Back and spinal cord injuries can be serious, causing complete or partial paralysis. Paralysis can be caused by trauma that damages or tears the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the “electric wire” that sends messages back and forth from the brain.

Two types of Paralysis

1. Quadriplegia causes a person to have paralysis in both arms and both legs.

2. Paraplegia causes a person to be paralyzed in the lower half of the body.

Where an injury occurs of how severe the injury is determines how much paralysis a person experiences.

I have learned that spinal cord injuries are not always recognized. Oftentimes, an injury causes swelling around the spinal cord which takes days to find. Therefore, I recommend a thorough examination by a doctor. Failure to diagnose a spinal cord injury can result in permanent disability.

Some of the signs of spinal cord injury a person should look for are:

1.Loss of sensation

2.Pain

3.Muscle spasms

4.Difficulty breathing

5.Loss of movement

6.Numbness or Tingling

Back and spinal cord injuries can devastate a person’s life and career. They require rehabilitation and care for the rest of one’s life. If an injury is caused by someone else’s carelessness, a person with back or spinal cord injury may seek compensation. A lawyer with experience in spinal cord injuries can advise you on the best course of action to take to recover for pain and suffering, medical bills, drugs, time missed from work and on-going care. Information about those rights is available at http://www.starkinjurygroup.com

As my readers know, I try to keep up with developments in areas that relate to serious injuries. A few “blogs” ago, I let you know about dangerous toys to avoid. Many of you commented that “you lawyers should do more than warn us.”

Your comments point out the need for a strong civil justice system that protects children and holds negligent manufacturers accountable.

Since 1974, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued more than 850 recalls for toy products, many for hazards like magnets, lead and other dangers hidden in our children’s toys. Between 2004 and 2008, toy-related injuries increased 12 percent, and over the last 10 years, toy-related injuries have increased 54 percent.

The CPSC is woefully under-resourced to cope with the flood of new products entering the U.S. marketplace. Until 2007, the CPSC had only 15 inspectors to monitor all ports in the United States for all products, and only one employee to conduct safety tests on toys.

The result of such corporate negligence and regulatory powerlessness is that dangerous products can be sold on shelves for years before the public has any idea of their hazards. A Public Citizen analysis of consumer recalls found that companies waited an average of 993 days to inform the CPSC of defects, and the agency then waited another 209 days before informing the public.

In the face of such risks, and with so few resources at hand, the nation has come to rely on parents, consumer groups and trial lawyers to serve both as an early warning system and an enforcement mechanism against negligent corporations and their dangerous toys.

For years, the media fed by corporate front groups have indoctrinated the masses with the idea that lawsuits were frivolous. What is the truth? What are the facts?

Of all court cases every year, only 17% are civil. Of the 17%, only a small fraction (6%) involved tort claims. The number of tort cases has been declining every year for over a decade. This totally refutes the notion that an influx of claims are clogging the courts and leading to increased costs. In fact, the exact opposite has occurred.

Automobile-related filings, which make up the majority of tort claims, have fallen by 23% over the past ten years. Medical malpractice filings have dropped 8% and product liability filings by 4% over the same time period.

Contract cases on the other hand, which are more likely to involve businesses, have increased 23%.

A survey of federal judges found that 85% believed frivolous lawsuits were not a problem or even a small problem because most states have rules that make the filer of a frivolous lawsuit responsible for the other party’s legal fees.

The American civil justice system gives people a fair chance to receive justice and hold wrongdoers accountable. When wrongdoers act irresponsibly by delaying or refusing to pay fair and just claims, produce unsafe products, pollute our environment, or swindle employees and shareholders, the last resort for Americans to hold them accountable is in our courts.

Many big businesses, claiming to be protecting small businesses, try to restrict Americans’ access to the civil justice system.

Poll after poll has shown that litigation or lawsuits are of little or no concern to small businesses. Only negligent corporations have the most to gain from evading accountability.

A National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) survey found that its member manufacturing companies ranked “fear of litigation” as their lowest concern, well behind other pressing matters such as cost of materials, energy prices, foreign competition and taxes.

A 2008 National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) survey that ranked the biggest threats to small business owners found that out of 75 possible concerns of small business owners, “costs and frequency of lawsuits/threatened suits” was ranked as 65th by the 3,530 small businesses surveyed.

A survey published by Business Week magazine found that  ”One of the survey’s more surprising results revealed that tort reform – particularly limiting class-action lawsuits- is not a major priority.

If you are influenced by the mass media, take a few moments to think about the FACTS and feel free to comment on my blog. I have devoted my career to dispelling myths that affect the lives of those who are injured through no fault of their own. Thank you for reading.

After my appearance on the John Stossel Show, people have asked me questions about the American civil justice system. My next five blogs will answer those questions.

Is the American civil justice system fair?

America’s civil justice system gives people a fair chance to receive justice and hold wrongdoers accountable. When corporations and their CEOs act irresponsibly  by delaying or refusing to pay fair and just insurance claims, producing unsafe products, polluting our environment or swindling their employees and shareholders – the last resort for Americans to hold them accountable in in our courts.

Over years, big corporations and their front groups have attacked the civil justice system, trial attorneys and those who are injured through no fault of their own – all in an effort to pad their profits and escape accountability.

Our legal system serves as a powerful deterrent to make individuals and corporations to act responsibly.

Over the years, my clients have had the courage to come forward and fight to change bicycles, fork lifts, RV’s, and automobiles that have led to safer products.

If you have a cause that can help others achieve the American dream – innovation through individual action, call a lawyer who has the passion to fight for your rights. Our founding fathers guaranteed you a right to trial by jury. It is your duty to protect that right so that you have a fair chance to get justice.