Why Are Most Spinal Injuries Permanent?

Catastrophic injuries have long-term consequences that cause a lot of pain and often require the person to completely change their lifestyle. Paralysis is a catastrophic injury that’s caused by severe damage done to the spinal cord. Car accidents, medical malpractice, and slip and fall accidents are a few examples of situations where a person can suffer a spinal injury that causes paralysis.

It’s common in personal injury cases for a negligent person to be the reason why the injury happened. You can seek help from an Atlanta personal injury lawyer from Bey & Associates. We’ll stand up for your rights and get you the compensation you need.

What Affects a Spinal Cord Injury?

Spinal cord injuries are permanent because it’s direct damage to the nerves that send signals to the brain that controls many of our functions. While modern medicine can help partially heal some of those wounds and allow some with spinal injuries to lead independent lives, there are some injuries that are permanent.

Two main factors go into a spinal cord injury: Where it happened and how much damage was done.

• Location. When the upper part of the spine is injured, the total injury tends to be more severe. There’s a risk of losing movement and feeling in arms, legs, trunk, and have difficulty with speech. The injured person may need assistance with breathing and other daily activities. Lower spinal injuries may lose movement from the waist down. They will still be able to breathe on their own and use their arms and hands.
• Completeness. If a person gets a spinal injury and they lose all feeling and motor function below the injury site, then it’s called complete. An incomplete injury means the person still has some feeling or motor function.

What Are the Signs of a Spinal Cord Injury?

Spina cord injuries have a several symptoms that indicate something is wrong. The following are common signs that someone is suffering from a spinal cord injury:

• Pain along spinal cord.
• Difficulty with breathing and coughing.
• Loss of movement and sensation.
• Loss of control with the bladder or bowels.

Anytime someone experiences trauma to their head, neck, or spine, they need medical assistance immediately. While these injuries can cause a lot of pain and force the person to change their lifestyle, they can get help with holding the responsible party accountable for their actions. Get in touch with Bey & Associates today and schedule a free consultation with an Atlanta spinal cord injury lawyer.