Philadelphia Lawyers for Injured Workers: Spinal Cord Injuries
A sudden fall from the roof of a home you were repairing. A fall from collapsed scaffolding at a construction site. A blow to the neck or back when equipment falls in a warehouse. A spinal cord injury can happen in a split second, yet the damage can last for a lifetime. Unfortunately, construction workers and other industrial workers face the risk of suffering a spinal cord injury or other catastrophic injury on a regular basis.
When a spinal cord injury leaves you paralyzed, the attorneys at Fenner & Boles can provide you with the necessary legal guidance to obtain the compensation and disability benefits that you need and deserve. Contact us in Philadelphia to fully understand your right to workers' compensation benefits, disability benefits and personal injury compensation. Our attorneys each have more than 20 years of injury experience, and we are ready and able to help.
What to Expect When a Work Accident Results in a Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury is one of the most catastrophic injuries that an injured worker can endure. Doctors may have inundated your family with information about your injury, but many people still have important questions left unanswered: What does this mean for my career? How will I support my family? How will I manage the financial impact of my injury? What are my rights?
As with any injury, there are varying degrees of severity in damage caused by a spinal cord injury. The point of impact on the spine and the nature of impact on the spinal cord will determine the severity of a spinal cord injury. While paralysis is not inevitable, most spinal cord injuries cause paralysis:
- Quadriplegia (also called tetraplegia): Quadriplegia results when the spinal cord is damaged in the neck area (cervical spine). Depending on the extent of nerve damage, a cervical spinal cord injury can cause paralysis of the upper and lower extremities. For some people, this means everything from the neck down is paralyzed. For other people, the arms, hands and legs are paralyzed; however, some mobility may still remain in the arms.
- Paraplegia: Paraplegia results when the spinal cord is damaged (pinched, severed or otherwise damaged) in the upper back area. Paraplegia involves much less nerve damage than quadriplegia. However, a spinal cord injury that results in paraplegia can cause paralysis of the legs and lower torso.
In both quadriplegia and paraplegia, the injured worker may still retain some sensation and control below the point of impact. This is known as partial paralysis, while complete loss of function and control is called total paralysis. Our understanding of these issues can be beneficial in ensuring you receive the full benefits and compensation you are entitled based upon the extent of your injuries. The lifetime care that is required for someone with any degree of paralysis can be well over $1 million.
Our Experience is an Asset After a Work Accident
Our Philadelphia disability attorneys understand Pennsylvania workers' compensation laws and know how to prepare claims for permanent disability benefits. Additionally, we analyze whether a third party can also be held financially responsible for your injuries. For example, construction workers who suffer a spinal cord injury in a fall from scaffolding may be entitled to additional compensation from the independent company that constructed the scaffolding poorly or from the manufacturer of the scaffolding if it can be proven that the scaffolding was defective.
Our detailed representation focuses on helping recover the full compensation that is needed to cover medical bills, future rehabilitation, wheelchairs and other assistance, home modifications, lost wages, lost earning capacity and attendant care.
Contact a Work Accident Attorney at Fenner & Boles
To talk with an experienced and caring lawyer about your family's needs and your loved one's accident and injury, contact the Philadelphia law firm of Fenner & Boles today.
Read our Tips for Injured Workers and our FAQ on Workers' Compensation. We know Pennsylvania workers' compensation laws well and we focus all our resources on helping injured people and their families.
