Experienced Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys in Oakland, CA
The spinal cord connects the brain to nerve networks throughout the body. Individuals who suffer spinal cord injuries often lose the ability to sense and/or control movements below the injury point. A spinal cord injury from a car accident, fall, or act of medical malpractice in Oakland can permanently alter a person’s quality of life. When these injuries arise from preventable traumas and infections, our Oakland injury attorneys relentlessly pursue legal claims against those responsible.
Understanding Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord runs from the brain down the spinal column, ending in the lower back. The spinal column protects the delicate cord from injury during daily activities, but certain activities can tear and sever the cord. A penetration injury with shrapnel from an explosion or encountering a sharp piece of twisted automotive metal could damage the spinal cord. A fall from a considerable height could crack the protective vertebrae and damage it. Any high impact blow increases the risk of an injury.
A word of caution: If you think someone could possibly have a spinal cord injury, do not move him or her except in dire emergencies. The health care industry has not yet discovered a way to heal a severed or damaged spinal cord. Most injuries are permanent.
Spinal cord injuries can cause both temporary and permanent paralysis, rendering someone immobile and vulnerable to extreme temperature changes or sharp objects. Injuries that occur in the thoracic nerves in the middle of the spine can affect the trunk and lower extremities resulting in paraplegia. Injuries to the cervical spine around the neck can immobilize the entire body in varying degrees.
Health care professionals classify spinal cord injuries as complete or incomplete, based on the extent of damage. Someone who has an incomplete injury may retain some level of sensation or mobility. Someone with a complete injury loses all functionality below the injury.
Residents of Oakland who suffer from spinal cord injuries often travel down to the Santa Clara Medical Center for their Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program or up to the UC Davis Medical Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Clinic for treatment. Both of these facilities offer specialized spinal cord injury services including rehabilitation, prosthetic fittings, and more. The Berkeley Spinal Network meets in both Berkeley and San Francisco to provide support to those who suffer from spinal cord injuries.
Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys in Oakland
At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, we have represented many individuals who have suffered spinal cord injuries in the Bay Area. Our firm secures more multi-million-dollar outcomes for our clients than any other personal injury firm in the region. We offer our clients almost six decades of practice experience, the latest legal resources, and negotiating power. If we cannot negotiate a fair settlement offer, we will pursue a trial to give you every opportunity to achieve a maximum recovery for your injury.
Our on-staff doctor-lawyer consults with our injury attorneys to help us build unwavering cases against wrongdoers. We will calculate a fair settlement request using all of our resources. Spinal cord injury victims must often pay for specialized treatments, long-term rehabilitation, and home health care. The compensation we secure on behalf of our clients’ can go a long way to ensure your financial solvency after suffering a debilitating injury.
Schedule Your Free Consultation with an Oakland Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Today
If a defective product, preventable fall, motor vehicle accident or another act of negligence contributed to your spinal cord injury, contact the attorneys at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger. Initial consultations are always free, and we take all of our cases on a contingency fee basis.
