A Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) involves damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function such as mobility or feeling. Frequently, the causes of injury are due to trauma (car accidents, gunshot wounds, falls, etc.) or disease (polio, spina bifida, Friedreich's Ataxia, etc.). 
The spinal cord doesn't have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, for many people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but damage to it results in loss of functioning.
Nearly 11,000 people in our country sustain a traumatic spinal cord injury every year, which result in temporary or permanent sensory deficit, motor deficit, or bowel or bladder dysfunction. In this country, more than 250,000 people live with paralysis caused by SCI.
More than fifty percent of people who sustain an SCI are aged 16 to 30. It is more common for males than females to sustain this type of injury - the ratio is more than four to one. The most common cause of SCI is a motor vehicle accident, accounting for at least 36% of these injuries (broken down as follows: no restraints used - 20%; restraints used - 13.7%; motorcycle - 7.4%; accidents involving pedestrians - 5.2%; other - 2.1%).
Violence-related SCIs have been steadily increasing over the past two decades, and unfortunately, today violence is associated with 29% of SCIs. Falls and sports injuries result in 21% and 7% of SCI cases, respectively.
Damages To Be Recovered In SCI Cases
The amount of damages that may be recovered against a party responsible for causing SCI injury is substantial. The average out-of-pocket cost of coping with a spinal cord injury in the first year can be as high as $741,000 for the most severe injuries. For each year after that, the average cost is approximately $132,000. These amounts don't include indirect damages (which averaged $60,000 in 2006) such as:
These damages continue throughout the life of a victim.
If you or a loved one has sustained an SCI due to the negligence of another party, you might want to consult with an experienced San Diego spinal cord injury lawyer to find out what your legal rights are.
