There is potentially positive news on the horizon for those who have suffered a New York spinal cord injury.
Lawmakers in New York are battling to have a portion of the traffic violation fines collected by the state funneled into a trust fund for research of spinal cord injuries.
New York City personal injury attorneys are encouraged, and hope other legislators will rally around bill S.4934/A.7478.
According to the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Research Board, created in 2008, there are approximately 16,000 New Yorkers who suffer from injuries to their spinal cord.
Typically, these injuries start with a sudden, dramatic blow to the spine that impacts the vertebrae. Car accidents are some of the most common causes of these type of injuries. Gun inflicted wounds and trampolines can also be causes.
The full impact can vary a great deal. Some people recover completely – to the point you may never know what happened by looking at them. Others will suffer permanent and debilitating paralysis of two or all four limbs.
Previous Gov. David Paterson, citing economic reasons, moved all funds for the spinal cord injury research program into the general fund.
Now, sponsors of S.4934/A.7478 are asking that about 6 percent of all the money collected for moving traffic violations go to the research program’s trust fund.
Activist Keith Gurgui correctly observes that the issue has unfortunately become divided among partisan lines, but hopes legislators can move past that to see the great need to make strides toward assisting those who must cope with such devastating injuries.
He has argued that the bill would not be a drain on taxpayers. Instead, he says, the only people impacted would be those who have broken traffic laws.
According to The Foundation for Spinal Cord Injury Prevention, Care and Cure reports that there are about 12,000 new cases in the U.S. every year. That doesn’t include the individuals who die as a result of these traumatic injuries. In all, there are nearly 260,000 people living with spinal cord injuries in America.
An overwhelming majority of those injured are males (81 percent) who are an average of 40 years old. What that means is that these types of injuries are catastrophic not only to the individuals who must endure the recovery, but also for their families, many of whom have lost their primary income source and must now figure out how to cope with snowballing medical bills and other debt.
If you or a loved one has suffered from a New York City spinal cord injury at work or in a car accident, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose for immediate assistance. Our experienced team of personal injury lawyers will fight aggressively to protect your rights and get you the compensation you need. Call for a free consultation at 1-877-313-ROSE(7673).
Additional Information
Bill would direct traffic fines to spinal cord research, By Andrew Carden, The Legislative Gazette
More Blog Entries:
New York spinal cord injuries require immediate legal representation, New York City Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, May 7, 2011
