A spinal cord injury occurs when there is damage to the spinal cord that blocks communication between the brain and the body. Spinal cord injuries can be devastating and have a lasting physical and financial impact on a victim. These injuries can be caused by anything that causes a sudden, traumatic impact to the spine, such as a car accident, truck crash, boating accident or slip and fall.
Understanding the Spinal Cord
Your spinal cord is surrounded by vertebrae, which are rings of bone that protect it. The spinal cord stretches from your brain to just below your last rib. Its primary function is to serve as the communication center from your brain to the rest of your body. It transmits messages that allow you to move and experience sensations. The spinal cord is extremely delicate and can be injured in a variety of ways.
Degrees of Spinal Cord Injuries
Your ability to control your limbs after a spinal cord injury is dependent on two factors. The first factor is the location of the injury along the spinal cord. The second factor is the completeness of the injury.
If your spinal cord injury is complete, that means that the spinal cord has been severed all the way through. All sensory feeling and motor control below the site of the injury will be gone. An incomplete injury is one where the spinal cord has not been completely severed, and there is still some sensation and movement possible.
The paralysis that results from a spinal cord injury can be referred to as tetraplegia (also known as quadriplegia) and paraplegia. An individual with tetraplegia has an injury higher up on the spinal cord and experiences paralysis of the hands, arms, trunk, legs, and pelvic organs. Paraplegia occurs when the injury is lower down on the spinal cord and results in paralysis of the legs, part of the trunk, and the pelvic organs. A number of tests are performed to determine the degree of a spinal cord injury.
The Effects of a Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries can have permanent, life-altering effects. There can be a significant degree of pain and suffering and a difficult adjustment to changes in a person’s daily life. In addition, there are substantial financial costs associated with a spinal cord injury. It is estimated that the costs associated with a spinal cord injury may be over one million dollars in the first year alone. If a spinal cord injury is the result of someone’s negligence, then adequate compensation for all of these effects should be pursued.
An Experienced Accident Attorney Can Help
If you sustained a spinal cord injury as the result of someone's negligence, you might have the right to pursue compensation for your injury. An experienced attorney like those at the Tison Law Group, can help you through the process. We have decades of experience and would like to put that experience to work for you. Contact the trusted attorneys at Tison Law Group or call us at 813-739-1776 to schedule your free consultation today.
