No car accident injury has quite the same impact as a spinal cord injury. According to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, approximately 18,000 new spinal cord injury cases arise each year.
A leading cause of spinal cord injuries is motor vehicle accidents. Knowing the prevalence and symptoms associated with a spinal cord injury can help you after an accident.
Dulin McQuinn Young can help you navigate the legal process for recovering compensation after a spinal cord injury.
Why Is the Spinal Cord Often Injured During a Car Accident?
The spine provides support to the body and is responsible for movement. During a motor vehicle accident, much of the impact can be felt by the back, which houses the fragile spinal column.
The spinal cord is part of the central nervous system, so any injury to it can cause nerve damage and affect the messaging to and from the brain. Many of a car accident victim’s bodily functions can be affected by spinal cord damage, including mobility, bowel and bladder control, sexual function, and many more.
Spinal cord injuries can have a lifelong impact on motor vehicle accident victims and their families.
Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries
If you were injured in a car accident, monitor yourself closely for the following symptoms that can indicate a spinal cord injury:
- Pain where the injury occurred
- Loss of movement or flexibility
- Difficulty walking or maintaining balance
- Muscle weakness
- Involuntary muscle spasms
- Numbness
- Inability to feel heat, cold, and touch
- Problems regulating heart rate and blood pressure
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Swelling in the arms or legs
Most Common Spine Injuries Following Motor Vehicle Accidents
Spinal cord injuries can take many forms. Some of the most common spinal cord injuries that car accident victims suffer include the following:
- Whiplash: Whiplash is a neck injury caused by sudden forceful movements of the head and neck back and forth.
- Herniated discs: These injuries can occur when a disc is forced through a weakened portion of the spine.
- Paralysis: One of the most serious spinal cord injuries victims can suffer is paralysis. Paralysis conditions can include quadriplegia, paraplegia, or triplegia.
- Spinal fracture: A spinal fracture occurs when one of the bones of the spine break.
- Facet joint injuries: The facet joints connect vertebrae. Injuries to them can cause severe pain.
You want to seek immediate medical attention after any car accident so that your injuries can be properly diagnose and treated.
How Spinal Cord Injuries Are Treated
Many spinal cord injuries are not curable. Instead, the focus is on stabilizing the injury, preventing further damage, and helping victims regain some degree of function. Spinal cord injury victims may have to complete extensive rounds of rehabilitation and therapy to improve function and relearn basic skills.
You can seek compensation for the medical expenses and other losses you experience because of the accident.
Learn About Your Legal Options For Compensation During a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, the spinal cord injury legal team at Dulin McQuinn Young can help. We can review your case for free and explain your legal options for financial recovery.
Call us today at (306) 246-1111 or contact us online for your free consultation.