Hypothetical situation: you are driving along an icy road, you lose control of your vehicle and end up in a car accident that crushes several parts of your spinal cord.  This scenario can happen to anyone, but the good news is that paralysis treatment is there to help you in your hour of need.

Or is it?

According to the New York Post, the Empire State’s funding for spinal cord injury treatment and research might be on the budget chopping block this year.  The Spinal Cord Injury Research Fund, which has given hope to those living with paralysis for over twelve years, could be closing in 2010.

The paralysis attorneys at our San Diego law firm feel that this move might end up doing more damage than good in the long run.  Isn’t the government supposed to look out for it’s people, including the ones with paraplegia and quadriplegia?

New York Governor David Paterson is looking to close a budget gap of close to $8.2 billion and has set his sights on the funding that allowed top doctors and researchers help those who were recovering from a spinal cord injury.  However, the “core mission” of the Department of Health no longer includes the fund, giving Paterson the license to turn off the financial faucet.

Now, the state’s scientific community is trying to save the program that gave so many hope for the outlook of recovery.

“That’s the difference between walking and not walking,” said an ex-state trooper, who was left partially paralyzed from a gunshot wound he sustained in the line of duty. The man is lobbying for the Spinal Cord Injury Research Fund and he has support.  Though the program costs $8.5 million annually, it can also take credit for finding a way to make paralyzed lab mice walk away, using the chemical found to make blue M&M’s at a University of Rochester facility.

What happens when those who have been diagnosed with paralysis and spinal cord injuries do not get the help that they need?  Our San Diego paralysis attorneys can tell you that life becomes a lot harder and the outlook for recovery much bleaker.  The economy might be touch-and-go these days, but there will always be someone dealing with the aftermath of some variety of paralysis.

How will they see progress towards a cure if there is no means to make it?

If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident and suffered a spinal cord injury or paralysis, we urge you to contact our bilingual offices as soon as possible following the accident at 1-858-551-2090 or please click here for a free consultation with an experienced paralysis lawyer in San Diego.  We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you owe us nothing until we recover money on your behalf.

Your Take

Should the state of New York cut funding for the Spinal Cord Injury Research Fund?  Why or why not?