SPINAL CORD INJURY: LEADING CAUSES ARE CAR ACCIDENTS AND FALLS
Nearly 11,000 people sustain a spinal cord injury every year. Some spinal cord injuries are fatal and some result in paralysis or quadriplegia. Car accidents are responsible for nearly half of all spinal cord injuries, and falls the second most common reason for spinal cord injury. Over 250,000 people living in the US are suffering from a spinal chord injury and more than 190,000 people in the US live with paralysis due to a spinal cord injury. Victims of spinal cord injuries should consult with a personal injury lawyer to learn their rights.
Spinal cord injuries usually occur when a blow fractures or dislocates the vertebrae. Most injuries don't sever the spinal cord. Damage actually occurs when pieces of vertebrae rip into cord tissue or press down on the nerve parts that carry signals. In a complete spinal cord injury, the cord can't relay messages below the level of the injury. People become paralyzed below the level of injury. In an incomplete injury, you have some movement and sensation below the injury. Quadriplegia, also known as tetraplegia, is a type of paralysis affecting all four limbs, although not necessarily total paralysis or loss of function. It is caused by damage to the brain or to the spinal cord at a high level. The injury causes victims to lose partial or total mobility of all four limbs (both arms and legs). The severity of the paralysis depends on which cervical vertebra is injured and the extent of the injury.
In the past few years, the number of skiers and snowboarders suffering head injuries and spinal cord injuries has been on the rise. Skiers and snowboarders have been taking greater risks on the slopes performing more complicated maneuvers and skiing down more dangerous terrain. Some of these accidents are fatal, but statistics show that 85 percent of spinal cord injury patients who survive 24 hours after their injury are still alive ten years after the accident. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident or fall, you should consult with a personal injury attorney. If you live in California, please call us at the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP for a free consultation.
