Personal Injury Law Update

New Research Breakthrough Offers Hope to Victims of Spinal Cord Injuries

Researchers Chet Moritz and Eberhard Fetz at the University of Washington recently reported a breakthrough in getting animals to move paralyzed muscles using an experimental device stimulated by brain cells.  In article published in Nature magazine, the researchers described how they were able to use a small battery-operated device to transformed brain signals into electrical signals that stimulated muscle cells in the paralyzed wrists of monkeys used in the study.

Researchers cautioned that clinical application of the technique in paralyzed humans is at least a decade away. But the breakthrough represents a new approach to one day helping paralyzed individuals regain some control of their limbs.

For further details on the breakthrough see additional media stories here and here (second link includes a helpful diagram illustrating how the experiment worked).

The Washington and Oregon spinal cord injury lawyers at D'Amore & Associates have years of experience representing individuals who have suffered paralyzing injuries due to the negligence of third parties. If you or a loved one has suffered such an injury, please contact us for a free consultation.

New Helmet Designed to Reduce Risk of Spinal Cord Injury in Sports Accidents

Last week the Canadian media reported progress by researchers and engineers at the University of British Columbia designing a new helmet that will reduce the risk of spinal cord injuries in head-first collisions during sports activities. Called the "Pro-Neck-Tor," and designed for sports such as hockey and football, the helmet has an inner shell that will guide the head to tilt slightly forward or backward on impact, and thereby reduce the load on the neck during impact. The reduced weight on the neck, in turn, would lower the risk of spinal cord injury from a collision.

Engineers working on the helmet said it is still in the design stages and, depending on how fast testing progresses, could take between three to 10 years to become available commercially in the sporting goods market. Researchers anticipate that the helmet would be marketed first to hockey players due to the relatively higher incidence of spinal cord injuries suffered by players in that sport.

Seeking Treatment Outside the United States for Spinal Cord Injury

Came across this interesting article discussing how many Americans are pursuing experimental therapies for injuries and medical conditions outside the United States that are not available or not approved in this country. The story that caught my eye was that of Greg Minow, who was paralyzed in a sports accident. Doctors in the United States told Minow he'd never walk again, but he refused to give up. Searching the web, Minow found the International Spinal Cord Regeneration Center in Tijuana, Mexico. He raised $65,000 to undergo spinal cord decompression surgery pursuant to which he was injected with three vials of umbilical cord stem cells (which is not available in the United States). The results speak for themselves -- Minow has gained two inches of touch sensation in his abdomen and has deep pressure sensation in his hips and the top of his legs.

Of course, any experimental therapy should be approached with caution and appropriate due diligence.

Undergoing treatment and therapies for spinal cord injuries often entails significant costs. If you've suffered a spinal cord injury that has long-term consequences and was caused by the carelessness — or negligence — of another, you may have a claim. The spinal cord injury lawyers at D'Amore & Associates in Washington and Oregon can evaluate your claim and pursue recovery for the costs of your medical care and other damages.

The Inspiring Story of One Spinal Cord Injury Victim's Remarkable Recovery

Found this inspiring story of the remarkable recovery of spinal cord injury victim Duane Morrow who through sheer grit and determination has, with the help of an intensive physical therapy program at Atlanta's Shepherd Center, gone from being a quadriplegic unable to care for himself to riding horses, playing golf and competing in national wheelchair races.  He has gone from being unable to lift his right foot to elevating it 12 inches.

Morrow has benefited from some of the latest technology in rehabilitative medicine, such as the small wireless device device on his right leg, a $5,900 piece of equipment called the Bioness NESS L30, that helps him walk.

We hope Morrow's story inspires other individuals who have suffered spinal cord injury with a sense of optimism about their ability to improve their condition over time with support from family and appropriate medical interventions and therapeutic care.

Head and Spinal Cord Injuries From Ski Accidents Rising

According to a recent article, a review of data on spinal cord and head injuries from snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding in 10 countries found that the number of skiers and snowboarders suffering head and spinal cord injuries rose substantially between 1990 and 2004. Experts say the increase is probably due to greater risk-taking on the slopes.

The Washington and Oregon spinal cord and head injury lawyers at D'Amore & Associates have unfortunately seen the tragic results of unnecessary risk taking. As many of us head off for winter vacations, by all means have fun, but also stay safe by avoiding unnecessary risks on the slopes.

Improved Prognosis of Buffalo Bills Tight End Kevin Everett Puts Spotlight on Experimental Hypothermia Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury

Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett suffered a severe spinal cord injury on September 9, 2007, while making a tackle on a kickoff against the Denver Broncos in the first game of the 2007 season. Initially, Everett was unable to move and doctors feared he would be paralyzed for life, but they have become more optimistic as some muscle movement returned and Everett has been able to sit up in bed.

While Everett's injury remains life-threatening, many are crediting the player's dramatic recovery to date to an experiemental therapy performed on Everett immediately after his injury that involved lowering his body temperature by injecting him with a chilled saline solution. One of the major proponents of the therapy, Dr. Barth Green, described the therapy as analogous to an ice pack for the spine, helping prevent swelling and further damage. Dr. Green, chairman of the neurological surgery department at the University of Miami School of Medicine, added that paramedics anywhere can be trained to administer the moderate hypothermia therapy.

Denver Judge Triples Punitive Damages Awarded Against Qwest for Paralyzing Spinal Cord Injury Suffered by Telephone Repairman

It was recently reported that Denver District Court Judge Sheila Rappaport tripled the punitive damage awarded by a jury against Qwest Communications to a former worker, Andrew Blood, who was paralyzed while working on one of Qwest's telephone poles -- from $18 million to $63 million.  Qwest was also ordered to pay $21 million in compensatory damages, bringing the total awarded to Blood to $84 million. It is the largest personal injury award in Colorado history.

Blood had been completing work on the pole when, due to rot, the pole broke 6 inches below the ground and sent Blood plunging about 25 feet to the ground. The fall fractured Blood's spine and immediately paralyzed him from the waist down.

What had Qwest done to arouse the judge's ire? The rot in the pole was apparently the kind of defect that could have been discovered through a routine inspection, but it came out at trial that not only had Qwest never inspected the pole that Blood was working on, but that with just a few exceptions, none of Qwest's poles across the state had ever been inspected. Moreover, even in the 3 years after Blood's accident, Qwest continued to fail to inspect, maintain and repair its estimated inventory of 157,000 telephone poles countrywide, thus leaving additional workers at risk for serious personal injury or death.

See further discussion of the trial evidence here and here.

Accidents can happen anywhere -- on a job site, in an automoble, in the park -- and can cause serious injury resulting in paralysis. All it takes is one horrible moment to forever change your life – or the life of a loved one. If your injury was caused by the negligence of another, the experienced spinal cord injury lawyers at D'Amore & Associates in Oregon and Washington can help determine if you have a claim, and if so, recover damages, including the costs of your medical care, lost wages, loss of consortium, pain and suffering -- and any other expenses that result from your injury.

Study Recommends Children be Immediately Examined for Spinal Cord Injury After Car Accident

A study led by Dr. Harsh Grewal, a pediatric surgeon at Temple University School of Medicine and Hospital in Philadelphia, and recently published in the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, recommends that children involved in a car accident with any sign of external injury such as bruising should be immediately evaluated for vertebral, spinal cord and intra-abdominal injuries.

As Dr. Grewal explained, "unless physicians are diligent, spinal-cord injuries are hard to diagnose in children. In the event of a car accident, seat belt injuries such as bruising and tenderness should warrant a search for other injuries, including spinal-cord injury, vertebral fractures and intra-abdominal injuries. If spinal-cord injury is missed or not diagnosed early, the consequences can be devastating."

The attorneys at D'Amore & Associates in Oregon and Washington are experienced spinal cord injury lawyers who handle cases arising from car accidents.  If the injury has long-term consequences and was caused by the carelessness -- or negligence -- of another, you may have a claim. Aside from recovering the costs of your medical care, you may have the right to recover loss of wages, loss of consortium, pain and suffering -- and any other expenses that result from your injury.