Spinal cord injuries frequently cause paralysis or the loss of sensation and motor function. The type of paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury depends on how much of the body experiences paralysis:
- Paraplegia – Paralysis of the legs, lower torso, and potentially abdomen
- Quadriplegia/Tetraplegia – Paralysis of the upper and lower torso and all limbs
What Are the Symptoms of a Spinal Cord Injury?
After an accident, a person may experience various symptoms that indicate they may have sustained a spinal cord injury. Emergency signs of a spinal cord injury that occur immediately after an accident include:
- Severe pain or pressure in the head, neck, or back
- Weakness or lack of coordination
- Numbness, tingling, or loss of feeling in fingers, toes, hands, or feet
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Problems with balance or walking
- Impaired breathing
- Oddly positioned or twisted neck or back
Following an accident, a spinal cord can cause other symptoms, such as:
- Loss of motor function
- Altered sensation or loss of feeling, including touch, heat, or cold
- Exaggerated reflexes or muscle spasms
- Altered sexual function or sensitivity
- Severe pain or stinging sensation near the injury site
- Trouble breathing or clearing the lungs
What Are Treatment Options for a Spinal Cord Injury?
Unfortunately, doctors cannot repair damage to the spinal cord. Acute or emergency treatment for a spinal cord injury involves immobilizing the neck and back to prevent further injury, maintaining the injured person’s ability to breathe, and preventing shock. Spinal injury patients may also undergo surgery to repair fractured vertebrae, treat a herniated disk, remove debris from the spinal column, or install devices to stabilize the spine to prevent future pain or deformity.
Long-term treatment for a spinal cord injury focuses on mitigating the symptoms and complications caused by the injury and providing therapy and rehabilitation so that an injured person can resume an active, independent life. Treatments for a spinal cord injury may include:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Dietician or nutritionist consulting
- Recreational therapy
- Mental health therapy to address depression or anxiety
What Are the Long-Term Effects of a Spinal Cord Injury?
Paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury can have long-term complications. Some of the permanent effects and symptoms that a spinal injury could cause include:
- Changes to bladder and bowel control that would lead to complications such as kidney infections, kidney stones, or constipation
- Increased risk of pressure ulcers or bed sores due to loss of sensitivity to pain and decreased mobility putting long-term pressure on specific body parts
- Circulatory problems, including swelling of extremities, low blood pressure when getting up, or increased risk of blood clots
- Respiratory problems, including difficulty breathing or clearing the lungs, which can also increase the risk of pneumonia and other infections
- Loss of bone density and increased risk of fractures
- Loss of muscle tone leads to spasticity or flaccidity
- Weight gain due to a more sedentary lifestyle, which can lead to complications such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease
- Changes to sexual health and fertility
- Chronic pain
- Anxiety and depression
What Compensation Can I Pursue for a Spinal Cord Injury?
Recovering from a spinal cord injury may take the rest of your life and require substantial sums of money. If somebody else’s negligence injured you, a spinal cord injury lawyer in Charleston, SC, could help you pursue compensation for:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses
- Costs of long-term care, including home health services, housekeeping, disability accommodations, or residential facility care
- Ongoing and future losses of income when you need to take time off work during your recovery or if you become permanently disabled from working
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life and reduced life expectancy
What Is the Average Settlement for a Back Injury from a Car Accident?
Although an attorney cannot precisely estimate how much money you might recover in settlement of your spine injury claim, the size of your settlement will depend on various factors in your case. These include the following:
- The severity of your injury and disability
- Whether you become permanently disabled from work
- The cost of your medical treatment and rehabilitation
- Whether you require long-term support services
- The number of parties liable for your injury
- Whether the accident injured other people
- Whether you share any fault for the accident that caused your injury
- The availability of insurance coverage or the financial resources of liable parties
- The strength of your legal claim
- Whether your case goes to court
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