
Spinal cord injuries are some of the most devastating types of physical trauma. Many are caused by accidents, but a significant number happen due to medical errors. Though preventable, they often have life-altering consequences for victims and affect their mobility, quality of life, and financial stability.
What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury happens when the spinal cord, which carries messages between the brain and other parts of the body, is damaged. It can cause partial or complete loss of motor function and sensation below the injury. The severity depends on the location and extent of the trauma.
The two main types of spinal cord injuries include:
- Complete: Causes a total loss of function below the injury, leading to either paraplegia (paralysis in both legs) or quadriplegia (paralysis in all arms and legs)
- Incomplete: The person retains some degree of function or sensation below the injury — recovery depends on the nature of the trauma and treatment
Regardless of the type of injury, spinal cord trauma often needs long-term medical care, rehab, and lifestyle adjustments. When a medical mistake causes paralysis, the suffering is made worse by the knowledge that it didn’t have to happen.
How Do Medical Errors Lead To Spinal Cord Injuries?
Medical errors can happen in various ways. When they involve the spinal cord, the consequences can be particularly severe.
Surgical Errors
Spinal surgeries are complicated and require a steady hand. Surgeons operating near the spine have to navigate around densely packed nerve tissues. Any misstep, such as accidentally cutting or damaging the spinal cord, can cause significant injury.
Common surgical errors include:
- Improper placement of spinal hardware (rods, screws, etc.)
- Misjudging the correct surgical approach or site
- Inadvertent damage to surrounding nerves or spinal tissue
Even small mistakes can cause paralysis or loss of function, and they often lead to devastating long-term effects on the patient’s life.
Anesthesia Mistakes
Administering anesthesia is a delicate task that requires careful monitoring of the patient’s vital signs and bodily responses. Errors in giving anesthesia can lead to spinal cord damage. For example, epidurals could be improperly injected into the spine and cause nerve damage, paralysis, or other complications.
Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis
Medical professionals are supposed to accurately diagnose and treat their patients. When they make a mistake that affects the spinal cord (infections, tumors, etc.), the patient might not get the right treatment in time. A delay in diagnosis can give the condition a chance to worsen, resulting in irreversible spinal cord damage.
Medication Errors
Certain medicines can have a detrimental effect on the spine and nervous system when given or prescribed incorrectly. Overdoses, bad drug interactions, or forgetting to account for a patient’s allergies or medical history can compromise the spinal cord. In extreme cases, such mistakes can cause swelling or bleeding that leads to severe damage.
Chiropractic and Physical Therapy Mistakes
Spinal manipulations from chiropractors or physical therapists carry risks, particularly if they are not done with care. Improper technique or excessive force can cause spinal injuries, especially in patients with pre-existing spinal conditions. Failure to properly determine a patient’s suitability for certain treatments can also cause damage.
What Are the Potential Consequences of Spinal Cord Injuries?
The consequences of spinal cord injuries are often life-changing and affect the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of the victim.
Potential impacts include:
- Paralysis: A loss of movement or sensation below the site of the injury
- Chronic Pain: Constant, ongoing pain, which can be debilitating
- Loss of Bodily Functions: Bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction
- Respiratory Problems: Difficulty breathing that requires the use of ventilators if the injury happens in the upper spine
- Depression and Anxiety: The emotional toll of losing mobility and independence
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Especially when the injury is caused by medical malpractice
- Medical Expenses: Surgeries, rehab, and long-term care to deal with the aftermath
- Lost Income: If the victim is unable to return to work, either temporarily or permanently
- Home Modifications: Ramps, widened doorways, adapted bathrooms, etc., to accommodate the victim’s new reality
All of this diminishes the victim’s quality of life and puts heavy burdens on their family and support system. Facing these challenges requires a combination of medical care, emotional support, and, in many cases, legal action to get the necessary compensation.
Legal Options For Spinal Cord Injury Victims

When spinal cord trauma happens because of a medical mistake, victims have the right to pursue compensation for their losses. Medical malpractice claims give victims a chance to hold healthcare professionals and institutions accountable for their negligence.
For a successful medical malpractice claim, the victim needs to be able to prove that the doctor or provider behaved in a way that put them at risk, specifically by showing:
- Duty of Care: The doctor or surgeon had a duty to provide a certain standard of care to the patient
- Breach of Duty: The provider breached that duty by making a preventable mistake
- Causation: The breach of duty directly caused the victim’s spinal cord injury
- Damages: The victim suffered measurable harm because of the injury
Victims of medical malpractice in Miami need to be aware of the state’s specific laws that regulate such claims. Florida has a two-year statute of limitations for filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, which means victims have to file their claim within two years of the injury.
However, certain exceptions can change this deadline. The best way to ensure that no time limits are overlooked and all paperwork is filed correctly is to hire a skilled personal injury attorney with experience in medical malpractice and spinal cord injuries.
Victims of spinal cord injuries caused by medical mistakes may be able to collect payment for a number of things, including:
- Medical costs (past, current, and future)
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Costs of home modifications and assistive devices
The legal process after such trauma can be overwhelming, but it gives victims a path to justice and financial recovery. With the right legal counsel, they can focus their energies on healing while their attorney pursues the compensation they deserve to rebuild their lives.
Contact a Miami Medical Malpractice Lawyer If You Suffered a Spinal Cord Injury Due to a Medical Error
If you have suffered spinal cord damage because your doctor made a mistake, contact Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation at (305) 937-0191. Our team will take the legal stress off of your shoulders so that you can work on getting your life back on track.