Our spinal cord makes everything possible. Along with the brain, this thin tube represents the central nervous system and it is responsible for transmitting nerve signals to the entire body, allowing us to move at will. So far, its importance is very clear. Then imagine what could happen if our spinal cord suffers a serious injury. What is at stake? Most of the time, this dreading scenario implies a dramatic change of lifestyle, influencing every single aspect of our living.
The sole idea of long-term consequences as a result of the injury often lead patients to get a spinal cord injury attorney and fight fiercely to obtain a financial compensation, one that may allow them to enjoy certain life quality. But before addressing this point, we must talk about why and how this kind of injury takes place.
COMMON CAUSES
Among spinal cord injury’s causes, we find two terms that are key to differentiate the type of lesion: traumatic and non-traumatic. On one side, traumatic spinal cord injuries are caused by sudden blows and hits that affect the spine’s well-being, fracturing, dislocating, or compressing one or more of the vertebrae. Another example of traumatic nature is direct cuts due to gunshots.
Then we have non-traumatic spinal cord injuries, which are those that are caused over time due to conditions like cancer, infections, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases.
COMMON SCENARIOS
But how these injuries occur in the first place? In which kind of scenarios are the spinal cord injuries that common? As a spinal cord injury attorney may explain in further detail, there are too many unfortunate circumstances in which this kind of lesions could take place.
As some may imagine, the most common scenario for spinal cord injuries is motor vehicle accidents. This includes both automobile and motorcycle vehicles. Recreation activities, including sports, are also a highly common scenario. Acts of violence with knives or gunshots involved are frequent among spinal cord injury patients, also including severe beatings with blunt objects. According to the National
Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, 15 percent of the injuries are the result of acts of violence, which is a worryingly high percentage.
COMPLETE AND INCOMPLETE INJURIES
Before, we mentioned both traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injuries, pointing out the big difference between those two types. However, it’s more typical to categorize the injury due to its severity. The key terms here are complete and incomplete spinal cord injury.
Depending on the body functions after the injury, the patient itself is the one who must determine the severity of the case. Complete spinal cord injuries disable almost completely physical control and sensorial capabilities. On the other hand, incomplete spinal cord injuries refer to the partial loss of control and sensorial capabilities without a fixed degree.
GETTING THE RIGHT HELP
Suffering an injury of this nature can be highly traumatizing on an emotional level. Being forced to change their regular lifestyle, patients often suffer a great deal, also involving their families and close friends deep in the pain.
However, one of the most critical elements is the financial one. That’s why it’s so important to rely on a seasoned spinal cord injury attorney to lead the charge against those with the fault and bring fair compensations to the real victim.
