Many motor vehicle crashes have violent impacts that can significantly damage the body. This can occur in many ways, some of which impact the spinal cord. When the spinal cord suffers damage, the person can face significant changes in their ability to move.
Spinal cord injuries vary considerably, so what affects one victim may not affect another one in the same manner. There are some factors of spinal cord injuries that are fairly universal.
The location of the damage matters
The location of the damage on the spinal cord determine what areas of the body are affected. The impacted area of the body will always be below the place where the spinal cord is damaged. This means that injuries that occur higher on the spine will affect a larger portion of the body.
All bodily systems can be affected
Most people think about the paralysis associated with a spinal cord injury only affecting the limbs. It’s possible that the injury will affect every other body system, too. A neck injury can cause the victim to be ventilator dependent because it can affect the person’s ability to breathe. The intestines and excretory system, reproductive system and nervous system can all be affected.
The severity of the injury is a big factor
Spinal cord injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete, based on the nerve damage in the affected area. A complete injury means that the nerves at the site of the damage are fully severed. This type of injury is often more difficult to heal from. It’s associated with a total lack of feeling and the inability to move the area below the injury.
An incomplete injury means the nerves at the site of the damage aren’t fully severed. Because some nerves are still connected, the person may have a better recovery than someone with a complete spinal cord injury. Someone who has an incomplete injury may have limited movement and sensation below the injury.
Treating a spinal cord injury can be costly. If the car crash was the result of another person’s negligence, the victim may opt to pursue a compensation claim against that driver. This can help them to cover those costs.
