New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

If you or your loved one has experienced a serious spinal cord injury, contact Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers to discuss your situation.

The nervous system is the body’s communication system and the spinal cord is its major conduit. Trauma to the spinal cord can interrupt the flow of neural impulses from the brain to tissues below the trauma point, causing diminished function and even paralysis. If you or a loved one has suffered spinal trauma, this injury could change your life forever. If someone’s negligent, reckless, or deliberate wrongful behavior caused your injury, you are entitled to recover monetary damages for your present suffering and your future physical limitations. But turning a claim into a judgment and actually collecting the compensation you deserve can be a daunting task. Because of the dollar amounts involved, insurance companies defend these cases vigorously, hoping to minimize or eliminate losses for their company.

Fortunately, you can trust the veteran attorneys at Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers to manage your spinal cord injury claim professionally, assembling the evidence necessary to present a compelling case for full recovery. Our track record of results in catastrophic injury cases speaks for itself, and although no law firm can guarantee results, we promise to give your case the same meticulous care that has made us successful time and time again.

Our firm has a record of success that includes more than $425 million recovered for our injury clients. Call (973) 364-8300 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your legal rights and options.

Do I Need A Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer?

Spinal cord injuries are incredibly serious, and insurance companies often initially acknowledge the severity of a victim’s claim. An insurer’s willingness to pay out a reasonable settlement for your injury is another matter entirely.

Remember that an insurance company is primarily concerned with minimizing the size of the check it has to write. When you retain a lawyer in New Jersey, the New Jersey State Bar Association states that they owe a client “diligence, competence, faithfulness and good judgment, in the pursuit of client objectives.”

In other words, an experienced spinal cord attorney is prepared and equipped to negotiate a fair and full settlement that covers all of your past, present, and future expenses. When an adequate settlement cannot be finalized, the lawyer can file a lawsuit to bring your case into a court of law.

Another important reason to hire an attorney concerns the thorough investigation they perform. An aggressive and knowledgeable lawyer can identify each party against whom a claim can be filed to ensure that you recover the full measure of compensation to which you are entitled.

Why Choose Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers To Handle My Spinal Cord Injury Case?

When you come to Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers with a spinal injury claim, you can expect personalized assistance and tireless service from our accomplished and dedicated personal injury lawyers until your case is successfully resolved.

We pride ourselves on providing hands-on representation focused on positive results. Moreover, our attorneys have a thorough understanding of the leading causes of spinal trauma,

Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers was ranked a Top 40 Law Firm by the New Jersey Law Journal. We have also been recognized as a best law firm in New Jersey with a tier-1 ranking for personal injury litigation.

Our record of success includes an $875,000 settlement at trial for a spinal cord injury in Bergen County and a $500,000 verdict for an auto accident that resulted in a serious spinal cord injury.

Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers handles spinal cord injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay us nothing unless you receive a financial award.

Understanding spinal cord trauma

Spinal cord injury occurs when damage to the cells of the spinal cord blocks communication between the brain and the body. Spinal cord trauma affects your sensory experience and motor reflexes, as messages may not be able to cross over the damaged section of the spinal cord. Generally speaking, the higher on the spinal cord your point of trauma lies, the more dysfunction you will experience. But what makes prognosis — as well as the pursuit of damages — uncertain is that different patients recover differently from the same measurable amount of spinal trauma.

The degree of disability and the bodily areas affected depend greatly on the trauma point, as follows:

• Cervical area — Trauma anywhere from C-1 to C-8 in the victim’s neck is potentially the most disabling. Mild trauma can cause diminished arm, wrist or finger motion. Severe trauma or breakage in the cord here can cause quadriplegia and diminished internal organ function, including loss of voluntary control over bowels and bladder.
• Thoracic area — Below the shoulders in the upper back lies the thoracic region. Damage to T-1 to T-12 can cause paralysis to the legs as well as weakness in the chest muscles. Most victims can operate a manual wheelchair, and some may stand with leg braces. Many lose function in the bowels and bladder.
• Lumbar area — Damage to L-1 to L-5 affects the legs, bowels and bladder. Some victims may be able to walk with braces, but many will be confined to a wheelchair. Most will have no voluntary control of bowels or bladder.

Naturally, the severity of the trauma dictates the outcome. The spinal cord can recover from mild trauma, whereas a break in the nerve fibers is generally permanent. But is permanent injury provable?

Diagnostic testing can only tell us so much. Two patients with similar MRIs can have very different levels of pain, weakness, instability, and loss of bodily function. Unfortunately, in this age of “CSI,” juries expect science to be able to explain everything. When science can’t definitively state what the patient is experiencing, an attorney’s experience, knowledge, and determination truly comes into play. Our lawyers know how to assemble medical and testimonial evidence that is comprehensive and persuasive.

Proving the cause of spinal trauma in various accident scenarios

An important aspect of your case is proving that your particular injury event could have caused the spinal trauma you are claiming. Our attorneys have a thorough understanding of the leading causes of spinal trauma, which include:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Football
• Falls
• Gymnastics
• Assault
• Diving into shallow water
• Truck accidents
• Train & bus accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Child injuries
• Uber & Lyft accidents
• Boat accidents
• Construction accidents
• Workplace accidents
• Slip & fall/premises liability

Proving that an accident could have caused spinal trauma is not easy, but it is usually one of the easier tasks in a very complex case. We also have to prove liability, or fault, for the accident. Then, of course, we must prove the lasting effects of spinal cord trauma, which may include:

• Loss of movement
• Loss of sensation
• Loss of bowel and/or bladder control
• Exaggerated reflex actions, spasticity, or spasms
• Changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity, and fertility
• Pain or intense stinging sensation

But, again, proving that you are actually suffering from the symptoms you claim can be a difficult task. This is why you should only trust your case to a law firm with a proven record of results in spinal cord injury cases. Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers has recovered more than $425 million dollars in compensation for injury victims, including several seven-figure recoveries for clients who suffered spinal cord injuries. Although we cannot guarantee results, we can assure you that your case will receive the same level of meticulous attention and determined advocacy that we’ve delivered for our previous successful cases.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury can have huge implications for the victim’s quality of life. Here are some of the questions that our clients often raise when they meet with us for a free case evaluation. To discuss the specific details of a New Jersey spinal cord injury claim, call us today at (973) 364-8300 or reach out to us online. You also might find a review of some of our client testimonials informative.

What is the difference between a complete and incomplete spinal cord injury?

An incomplete spinal cord injury is a partial severance of the spinal cord, while a complete spinal cord injury is a total severance. The victim retains function below the affected area with an incomplete spinal cord injury; a victim loses all feeling and ability to control movement below the affected area with a complete spinal cord injury.

Incomplete spinal cord injuries commonly include central cord syndrome, Brown-Sequard syndrome, and anterior cord syndrome. Complete spinal cord injuries may include paraplegia (paralysis of the legs and the lower half of the body), tetraplegia or quadriplegia (paralysis of all limbs), triplegia (paralysis of one arm and both legs), hemiplegia (paralysis of one arm and one leg on the same side of the body), and monoplegia (paralysis of one arm or one leg).

What is spinal shock?

Spinal shock involves a reduction or loss of motor and sensory function or reflexes below the affected area of a spinal cord injury. Some people are completely unaware that they are experiencing spinal shock. There are often four phases to spinal shock: areflexia or hyporeflexia involving a loss or weakening of reflexes, the return of some reflexes, hyperreflexia, or other strong reflexes because of minimal stimulation.

What kinds of follow-up care does a spinal cord injury require?

When a patient gets released from a hospital, they will usually schedule follow-up visits with spinal cord injury specialists. These visits are initially monthly. Victims may undergo outpatient physical and occupational therapy as well as annual urological assessments to prevent urinary tract infections and retain healthy kidney and bladder function.

Healthcare providers often prescribe other outpatient programs. Spinal cord injury victims will frequently be monitored for possible pneumonia or upper respiratory infections that are often of significant concern.

Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) reported that the annual incidence of spinal cord injury in the United States is about 54 cases per one million people. This translates to approximately 17,700 new spinal cord injury cases every year; new cases do not include people who die at the locations of incidents causing spinal cord injuries.

The NSCISC estimates that about 288,000-358,000 Americans live with spinal cord injuries. The average age at injury is currently 43. Men constitute about 78 percent of new spinal cord injury cases.

Leading causes of spinal cord injuries included motor vehicle accidents (38.3 percent), falls (31.6 percent), violence (13.8 percent), sports (8.2 percent), medical or surgical (4.6 percent), and other (3.5 percent).

Contact a knowledgeable and determined NJ law firm for your spinal injury claim

A spinal injury can have lifelong implications and may require ongoing medical and personal care. Therefore, you cannot accept less than the maximum level of compensation for your claim. The injury attorneys at Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers are prepared to pursue the full compensation you deserve. To schedule a free consultation with a skilled and aggressive attorney, call us today at (973) 364-8300 or contact us online.