News On Suv Rollover Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents are the major cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States. SUVs in particular are prone to rollovers in an accident because of their poor design. A rollover can result in a number of serious injuries, including injury to the spinal cord. The steps you take prior to your injury are very important if you plan on filing a lawsuit, by contacting a car accident attorney you are making it easier to do so.

The injuries a driver or passenger can sustain in an SUV roller accident can range anywhere from a sprain/strain to paralysis if the occupant is ejected from the vehicle.

Fact: The most common cause of a spinal cord injury is a rollover accident.

The design of an SUV is inadequate to protect its occupants in a rollover. The roof collapses (referred to as “roof crush”), causing the neck to crush. Collapse of the roof also causes the windows and doors to crush, allowing the occupants to be thrown from the vehicle.  

The spinal cord does not have to be severed to cause injury. It is the damage to the spinal cord that causes the most significant problems. After an injury, the flow of information is cut off between the brain and the level of the injury. Your body will function above the level of the injury, but not below.

The effects of trauma to the spine can be severe, causing complete paralysis and requiring help to breathe, such as the injury Christopher Reeve suffered, or being a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair.

These injuries can affect all the parts of the spine: 

• cervical spine (your neck)
•  thoracic spine in the center of your back
• lumbar spine in your low back.

However, less severe injuries can also result in damage to your neck or back which can be long-lasting and painful.

Cervical or lumbar strain causes difficulty in everyday life and can be difficult to deal with on a long-term basis. Physical therapy, chiropractic and medication can help, but for some people the pain never really goes away.  

The prognosis for recovery varies depending on several factors:

• Where the spinal cord was injured: the neck, mid back or low back
• Which nerves are damaged
• The severity of the injury

Generally, some recovery can be expected in the first six months following injury. Lesser injuries, such as a sprain or strain should show significant improvement in this time and should continue to get better with more time. However, after six months, additional recovery in severe spinal cord injuries is unlikely.