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Accidents happen every day, in every state, county, city and town in our nation. While many accidents do not result in death or serious injury, others can seriously affect the rest of the victim's life. Spinal cord injuries can be caused by various types of accidents—cars, construction sites, slips and falls, and other accidents. personal injury law.
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The spinal cord has many nerve fibers that act as the body's messenger system, transmitting commands from the brain to different parts of the body. The spinal cord (and the series of nerves that make up it) run through the spine, which is divided into four sections: the cervical region, or cervical region; the thoracic region, or midsection of the spine; the lumbar region, or lower back, and; the sacral region, or coccyx.
Spinal cord injuries can be caused by trauma, disease, or simply the aging process. However, every spinal cord injury is different. In most spinal cord injuries, the spine compresses the spinal cord, causing it to bruise or swell. Sometimes, the injury may tear the spinal cord and/or its nerve fibers. Infection or disease can cause similar damage. After a spinal cord injury, all nerves above the level of the injury continue to work as usual. From the point of injury, the spinal nerves cannot carry messages between the brain and body parts as they did before the injury.
The level of injury in people with spinal cord injury is the lowest point of the spinal cord below which sensation (sensory level) and/or movement (motor level) is reduced or absent. The higher the spinal cord injury is on the spine, or closer to the brain, the more it affects how the body moves and feels for the injured victim:
Quadriplegia (also known as quadriplegia) generally describes the condition in people with spinal cord injuries ranging from C1 to T1. This type of injury usually results in loss of feeling and/or movement in the head, neck, shoulders, arms, and/or upper chest.
Paraplegia is a general term to describe the condition of a person who loses feeling and/or is unable to move the lower part of his/her body. Parts of the body that may be affected are the chest, abdomen, buttocks, legs and feet. People with injuries ranging from T2 to S5 develop paraplegia.
Lawyers can help "level the playing field" by providing spinal cord injury victims with information about the practical and legal aspects of personal injury law.
