How Medical Malpractice Can Cause Spinal Cord Injury

A spinal cord injury is among the worst injuries that anyone can suffer.  Those who sustain spinal cord injury will, at best, struggle with impaired feeling and function of a portion of their body.  At worst, injury can result in total paralysis and require permanent, round-the-clock care.

When spinal cord injuries occur under the care or treatment of medical professionals and facilities, the news of the injury is all the more devastating.  Something like a betrayal, when we or our loved ones put ourselves under hospital or medical care we expect to be safe.  Yet medical negligence can and does cause spinal cord injury to unsuspecting patients each year.

If you or your family member suffer a spinal cord injury as the result of poor medical care or treatment, an Ohio medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help you.

What Is a Spinal Cord Injury

Your spinal cord is a long column of nerves that runs from your brain down through your coccyx.  It is not your bones or vertebrae, though.  When we talk about the spinal cord, we mean the nerves themselves, which are encased in myelin, a sheath-like part of your body, and are secured in place down the length of your torso by your vertebrae.

Injuries that harm the vertebrae can be serious, but those are not what we mean by spinal cord injuries.  Spinal cord injuries pierce the nerve bundle itself, either totally or partially, breaking your body’s ability to communicate information back and forth to the brain.

Incomplete spinal cord injuries to not totally sever the spinal cord.  Some feeling and function remains based on which areas of the spinal cord were severed.

Complete spinal cord injuries occur when the cord is fully severed.  This eliminates feeling and function in a portion of the body, typically at and below the level at which the severance occurs.

While great strides have been made in restoring function through treatment and therapy, paralysis resulting from spinal cord injuries is still generally regarded as permanent and incurable.

How Does Medical Malpractice Cause Spinal Cord Injuries?

Spinal injuries caused by medical malpractice can occur in any number of circumstances.  If you or a loved one suffered spinal injuries due to medical treatment or care, you should always have your case reviewed by a trust medical malpractice lawyer.

Despite many circumstances in which spinal cord injuries can occur, most medical malpractice spinal injuries occur for one of three reasons.

First, surgical or other invasive procedures (e.g., epidurals) in which the spinal cord is involved directly create a risk that damage can occur.  When surgeons, anesthesiologists, or other professionals make medical mistakes, their errors can result in significant injuries which may amount to medical malpractice.

Next, falls that occur under the care of hospitals and other facilities can lead to severe spinal cord injuries.  Elderly individuals, patients receiving potent medications, and many others may fall while walking or roll from their hospital beds.  When these injuries can be attributed to medical negligence, a medical malpractice lawsuit may be the patient’s only way to hold the careless parties liable.

Finally, misdiagnosis or undiagnosed conditions, such as growths or tumors, can cause spinal cord injury if left unchecked.  If a physician fails to diagnose a condition that he should have and the condition causes future injuries, this may amount to medical malpractice.

Lowe Scott Fisher Co., LPA – An Ohio Medical Malpractice Law Firm

If you or your loved one suffered injury as the result of medical negligence, we want to hear from you.  Call or email us today for your free consultation.