In most cases this injury will not have been caused by a car accident however there is a significant proportion that is a direct result of motor vehicle collisions. Road traffic accidents are a major cause of traumatic injury and represent more than half of all cases handled by personal injury solicitors. If you have been injured in a car accident and you want to make a compensation claim for personal injury and loss just complete the contact form, email our offices or use the solicitor’s helpline. Our car accident compensation claim solicitors offer free advice without further obligation. If we deal with your claim it will be on a no win no fee basis, compensation is paid in full and you do not have to fund or finance your car accident compensation claim.
Spinal cord injury can be compression and bruising of the spinal cord or transection of the cord. All of these injuries affect the ability of the nerves distal to the cord damage to feel things or to move things. This results in paralysis with loss of sensation below the level of the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries at the level of the cervical vertebrae can affect everything at or below the arms and can affect breathing ability. Thoracic spinal cord injuries affect the legs and lumbar spinal cord injuries tend to affect only portions of the legs. The spinal cord itself only exists from the level of the brainstem down to about L1 after which only spinal nerves are present in the spinal canal.
The major causes of spinal cord injuries are sports injuries, falls, gunshot wounds, industrial accidents, diving injuries and motor vehicle accidents. Assaults and other injuries will cause spinal cord injuries as well. If the spine is weak due to osteoporosis or rheumatoid arthritis, there can be minor injuries that result in spinal cord damage. Spinal stenosis or spinal cord narrowing can also result in an increased risk for spinal injuries.
Bleeding, fluid accumulation, swelling and tumors can all put excess pressure on an otherwise normal spinal cord, resulting in its injury. These kinds of damage to the spinal cord can be reversible while the transection of the cord is often not reversible. Those most commonly afflicted with spinal cord injuries are men between the ages of 15 and 35 years of age and who are otherwise healthy. The death rate is highest with young children who have spinal cord injuries.
Injuries can also happen to the vertebrae of the spinal area. The vertebrae are roughly doughnut shaped bones that stack one atop the other to form the spine. They are separated by spongy spinal discs that help with cushioning the bones. The bones themselves house the spinal cord and the damage to the bones or to the discs can damage the spinal cord and can cause paralysis.
Symptoms of a spinal cord injury depend upon the level of the spinal cord which is affected. The higher the level, the greater is the degree of symptoms. A complete spinal cord injury is worse than an incomplete spinal cord injury. Injuries below L1 give what’s called cauda equina syndrome or damage to the spinal nerves which exist as a bundle in the spinal canal.
Cervical injuries result in breathing problems, if the level of the damage is high. There is loss of bowel and bladder control, numbness in the arms and legs, sensory changes, paralysis, spasticity of the muscles, pain in the spine and weakness of parts of the body.
Thoracic injuries involve loss of bowel and bladder control, numbness, spasticity, pain, weakness or paralysis of the muscles of the body below the level of the spinal cord. High blood pressure can occur if the lesions are high enough in the thoracic spine and there may be difficulties maintaining normal body temperatures and abnormal sweating behaviors.
Lower back injuries can affect one or both legs and can affect only bowel and bladder function. The same symptoms of spasticity, numbness and paralysis affect a portion of one or both legs as well.
Tests for spinal cord injury include a CT scan or MRI scan of the spinal cord, looking for transections or lesions. A myelogram is an x-ray test of the spine that uses dye to outline the spinal canal and can detect small problems with the spinal cord. Testing of the nerves can show whether or not they are functioning and at which level they are functioning. Spinal x-rays are done to see if there is any bony damage.
Treatment of spinal cord trauma involves immediately getting corticosteroids into the body in order to shrink the swelling of the spinal cord. Keeping the spinal cord stable is important through immobilization and surgery to realign the spine. Physical and occupational therapy is used once the patient is stable in order to maximize the individual’s function.
If you have suffered physically, mentally or financially, you should consider making an accident compensation claim. For free telephone advice from specialist personal injury solicitors just call the helpline. Our lawyers will assess the strength of your claim and will advise you on your potential award of compensation without any further obligation.