Vehicular Accidents and Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord is the central support for the body’s muscular system and relays the messages from the brain to the rest of the body. Any injury to this vital body part can be devastating.

The number one cause of spinal cord injuries, accounting for more than 40 percent, is motor vehicle accidents. Crashes can fracture, dislocate, crush, or compress one or more of the vertebrae of the spinal cord. When bits of bone tear into the tissue embedded in the spine, the nerves are damaged.  The crash does not have to be catastrophic, spinal cord injuries can occur in low, medium, and high speed impacts.  The opposite can also occur, even in a medium and high speed crashes no injury can occur and the occupants walk away.

Spinal cord damage may lead to full or partial paralysis, respiratory difficulty, circulation problems, muscle tone deficiency, problems with bladder or bowel control, poor sexual health, and greatly diminished skin sensation. Chronic muscle and joint pain, as well as depression, may also result.

Sadly, many of these injuries will need to be dealt with every day for the rest of a person’s life. Round-the-clock care for a stretch of time – if not permanently – is necessary for some. Surgeries, rehab, and medication may disrupt one’s life, too. Everyday activities prior to the accident may now be impossible or greatly complicated.

It goes without saying that immediate and long-term loss of earnings is a distinct possibility. Don’t let financial worries exacerbate an already challenging situation. If you are the victim of a spinal cord injury via an auto accident that was the fault of another, contact an experienced auto accident attorney to safeguard your rights. Your attorney can file an injury claim to alleviate your financial concerns and also compensate you for mental and emotional suffering, enabling you to focus on what’s most important—your health.