Spinal Cord Injuries

Pittsburgh Lawyers Representing Spinal Cord Injury Victims

Along with the brain, perhaps the most critical structure in our body is the spinal cord. It contains all of the delicate nerve fibers that control vital functions such as movement, breathing, bowel and bladder function, etc. Therefore, any injury to the spinal cord is potentially catastrophic.

I’m attorney John Gismondi, founder of Gismondi & Associates. We are lawyers who represent people in Pittsburgh and throughout Pennsylvania who have suffered spinal cord injuries due to the carelessness of someone else. A powerful lawsuit can provide full and complete compensation for you, and it can also send a strong message that will help to prevent some other person from being injured by a similar mistake or accident.

Causes And Treatment For Spinal Cord Injury

Although the cord is surrounded by the bones of the vertebral column that protect it like a fortress, that shield can sometimes be penetrated by trauma. The cord can also be injured by tumors or medical conditions that cut off blood supply to the cord, or by congenital conditions such as spina bifida.

How severe a spinal cord injury is depends upon how much damage is done to the cord and where that damage occurs. If the damage is up near the neck (the so-called cervical region), the risk of harm is usually greatest. It may involve quadriplegia, the inability to voluntarily control the arms and legs. It may also affect a person’s ability to breathe. Injuries in the middle of the back (the thoracic region) or the lower back (the lumbar region) can affect the legs and also the bowel and bladder. It is often difficult to treat a spinal cord injury once it occurs. Sometimes, steroids or emergency surgery can help, but often the damage has already been done. Therefore, the most important thing is to try to prevent spinal cord injuries from occurring at all. If they do occur, our job at Gismondi & Associates is to find out why and who is responsible.

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A Lawsuit Provides Compensation … And More

We wish that we could turn back the hands of time and undo what has happened to you or your family. Unfortunately, no lawyer has that power. However, with a successful lawsuit we can reduce the burdens you face by obtaining full and complete compensation for everything that you have experienced as a result of your injury or the death of a family member … mounting medical bills, lost wages, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, and perhaps most importantly, the loss of the relationship and companionship of a loved one.

We will also fight for compensation to cover everything that you may face in the future. Spinal cord injury cases often involve long-term needs for things such as future surgeries, specialized equipment, personal attendant care and much more. Our goal is to provide full compensation for all of those needs so that you or your loved one can enjoy the very best quality of life possible and make the most of a difficult situation. After all, that is the least that you are entitled to.

Aside from providing you with full and complete compensation, a lawsuit can do one other very important thing: It can force changes to be made by the doctor or hospital that caused the injury to you or a loved one so that no other person or family has to go through what you have.

Our Experience With Spinal Cord Injury Cases

Over the past 30 years, we have successfully represented a variety of people who have suffered spinal cord injuries, including:

• A multimillion-dollar award for a 65-year-old man from Pittsburgh who was rendered paraplegic because he was permitted to get up out of his hospital bed and walk when he had an unstable cervical fracture that was undetected by his doctor.
• A recovery well over a million dollars for a retiree from Pittsburgh who suffered quadriparesis because a cervical fracture was “missed” on an X-ray in the emergency room at North Hills Passavant Hospital.
• An award over a million dollars for a young woman from Johnstown who suffered permanent damage to her bowel and bladder function as well as impaired sexual sensation due to cauda equina syndrome, a condition in which a ruptured disk presses on the cord and is not relieved in time by the doctor.
• A significant six-figure recovery for a young man who was rendered quadriplegic as a result of a dive into a swimming pool that had not been designed with appropriate instructions and warnings.

Yes, the harm caused by spinal cord injuries is sudden, swift and often devastating. Our goal in handling cases of this sort is to provide these victims with the financial ability to take care of all of their future needs and also to fully compensate them for the permanent change in their lifestyle.

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If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury from someone else’s carelessness, call us now for a free consultation toll free at 1-888-529-1255. And remember, we always return phone calls. Our law office is in Pittsburgh and our attorneys handle personal injury cases throughout Pennsylvania.

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