Spinal Cord Injuries at Los Angeles Schools

The type of injuries which can impact students every day are often very minor injuries that could require a brief hospital stay, but an easy recovery.  However, the more severe injuries lead to an extensive recovery time, such as spinal cord injuries.  Many victims of a spinal cord injury will never fully regain the use of their limbs, much less the ability to participate in everyday activities with ease.  While most victims of spinal cord injuries will grow accustomed to passing their days in the new manners, it does not replace the ability to walk to the front door, or go for a run on days when the weather is nice. Experiencing a traumatic injury such as a spinal cord injury at such a young age robs students of the ability to enjoy life.  If your child has received a spinal cord injury after a school accident – especially if it was due to inadequate supervision or negligence – contact a Los Angeles school district negligence attorney.

Spinal Injuries

The spinal cord is an integral part of the body makeup, and is essentially the highway of the body, carrying messages from the brain to the rest of the body. Any injury to the spinal cord can have vast repercussions on bodily functions. The extent of the injury will often depend on where the spinal cord is injured.  Injuries above the first thoracic vertebra will result in tetraplegia, partial or total loss of all limbs and torso. Injuries that occur below the first thoracic vertebra will result in paraplegia, the loss of feeling in the torso, and the complete or total loss of feeling in the legs.  Paraplegics will retain the ability to control their arms and legs, while tetraplegiacs will often not have the ability to control any limbs. While victims of accidents resulting in spinal injuries will learn to adapt to their injuries, this is a devastating situation to young children who have their whole lives in front of them.

Los Angeles School Negligence and Spinal Injuries

Many spinal cord injuries which occur at school are the result of contact sports. Although it is difficult to predict when an accident could occur, school districts may often be held responsible for the resulting injuries when the child was not appropriately protected during a sporting event, or was not appropriately prepared for the extent of contact. Students who are thrown into a football game without much prior practice and without the appropriate safety protections are often unable to avoid serious injuries. A school district may be held responsible for the actions of a school’s coaches or the inattention a coach may pay to the safety features of the gym or equipment.

What Do I Do If My Child Suffered a Spinal Cord Injury at a Los Angeles School?

If your child suffered a spinal cord injury while on a school campus or involved in a school activity, you may be entitled to bring a claim for your family’s damages against the school district. Your child would still be able to perform daily routines if not for the negligent behavior of the school district, and this lack of supervision or training should be appropriately punished. Our school spinal cord injury attorneys at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP have years of experience in handling spinal cord injuries and Los Angeles school district negligence cases and will work closely with your family in bringing a claim for damages against the responsible school district. Contact our Los Angeles or Newport offices today for your initial free consultation.