Car Accidents And Spine Injuries

Spinal cord injuries are amongst the worst possible outcomes of a car accident. The range of injury is vast, varying from temporary pain to paralysis, but are almost always life-changing. Due to the tremendous amount of force created by a high speed collision, car accidents are the leading cause of spine injuries. Depending on the extent, this injury can drastically alter one's life both physically and financially. When the accident that causes the injury is due to someone else's negligence, the victim has every right to seek legal action, and should contact a car accident lawyer as soon as possible. In order to properly manage the injury, the medical bills will be very high, but the insurance companies will fight tooth and nail to lower or deny your claim. A seasoned personal injury lawyer can give you the upper hand against the insurance companies to get you the compensation you deserve.

Each year, 10,000 to 12,000 new spinal cord injuries occur, which has led to the nearly 250,000 Americans who currently live with an injured spine. Car accidents are the number one cause of these injuries, accounting for nearly 40% of them. A high speed collision can place a substantial amount of direct force on the spinal cord, causing it to twist unnaturally, and/or fracture. Rollovers are one of the most common types of accidents that cause spinal cord injuries. The roof of the car may collapse under the weight, and crush the spine of someone in the vehicle. A common contributing circumstance to spinal cord injuries in auto accidents are when the seatbelt malfunctions, or just isn't worn in the first place. More than 80% of all spinal cord injury patients are male, which roughly correlates to the fact that men statistically get into more car accidents than women.

The initial impact to the spine in an auto accident can cause a chain reaction of internal events that does further harm to the body. If the crash is severe enough, it can cause the spinal discs to become displaced and fracture. This can result in the rupturing of nearby blood cells, which bleed internally and cause a lot of damage. Shortly after, the spinal cavity will swell, and cut off essential blood and oxygen to the area. When this happens, important neurons can be harmed, cutting off the connection between the brain and affected parts of the body.

Spinal cord injuries are broken down into two major classifications: incomplete and complete. A victim of an incomplete spinal cord injury will permanently lose some sensation or motor function because of their injury. There are multiple levels of incomplete spinal injury, but they all involve some sort of partial loss of movement or feeling. A complete spinal cord injury is paralysis. Every part of the body below the affected part of the spine loses all sensation and movement. This means that if the injury occurs at the top of the spine, the patient will lose all movement in their arms and legs. There is no cure for spinal cord injuries, but they can be best controlled if the injury receives immediate medical attention.

In both incomplete and complete spinal injuries, the victim's life will inevitably be different. Long term medical care will be necessary, it may affect job performance, and there are added pressures on close family members. If you or a family member has suffered a spine injury due to the negligence of someone else, you should speak with an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer as soon as possible.