Motor vehicle crashes can lead to a variety of injuries for the people who are involved in them. One of these is a spinal cord injury, which is a catastrophic injury and can lead to lifelong effects.
Suffering from a spinal cord injury can result in extensive medical care, changes in abilities and financial difficulties. All of these can lead to significant mental and emotional trauma for the victim. Understanding a bit about these injuries may help people who are dealing with them.
Types of spinal cord injuries: What to know
There are two types of spinal cord injuries: complete and incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury is one in which all of the nerves at the site of the injury have been severed. This leaves no feeling, sensation, or movement below the level of the accident.
In an incomplete spinal cord injury, some nerves remain attached. In this case, there may be a reduction in sensation, feeling, and movement, but those may not be gone completely.
Regardless of the type of spinal cord injury a person suffers, the effects of it will always be felt below the area that’s damaged. Injuries that happen to the lower spinal cord are associated with a smaller area of the body than those that occur higher on the spinal cord. For example, a lumbar injury may affect the legs but not the arms. A cervical injury would affect the arms and legs.
Victims of spinal cord injuries that are caused by a motor vehicle crash may opt to pursue a compensation claim. This can hold the negligent driver accountable for the effects of the wreck. This must be done in a limited time, so it’s critical to work with someone familiar with these matters so it can be taken care of swiftly.