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Originally Posted On: https://www.800perkins.com/types-of-accidents-that-cause-spinal-cord-injuries/

Your spine is made up of several bones that are called vertebrae. The spinal cord is found in a canal in the middle of the bones. Your spinal cord is made up of nerves that send messages from your brain to all the other parts of your body.

Acute spinal cord injuries occur because of some type of severe injury that results in bruises, partial tears, or complete tears in the spinal cord. If you experience an SCI, it can lead to a permanent disability or death in both adults and children.

If you are involved in an accident that causes a spinal cord injury, and it is determined that another person’s fault or negligence led to the accident, you have the right to recover compensation. Our legal team at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers is ready to help you with your case and ensure you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Leading Causes of SCIs

There are a few accidents and situations that can lead to a spinal cord injury. The most common injuries occur when your spine or neck is compressed or bent, which can happen in the following situations:

• Falls
• Violence
• Sports accidents
• Infections
• Trampoline accidents
• Diving accidents
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Birth injuries

What Are the Risks for Spinal Cord Injuries?

There are some people who are more at risk for this type of injury than others. In the past few years, the average age of a person when they are injured has increased and is now 42. Usually, people who experience these injuries are male, and non-Hispanic white males are much more likely to experience this injury than other ethnic groups.

Common Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injury symptoms vary in each person. Also, the location on the spinal cord where the injury occurs will determine what part of the body is affected and the severity of the symptoms.

After a spinal cord injury, the spine may be in a state of shock. This can cause the loss or reduction of feeling, reflexes, or muscle movement. As the swelling goes down, you may notice other symptoms. Usually, what you experience depends on the location of the spinal cord injury.

In most cases, the higher up on the spine the injury is, the more serious the symptoms are. For example, if your neck is injured on the first or second vertebrae in your spinal column or the mid-cervical vertebrae, it can impact your respiratory muscles and your ability to breathe.

Injuries that occur lower in the spine, such as in the lumbar vertebrae, can impact muscle and nerve control in the legs, bowel, and bladder. It may also impact sexual function.

Some spinal injuries cause a person to experience:

• Quadriplegia: This is the loss of function of the legs and arms
• Paraplegia: This is the loss of function in the lower body and legs

The severity of the damage to your spinal cord will determine if the injury is incomplete or complete.

With an incomplete injury, it means there is still some sensation, feeling, or movement under the location of the injury on the spinal cord. With a complete injury, it means there is no sensation, feeling, or movement below where the injury occurred on the spinal column.

Common symptoms that accompany a spinal cord injury include:

• Muscle weakness
• Breathing issues
• Loss of voluntary muscle movement in the legs, arms, or chest
• Bowel or bladder function issues
• Reduced feeling in the legs, arms, or chest

Unfortunately, there are many situations where the symptoms of a spinal cord injury look like other medical problems or conditions.

Diagnosing Spinal Cord Injuries

If you suffer a spinal cord injury, it is considered a medical emergency. At this point, an emergency evaluation is needed.

The impact of a spinal cord injury may not be evident at first. Because of this, a full evaluation and testing are required. The diagnosis process will start with a physical exam and the right diagnostic tests. At this point, the doctor can determine what injury you have and what type of treatment is required.

Contact Our Legal Team for Help with a Spinal Cord Injury

If you have been injured in an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence and suffered a spinal cord injury, our legal team at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers is ready to help. We will evaluate your case and help you recover compensation from the liable parties.

The fact is a spinal cord injury can have a huge impact on your life. In fact, there are situations where you may never be able to go back to “normal” again. We believe you deserve to be compensated.