What Are Spinal Cord Injuries?
If you have suffered a serious spinal cord injury as a result of a car accident, a consultation with a personal injury lawyer may be a good idea. The lawyer will help you determine if you have a car accident legal claim.
The mere thought of sustaining a spinal cord injury is alarming, as is the related thought of becoming paralyzed. We tend to take things for granted until an injury occurs. While some people who suffer a spinal cord injury are able to completely recover, many of these injuries result in at least temporary if not permanent lifestyle changes. If your lifestyle has been affected due to a spinal cord injury let a personal injury lawyer get the compensation you may be entitled to.
Spinal Cord Injuries Defined
Spinal cord injuries, also known as SCIs, essentially involve damage to the spinal cord to the point where you lose physical sensation and/or the ability to move. The spinal cord may remain intact or become severed; in either case, the spinal injury results in your body’s inability to function normally.
The degree of severity dictates whether or not paralysis occurs. In addition, the spinal injury may be either complete (full loss of sensation and functioning below injury site) or incomplete (some degree of functioning below injury site).
The location of the spinal cord injury also determines what part of the body may be affected:
- Cervical damage may result in problems with breathing, or loss of normal functioning in arms or hands
- Thoracic damage may result in poor core body or trunk control, as chest and/or abdominal muscles are impacted
- Lumbar damage may result in loss of control or movement in hips and legs
- Sacral damage may result in impaired bladder, bowel, and sexual functioning
A back injury alone – which may include pinched nerves or ruptured disks – is not the same as spinal cord injury. As long as the spinal cord itself is not damaged, more serious consequences such as paralysis would most likely not occur.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
We often think of spinal cord injuries in relation to car accidents and collisions between football players. However, many other events can result in a spinal cord injury, including:
- Diving accidents
- Falls from a height such as off a ladder or a horse,
- Gunshot wounds,
- And many other types of trauma that damage the spinal cord.
In addition, certain types of disease can cause damage to the spinal cord, including polio and spina bifida, among others. Degenerative conditions like arthritis may also weaken the spinal cord, making it more vulnerable to injury.
Spinal Cord Injury Treatment and Rehabilitation
Due to the serious nature of spinal cord injuries, people who sustain them are treated in emergency rooms and Intensive Care Units. The spinal cord is stabilized through surgery, various types of braces, or both.
Spinal cord injury rehabilitation is typically necessary to improve the quality of life for the patient. Depending on the severity of damage, the patient may need to engage in breathing exercises, monitor bladder and bowel control, or learn to walk again, use crutches or a wheel chair.
Do You Have a Case
If you or a loved one has sustained a spinal cord injury as the result of someone else’s negligence or direct actions, contact a personal injury lawyer to determine your course of action.
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