Catastrophic spinal cord injuries after falls or wrecks

Spinal cord injuries are often life-altering. Even if a person recovers most of their abilities after the incident, the cost of medical care and other needs can dramatically affect how they can live their life. In most cases, paralysis means that the person won’t ever live life in the way they did before the injury.

These injuries occur for many reasons. In people who are over 65 years of age, falls are the primary cause of spinal cord injuries. In people younger than that, motor vehicle crashes are the primary reason. Several factors play into exactly what consequences a spinal cord injury will have for someone:

The location of the injury

The location of the injury matters because the effects the victim experiences will occur below that level. Neck injuries can affect the upper and lower limbs, along with the trunk area, while lower back injuries can affect the pelvis and lower limbs.

The type of spinal cord injury

The type of spinal cord injury the person experiences has a direct impact on the likelihood they’ll fully recover. Nearly half of all spinal cord injuries are complete, which means that there isn’t any feeling or mobility below the injury because the nerve pathways are completely severed. A full recovery isn’t likely after a complete injury.

The remainder of spinal cord injuries is incomplete, which means that there are still some functional nerve pathways. This leaves the victim with at least some feeling and movement below the injury, and the chance of recovery is better with an incomplete injury than with a complete injury.

When a spinal cord injury is attributed to the negligence of another party, you can claim damages for things like medical care or missed wages that are due to the injury. A personal injury claim can help you provide for the long-term medical care you need.