Spinal Injury Lawyer Blog 24/7

Published on: May 21, 2012

Accidental Bombing on U.S. Soil Leaves Family Devastated, 36 Years Ago

by Stephen Bilkis

“We heard the plane coming,” the plaintiff recalled. “You know when the bomb bays doors open, the bombs start to whistle. And when you hear the whistling, you know something’s going to be a bustin’.”

It took 36 years, but that man was finally compensated for the injury he received during the accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down in 1944 when the man’s spinal cord was severed by shrapnel. An errant bomber dropped 36 fragmentation bombs on his family’s home and land, missing his target by 10 miles.

He clearly remembers what the incoming bombs sounded like. He also remembers running. He ran almost to the front porch of his uncle’s farmhouse. Those steps proved to be his last steps – ever, taken at 12 years of age.

Published on: May 19, 2012

Preventing Spinal Injury in Others

by Stephen Bilkis

Investigators have learned of a man who dived under a wave while bodysurfing at Mooloolaba Beach in 2005, with full control of his limbs. When he came up again, he was a quadriplegic.

The victim had a weakened neck from years of playing rugby union. In fact, his doctors had already given him warnings only weeks before his accident that he had to stop playing rugby or risk permanent spinal injury. His accidental head-first collision with a sandbar hidden under the waves was the final blow that injured his spinal cord.

The 35-year-old can now only move his face and shoulders. To get around, he has a wheelchair he can control with his chin. Firms have discovered that even now, he is doing something important with the injuries he has suffered. Now, he is a member of the Spinal Education Awareness Team, or SEAT, speaking for the Spinal Injuries Association with offices in Manhattan as well as Long Island.

Published on: May 15, 2012

Five Things to Know About Worker’s Compensation

by Stephen Bilkis

There are five things spine surgeons should consider when working on patients who are paying via workers’ compensation.

First: It might be best to do it in an ASC. Workers’ compensation cases often have better compensation for spine cases when they are performed in an ambulatory surgery center. A well-known spinal doctor told a rep that many of his workers’ compensation cases could easily be performed in an outpatient setting. These bolster the funding for the ASC and create a better relationship with workers’ compensation organizations.

Second: Pay attention to psychological concerns. Every doctor knows to evaluate a patient physically to get the best possible outcome for treatment. But that’s often only half the issue. Surgeons should look into the patient’s psychological health and motivation to recover, as well. Sometimes, it’s difficult for workers’ compensation patients to return work, due to psychological reasons and a lack of motivation. “We try to minimize exposure to workers’ compensation patients unless there is a motivation from the patient to get better,” a neurosurgeon said. Often, these patients have been on pain medication for a long time, which complicates matters further.

Published on: May 12, 2012

Yoga Workshops in Colorado Can Help With Injuries

by Stephen Bilkis

There may be relief for back injuriesbeyond common medical procedures.

A prominent yoga instructor has conducted workshops in Vail, Colorado, teaching for a weekend at a time. He himself is an athlete who suffered injuries and found ways to help heal himself through yoga. The instructor was once a competitive swimmer who suffered major spinal and shoulder injuries while training and competing. He knows all about the athletic life and what it takes to overcome injuries others might consider debilitating.

“We are really excited to have [the instructor] come back to us…” the yoga director at the spa told a reporter. “He knows how to zero in on low back pain and heal aching joints from overuse injuries through his system of teaching. I hope you come and experience his depth of knowledge.”

Published on: May 10, 2012

Spinal Injuries Common in Nevada

by Stephen Bilkis

As part of our search for spinal cord injury information, a source has learned that these types of injuries are fairly common in parts of Nevada. One of the local hospitals that treats an increasing number of spinal cord injuriesis at Renown Regional Medical Center, which is located in northern Nevada, and is the areas only trauma center that is comparable to a larger area hospital.

One of the reasons for the number of spinal cord injuries in this area is due to most of these injuries occurring due to skiing accidents and the local businesses do not want the negative publicity that a skiing accident can be so severe. With that being the case, the local news stations do not report the accidents. There are so many skiing related accidents that the doctors who perform spinal surgeries in this area, actually “handle more surgeries per ski lift than anywhere else in the world.” There are reportedly about 60 to 80 spinal cord injuries a year in this area. This is a rather alarming claim by anyone’s standards.

Not all of the injuries are related to skiing, however. At least one person required a spine operation following a snowmobile accident. Most of the spinal cord injuries in this area are snow-related. This would not happen in Long Island or Manhattan.

Published on: May 8, 2012

Helicopter EMS – Making the Difference

by Stephen Bilkis

Many of us have seen them in the air, and hopefully none of us will ever have the need to ride in one, but the helicopter EMS (HEMS) is a service that a person is very grateful is in service. Since most of us have never had the chance to see one of these wings of mercy up close, we thought it would be an experience to take a look at one of the companies that makes sure these helicopters and their crews have the necessary equipment for these flying traumacenters.

One of the largest and most respectable HEMS companies is Air Methods, out of Boulder, CO. Since 1980, the company has supplied products to the aviation industry, and it is one of the largest HEMS operators with about 40 percent of the U.S. market. However, as the rep learned, this is not the only part of their business model. Another part of their business includes making the interiors for the military medevac helicopters, such as the HH-60 Black Hawk, and the General Dynamics Stryker medical evacuation vehicle (MEV). They also developed the SCITS (spinal cord injury transport system) for the U.S. Air Force.

Further, a reporter also discovered that the company not only manufacturers these products, they also have their own engineering staff who designs them. Some of these designs include avionics, mission systems, medical interiors, patient loading systems, and a rather unique floor design that the company says stores blood with minimal spillage. The company with offices in Queens and Staten Island is also a subcontractor to both Sikorsky and General Dynamics. It is also a FAA approved parts manufacturer.

Published on: May 5, 2012

August 6, 2006 he noticed that O’Brien’s car was haphazardly parked along Church Lane

by Stephen Bilkis

According to a Lawyer this is a case of driving while intoxicated involving minor accident. Robert O’Brien, according to Officer Wenzler who was also the sole witness to everything that happened testified that at about 8:45pm on August 6, 2006 he noticed that O’Brien’s car was haphazardly parked along Church Lane. He also noticed that O’Brien was asleep behind the wheels so he decided to take a closer look to investigate. Upon reaching O’Brien’s car, Officer Wenzler noticed that there was a half empty bottle of Smirnoff vodka in between O’Brien’s legs. He also noticed a couple of empty cans of Budweiser beer on the car floor, at O’Brien’s feet.

The driver’s window was half opened and upon reaching the driver’s side, Officer Wenzler immediately smelled the strong scent of alcohol from inside the vehicle as well as from O’Brien. He also noticed the strong smell of urine, evident from the soiled pants of O’Brien. Officer Wenzler also noticed that the front bumper of O’Brien’s car appeared to have “touched” the rear bumper of the car immediately in front of O’Brien. Upon inspection, there appear to have no major damage on both cars except from evident scratches and a minor dent on O’Brien’s car.

According to further investigation, a source said that when questioned by Officer Wenzler, O’Brien admitted that he was driving while drinking. Officer Wenzler asked for any identification, as well as license and registration which O’Brien was able to provide only after 5 minutes of looking for his wallet which was all along in the back pocket side of his pants. When O’Brien was asked to step out of his car, it was obvious from the way O’Brien moved while exiting his car that he was very much hung over or possibly still drunk. Further, according to Officer Wenzler, O’Brien had glassy stare and blood shot eyes which is very common to people who are overly intoxicated.

Published on: May 3, 2012

Could Chiropractic Alignment Lead to Better Health?

by Stephen Bilkis

One of the most fascinating things about the human body is the central nervous system. Although when speaking of the central nervous system, there are many whom almost automatically think of the brain. While the brain is an integral part of this system, it is in almost constant communication with the rest of the body by means of the spinal cord.

The spinal cord could be considered as the body’s super highway since this is where all of the body’s signals must pass either going to or from the brain. It is also on this highway that some massive congestion could occur if any of the roads are damaged for any reason. While there may be some obvious signs of damage, much of it actually occurs over time. From the time, we are infants making our way through the birthing process our spines are subjected to trauma. Each time we fall down the stairs, or from our bicycles, we experience trauma. Most of this trauma remains unknown and unfelt until we begin to accumulate some age under our belts.

If you have noticed how the aged slumps over with their backs bent crooked, have you thought that old age had just crept upon them? Have you wondered why the seniors spend so much time at a doctor’s office or require so much pain medication for their joints that just do not seem to work right anymore? These are the evidence of spinal damagethat has been accumulating since the moment of our births. This is the damage that has both weakened and thrown our systems out of focus. Unfortunately, the only sure remedy for continuing to grow older is death. For most that is something to be delayed as long as possible.

Published on: May 1, 2012

In a recent study of over 1,000 NFL players, 60 to 70 percent have received at least one concussion during their career

by Stephen Bilkis

One of the last requests former NFL player Dave Duerson made before taking his own life was that his brain by studied to help other players suffering from the same depression, memory loss and thoughts of suicide that plagued his life. Duerson took his own life after dealing with years of depression. Duerson wanted researchers to determine if he suffered from chronictraumatic encephalopathy. This disease, which may be caused by concussions, is considered a degenerative disease, which means that it only gets worse over time.

In a recent study, in Long Island and Manhattan, of over 1,000 NFL players, 60 to 70 percent have received at least one concussion during their career. Many former players complain of memory loss, depression and suicidal thoughts similar to Duerson. Some players have committed suicide while others live with painful neurological complications for the rest of their lives. In addition to the number of NFL players who have suffered painful injuries and long-term illnesses resulting from repeated concussions, it has been estimated that 50 high school football players have died or suffered permanent injuries over the past 10 years.

Dr. Daniel Amen, a respected neurologist and host of his own PBS show, says that football players will have to learn how to play the game without causing injuries to the heads of other players. This may mean learning new ways to tackle players. Dr. Amen states that better protective equipment may not fully protect players from concussions and other spinal injuries. He went on to say that while change is never easy, players will have to develop new ways of playing the game. Permanent change occurs when the brain creates new neural pathways. Once these new pathways are created, new habits may be learned.

Published on: April 28, 2012

New Scientific Model May Help Spinal Cord Injury Patients and Physicians

by Stephen Bilkis

A new scientific model may help spinal cord injury specialists more quickly determine whether a patient has a good chance of walking again before surgery and physical therapy. Current models include extensive tests that may not be as conclusive. The new model was developed in the Netherlands and is based on many different studies and findings by experts in the area of spinal injury.

Components of this model include a patients’ age, range of current motor skills, and sensitivity to touch. Older tests, such as the AIS grading system, take much longer to perform and may not be as accurate. The researchers who compiled the information to create the new model claim specialists need to be experienced in performing physical examinations of those with spinal injuries in order to make a proper diagnosis using the components in the model. Many specialists in Staten Island and Westchester have the ability to perform these examinations and should be able to tell if a patient will be able to walk again.

This study about the new model was published in The Lancet. Many new studies are available at different times during the year and provide researchers around the world with new and useful information. Being able to predict quickly whether a patient will be able to walk again may prevent painful and unnecessary surgery or a grueling physical therapy regime that could cause additional injury. This may also lower medical care costs by allowing patients to leave the hospital earlier or reduce medications prescribed if additional surgery is not necessary to repair the spinal cord.