Correlation Of Spinal Cord Injuries And Motor Vehicle Accidents

On behalf of Lovett Law Firm posted in Spinal Cord Injuries on Thursday, January 1, 2015.

If you’ve suffered from a spinal cord injury, then you know that it’s going to take time, potentially a lifetime, to get back to the way you were. In some cases, you may never be the way you used to be. A spinal cord injury is considered any injury when part of the spinal cord is damaged; because your nerves travel down from the brain into the vertebral column, a spinal injury can be life-threatening or deadly.

What happens when your spine and nerves are damaged? A doctor of the neurosurgery at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, New York, describes it as an interruption of the flow of electrical information from the brain to the nerves and where the nerves are headed. The injury could cause paralysis, which is the inability of a nerve signal to reach the muscles, or it could change the way the information is received, causing pain, burning or other sensations.

Motor vehicle accidents account for 36.6 percent of all spinal cord injuries since 2010. The second highest cause is falls, which account for 28.5 percent of all spinal cord injuries. The injuries are most likely to be caused by a sudden blow to the spinal column, which either fractures or dislocates the vertebrae. At that point, the bone or discs bruise or tear parts of the spinal cord, leading to the nerves being damaged. Additional swelling and bleeding adds to the crushing of the nerves, leading to further damage.

If you’re struggling to recover from a spinal cord injury, know that you don’t have to face it alone. With some legal help, you may be able to get the money you need to pay for medical expenses and other needs as you get back on your feet.

Source: Live Science, “Spinal Cord Injury: Levels, Symptoms & Treatment” Tanya Lewis, Dec. 31, 2014