Your spinal cord is what you have in common with all the world's vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. It is also what enables you to walk, write, or do anything that involves voluntary control of the skeletal muscles in almost every part of your body. Your backbone protects your spinal cord, but injury to the spinal cord can occur in the event of a severe traumatic injury, such as in a motor vehicle accident. While recent advances in medical research have enabled some patients with spinal cord injuries to regain some function of the affected body parts, a spinal cord injury affects almost every aspect of your life. If you have suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of a car accident, contact a New York car accident lawyer.
What is a Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury is damage to the nerve tissue of the spinal cord, which is encased in the vertebral column. The most common cause of spinal cord injury is traumatic injury to the spine, as in a car accident or a fall from a height. Tumors or swelling in the adjacent tissues can also cause injury to the spinal cord.
Damage to the spinal cord affects the entire body below the site of the injury. If the injury occurs in the lower part of the spinal cord, it affects the legs. If it occurs in the upper part of the spinal cord, it affects the arms and legs. Symptoms can include paralysis and loss of feeling in the affected areas. Patients with spinal cord injury may also lose the ability to control their bladder and bowel functions. Because of their inability to change positions without assistance, patients with severe spinal cord injury are at risk of developing pressure ulcers, also known as bedsores. Many of them use custom-designed wheelchairs to prevent the formation of pressure ulcers. Patients must have someone help them change positions in bed several times throughout the night to prevent pressure ulcers from forming.
New Developments in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury
The prognosis for patients with spinal cord injury is much better than it was a generation ago, but it is an understatement to say that it is a life-changing injury. New treatments such as chips implanted into the brain and robotic exoskeletons have helped some patients walk again after suffering paralysis as a result of a spinal cord injury. Certain treatment protocols immediately after a traumatic injury to the back can also help reduce the severity of spinal cord injury and prevent paralysis. These treatments are expensive, as are the occupational therapy and medical devices that patients need to maintain a new normal. A personal injury lawyer can help you get the money you need to pay for treatment to manage a spinal cord injury.
Contact Leitner Varughese Warywoda PLLC About Car Accident Cases
A personal injury lawyer can help you if you experience a spinal cord injury as a result of a car accident. Contact Leitner Varughese Warywoda PLLC in Brooklyn, New York, or call (212)671-1110 to discuss your case.
