Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys
Spinal cord injuries can cause permanent paralysis or death. The majority of spinal cord injuries originate with a motor vehicle accident; slip and fall accidents also often result in spinal cord injuries. Quick detection and treatment can often prevent permanent nerve damage and help to facilitate recovery. Medical negligence while working on a spinal cord injury can lead to permanent disability or death, even if the initial injury is caused by something else.
Results of Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nerves that is an extension of the central nervous system and is protected and enclosed by the vertebral column. The spinal cord sends signals between the brain and some other parts of the body. A spinal cord injury may impair or completely cut off this communication.
Depending on what part of the spinal cord is injured and how severe the damage is, a spinal cord injury can cause the loss of use of part of your body, loss of sensation, or even death.
Spinal cord injuries can cause:
- Paralysis
- Quadriplegia
- Paraplegia
- Loss of sensation and reflex
- Loss of autonomic functions such as breathing, bowel control, and bladder control
- Sexual dysfunction
- Pain
- Hypersensitivity to stimuli
- Muscle spasms
- Weakness poor coordination
- Death
People with spinal cord injuries are also more likely to develop secondary conditions including:
- Bladder infections
- Lung infections
- Bed sores
Types and Causes
While we typically associate spinal cord injuries with accidents, they can also be caused by medical conditions or medical procedures. Causes of spinal cord injuries include:
- Trauma
- Herniated disk
- Spinal stenois
- Tumors
- Abscesses
- Blood clots
- Polio
- Spina bifida
- Friedrich’s Ataxia
- Infections
- Epidural mistake
- Surgical error
- Screws placed improperly in the spine
- Continuous spinal anesthesia
- Spinal tap
Detecting Spinal Cord Injury
Injuries to the vertebrae (bones in your spine) can be detected by X-ray, but spinal cord injuries are soft tissue injuries and do not show up on X-rays. A CT scan, MRI, or myelogram is necessary to detect a spinal cord injury and show be used if there is any possibility that the spinal cord may be injured. Immediate stabilization and treatment is necessary to minimize damage and prevent permanent disability or death. Emergency treatment can include the use of corticosteroid drugs and/or surgery.
Complete and Partial Spinal Cord Injuries
A complete injury removes all function below that injury location. There will be no movement and no sensation because the nerve messages that would normally enable them cannot travel past the injury. Quadriplegia (paralysis of both arms and legs) and paraplegia (paralysis of the legs) can result from a complete injury.
A partial injury will leave some movement and sensation intact. One side of the body may remain more functional than the other or one limb will function more than the others. Partial injuries are individual to each person.
Impaired Body Functions
Besides causing loss of movement and sensation, spinal cord injuries can impair any of the body’s functions such as urination, blood pressure, heart rate, fertility, breathing, body temperature, and sweating ability. There will also be secondary complications arising from these initial impairments. Examples of those would be a greater susceptibility to infection, respiratory disease, or stroke.
Auto accidents cause more spinal cord injuries than any other trauma. Other causes are violent attacks, falls, and sports injuries, especially diving incidents.
Treatments of spinal cords are as varied as the injuries themselves. When the injury is caused by somebody’s negligence, medical attention is often supplemented by legal advice and representation. If you have suffered a spinal cord injury, or if you have a loved one who has, why not learn more about your legal options by getting a free consultation with an experienced spinal cord injury attorney?
