss of bowel function, bladder function, and sexual function, SCI victims may have difficulty regulating their blood pressure, sweating, and controlling their body temperature. Many victims live with chronic pain.
How do Miami doctors diagnose a spinal cord injury?
An SCI diagnosis is made by a detailed neurological examination. “Plain radiographs and CT scans of the spine will show any significant fractures of the bones. MRI of the spine will show any injury to the actual spinal cord.”
What are the treatments for a Miami spinal cord injury?
University of Florida Health states that the first 24 hours after a spinal cord injury are critical. The likelihood of survival for 10 years, after the first 24 hours, is 75 to 80 percent. This means immediate stabilization of the spine is critical.
Within the first 24 hours, steroid drugs such as methylprednisolone are used to reduce swelling in the spinal cord. The benefit of steroids is limited and it has been shown to be useful only for a 24-hour period…Surgery is indicated when there is significant instability of the spine or if there is compression of the spinal cord with an incomplete SCI.
Surgery often includes fusion and bone grafts.
Once a Miami spinal cord injury victim is stabilized, they often work with physical medicine specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, rehabilitation nurses, psychologists, and social workers to maximize their rehabilitation. Patients also need strong social support systems.
Assistive devices such as electric wheelchairs, voice recognition software, electronic stimulators, and other technology and devices may help.
At Hickey Law Firm, our personal injury lawyers work with your doctors and our network of doctors to fully understand the severity of your injury, the medical care you will need for the rest of your life, and all the ways your injuries are affecting every aspect of your life – physically and emotionally.
THE ADVICE YOU NEED. THE REPRESENTATION YOU WANT.
THE COMPENSATION YOU DESERVE. ®
Do you have a spinal cord injury lawyer near me?
Hickey Law Firm understands the challenges spinal cord injury victims face. We meet clients at our office located at 12150 SW 128th Ct, Suite 225 in Miami, Florida. We also meet injured patients away from the office when necessary.
Talk to Hickey Law Firm in Miami today
Hickey Law Firm is your trusted advocate for strong representation after a spinal cord injury in Miami. Attorney John H. (Jack) Hickey is double board-certified by The Florida Bar in Civil Trial and Admiralty and Maritime Law, distinctions held by few attorneys in Florida. He is also board-certified in Civil Trial by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA). When people need a specialist in life changing injuries, people choose Hickey Law Firm.
Call 305.371.8000 or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation with a Miami, Florida spinal cord injury attorney today. We represent clients in Miami and across Florida and the United States. We handle your case on a contingency fee basis. This means You pay ABSOLUTELY NOTHING until and unless we recover compensation on your behalf