Spinal Cord Injury

Who Is at Risk of a Brachial Plexus Injury?

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on September 21, 2016

A brachial plexus injury is an injury that occurs to the network of nerves that are connected to the spinal cord and send signals from the spinal cord to the arm, hand, and shoulder. Signs of a brachial plexus injury include weakness in the arm, slow reflexes, lack of muscle control, decreased sensation, and ultimately paralysis. While some injuries recover on their own, others require physical therapy, splinting, and even surgery. If the injury is caused through negligence, such as doctor malpractice or a negligent driver, that individual will be liable for the damages suffered by the victim. Both adults and children are at risk of a brachial plexus injury, though the cause of the injury varies by age. Read the rest »

Seattle Spinal Cord Injury FAQ

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on April 7, 2016

Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. have handled many spinal cord injury cases. Over the years we’ve been able to secure spinal cord injury victims settlements to help them cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain suffering. Here are some common questions about spinal cord injuries we’ve heard over the years.

What is a Spinal Cord Injury?

Spinal cord injuries refer to damage done to the nerves inside vertebrae in the spine. These injuries can cause permanent disabilities like chronic pain and mobility issues. There are two types of spinal cord injuries: Read the rest »

Understanding Whiplash Injuries After a Seattle Auto Accident

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on September 21, 2015

“Whiplash” is the common name given to soft tissue injuries to the neck and shoulders, like a strain or sprain. Whiplash injuries are so named because they often result when the head snaps quickly forward and back, as it does when one vehicle collides with another. These injuries are common in rear-end and other types of car accidents. Read the rest »

Severity of Soft Tissue Injuries from Car Accidents

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on April 10, 2013

There are many types of injuries that may be suffered in a Washington car accident and many of them have long-term consequences. Soft tissue trauma is one of the most common injuries to overlook because it is not as obvious as a broken bone or a bleeding laceration. Many soft tissue injuries are mistakenly dismissed as minor and easily treatable with painkillers and rest. Unfortunately, it is common for soft tissue injuries to get worse over time and for the victim to suffer from chronic pain.

A soft tissue injury is any damage involving the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. A majority of injured car accident victims suffer some form of soft tissue injury. This type of trauma does not show up on X-rays and often manifests as nothing more than discomfort shortly after the crash. Read the rest »

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries Suffered in Washington Car Accidents

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on April 2, 2013

Washington car accident lawyers know that spinal cord injuries often leave crash victims with chronic pain and long-term health effects. There are many types of injuries you can suffer in a Washington car accident, including traumatic brain injuries, bone fractures, sprains, strains, lacerations, internal injuries, burn injuries, and amputations. Some of the most devastating injuries you can sustain in a collision involve your neck and back. In extreme cases, victims can sustain spinal cord injuries that permanently affect their quality of life.

Spinal cord injuries are particularly devastating because they often require extensive rehabilitation. Many spinal cord injuries result in a permanent loss of either sensation or movement below the site of the trauma. While broken bones can heal over time, spinal cord injuries often never improve.

There are a few different types of spinal cord injuries that can occur during a crash. A complete spinal cord injury is when there is bruising, pressure, or  loss of blood to the spinal cord. It will typically result in the complete loss of sensation and motor ability below where the spinal cord is damaged. An incomplete spinal cord injury, however, does not result in the complete loss of movement or sensation. Read the rest »

Study Finds Car Accidents a Major Source of Serious Spinal Cord Injuries

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on December 7, 2012

Car accidents are the most common cause of fracture in the axis vertebra, which is just one type of car accident spinal cord injury that can seriously affect the life of a victim. The axis vertebra is the second vertebra down from the base of the skull. The axis vertebra sits near the top of the neck. If the spinal cord is injured in this area as well, the victim may be partly or completely paralyzed.

One study, published in the medical journal Spine, followed 625 axis cervical spine fracture patients. Sixty-eight percent of the patients studied had suffered fractures in a car accident. Read the rest »

Car Accident Spinal Cord Injuries May Cause Permanent Paralysis

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on October 2, 2012

Car accidents can cause permanent disabilities, especially when a catastrophic injury is involved. When a car crash victim suffers a spinal cord injury, he or she may have to live with the permanent aftereffects, including paralysis.

The word “paralysis” simply describes the loss of muscle function in some part of the body. Paralysis may affect any part of the body and may be caused by a wide range of injuries or illnesses, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, or disease.

When paralysis occurs after an injury, it is usually because the brain, spinal cord, or both have been damaged in a way that prevents the brain from communicating with a body part. Post-accident paralysis may be temporary or permanent. It may affect the entire body, just the lower half or one side of the body, or any other body part. Read the rest »

Spinal Cord Injuries Can Cause Lifelong Impairment

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on January 20, 2012

A spinal cord injury is any type of injury that damages the spinal cord, which is the bundle of nerves that travels inside the spine from the brain down the back. Even a relatively mild spinal cord injury can cause permanent pain, trouble with movement or coordination, or other disabilities. In recent years, researchers have begun to understand more about these devastating injuries, but they still know little about how to cure them.

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), Americans suffer about 12,000 new spinal cord injuries each year. An additional unknown number of spinal cord injury sufferers lose their lives due to the injury, often before rescue workers can respond to the scene of their accident. Car accidents cause about 40 percent of new spinal cord injuries each year, and slip and fall accidents account for about 28 percent. Read the rest »

Understanding Accident-Induced Low Back Pain

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on January 9, 2012

Low back pain is the second most common neurological condition in the United States, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Men and women are equally affected by low back pain, and they are more likely to develop the condition between the ages of 30 and 50. Car accidents are a major source of low back pain.

In a car accident, the body may be thrown violently forward, backward, or to the side, causing a number of different auto accident injuries. Although wearing a seat belt can decrease the damage caused by this force, it is often enough to cause stress to the complex structures in the low back. Muscles, nerves, soft tissue, spinal vertebrae, and the cartilage discs that cushion the vertebrae can all be affected. Some of these structures, especially the discs and soft tissue, may take a long time to heal or may be permanently damaged, especially in older people. Read the rest »

Study Finds Acceleration in Rear-End Accidents Causes More Serious Injuries

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on August 31, 2011

A study cited by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) found that, even more than speed, acceleration that occurred during a rear-end car crash was more likely to cause serious whiplash injuries to those riding in the rear-ended vehicle.

The study examined 207 different rear-end crashes that had occurred in Sweden over a number of years. Each accident involved vehicles that were equipped with motion sensors, now a common feature in cars, which recorded the speed and direction of travel of each vehicle when the crash occurred. The sensors also measured whether the vehicles were speeding up, slowing down, or traveling at a constant rate of speed at the moment of the accident. Read the rest »