Millions of people get involved in catastrophic car accidents each year. Of those, a significant number of them end up with serious spinal cord injuries. Such injuries usually have long-term negative effects on the victim’s daily life. Many victims feel hopeless, finding themselves unable to get legal redress. However, there are resources available to help such victims get justice. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help in such situations. If you’re looking to wage a legal battle against the accident’s perpetrator, you can click here to get more info.
Of the millions of people involved in road traffic accidents each year, nearly 40% of them sustain spinal injuries. Spinal injuries, in one form or another, are responsible for the majority of back pains experienced by victims.
Spinal Cord: A Crucial but Fragile System
While injuries to other body parts like the brain and the limbs tend to dominate car accident statistics, spinal injuries are equally debilitating. The spinal cord is an elongated tissue that extends from the brain to the lower back, with its numerous branches( spinal nerves) serving nearly every body part. The human body has over 100 muscles and joints, with at least twice this number of ligaments. Ligaments, joints, and muscles make up nearly every body part. This means that the spinal cord, in one way or another, controls nearly every body part. Given its complexity and reach, anything that affects it can affect nearly every part of the body. The spinal cord is housed in the backbone. The backbone consists of numerous small bones that are fused to provide a protective layer around the spinal cord. Since both the spinal cord and the backbone are located in the back, any trauma to the back can seriously affect their functioning and structural integrity. Car accidents represent the kind of trauma that usually damages the spinal cord.
Seeking Justice as a Spinal Cord Injury Victim
Sustaining spinal cord injuries due to a car accident can cause great anguish. Physically, it can lead to things like an altered sensation like the inability to feel things. It can also lead to incontinence, and sexual dysfunction, with the worst-case scenario, victims experiencing total paralysis. Any such injuries will have a profound effect on the victim’s psyche. This is made even worse when the victim cannot fully understand what is going on in their body. Such victims may find it challenging to explain their symptoms to a doctor. The inability of victims to fully articulate their symptoms to a doctor can be very depressing, causing mental anguish. That’s why spinal cord injury victims need to seek justice by holding their perpetrators accountable. An experienced personal injury lawyer is crucial to this process.
As a spinal injury victim, you may not fully realize the extent of your injuries. All you may feel is chronic back pain that may not respond to therapeutic interventions. Below are some of the common conditions resulting from spinal injuries due to car accidents.
1)Tissue Bruising
Numerous body tissues are directly connected to the spinal cord. Such tissues include muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Any such soft tissue can sustain tearing and bruising due to a car accident. Such injuries may not be obvious immediately after the car accident. However, the victim will begin to experience things like chronic back pain or muscle weakness that only seems to worsen.
2) Dislocations
A dislocation occurs when a bone moves out of its natural position. Dislocations are common spinal cord injuries after a car accident. The multiple bones that form the backbone (vertebrae) may become displaced from their natural positions as a result of torn spinal ligaments resulting from a car accident. Dislocations can cause subtle but serious back injuries that may not be obvious straight away. For example, if only one vertebra is dislocated, it can impinge on the spinal cord at only one point. This can result in issues like pain, numbness, or difficulty in bending.
3) Fractures
The backbone can sustain several types of fractures due to a car accident. For example, the vertebrae can crack due to a sudden, violent forward force. This is called a flexion fracture. Sometimes, these bones can be compressed due to the impact of the car crash, resulting in a compression fracture. All such injuries can cause severe back pain and neurological problems.
4) Spondylolisthesis
Sometimes, the force of impact of a car accident can cause some vertebrae to become misaligned. This misalignment causes them to press on specific spinal nerves. This will cause pain and other unpleasant sensations in the affected body parts in addition to back pain.
Ultimately, sustaining back pain due to a car accident could indicate a serious injury that requires prolonged treatment. This is crucial before the victim can contemplate any form of legal action.