Spinal Cord Injuries Can Drastically Change Your Life
Satterley & Kelley, PLLC has represented accident victims for many years, and we’ve had our share of clients with spinal cord injuries. Depending on many factors, a person may regain some normalcy in their life, but others face years of difficulties ahead, trapped in bodies that barely move.
What is a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)?
An SCI is an injury that causes temporary or permanent limitations. The spinal cord is a thin, long bundle of nerves running down the center of the spine carrying messages between the brain and the nervous system in the rest of the body.
When the spinal cord is injured, messages are blocked or can’t get through as well as they did in the past. This can lead to lost sensations and the inability to move parts of the body below the injury.
There are two main types of SCIs:
- Complete: All or most nerve fibers in a particular part of the spinal cord are damaged. This causes a total loss of feelings and movements below the injury
- Incomplete: Some, but not all, of the nerve fibers in the spinal cord are damaged, resulting in partial or total loss of feeling and movement below the injury. These effects may or may not improve over time
The severity of a person’s limitations depends on the injury’s extent and location. Some may regain some function over time with rehabilitation and medical treatment, but SCIs can also be very debilitating and lead to lifelong disabilities.
How Can a Spinal Cord Injury Impact a Person?
SCIs affect a person’s overall physical and mental health, as well as their ability to function in their daily lives.
1. Physical Health
The physical impact can go well beyond neurological injuries, including:
- Lost movement (paralysis): This can range from complete paralysis (tetraplegia or quadriplegia) affecting all limbs for higher spinal injuries to paraplegia affecting the lower body for lower injuries, to partial weakness
- Loss of sensation (numbness): People may experience a loss of feeling, tingling, or burning pain in the areas below the injury.
- Bowel and bladder problems: SCI can affect bladder and bowel function and control, requiring special strategies for managing these needs
- Increased risk of complications: Those with SCIs are more prone to pressure sores, blood clots, respiratory problems, and bone loss
The more physically limited a person, the more significant the impact on their overall health. There can be severe muscle loss and weight gain, and an easily addressed infection for someone who’s fully mobile can be potentially fatal for someone who’s bed-bound.
2. Mental Health
Adjusting to physical limitations and lifestyle changes can lead to emotional challenges like depression and anxiety. Stress caused by income loss and relationship changes may make a bad situation worse. Reduced mobility and dependence on others can make social interaction difficult, leading to feeling isolated.
3. Daily Life
Depending on the extent of a person’s physical limitations, an SCI may completely change someone’s daily existence. These changes can include:
- Lost independence: Daily activities like dressing, bathing, toileting, and mobility may require assistance from caregivers or assistive devices. What a person may have done with little thought or effort in the past may be impossible or require substantial help
- Impact on work: SCIs can make a person’s past job or career impossible to continue. A person’s ability to earn enough to be self-supporting may be minimal, especially given the extra costs that come with medical care, rehabilitation efforts, and extra help needed at home
- Financial strain: Reduced income plus additional costs result in financial problems that may be insurmountable without compensation from a legal action against the party causing the injury
SCIs affect everyone differently. The impact varies on the severity and location of the injury and the quantity and quality of assistance the person gets. With proper medical care, rehabilitation, and social support, though they face many challenges, people with SCIs may live fulfilling and productive lives.
What Causes Spinal Cord Injuries?
Motor vehicle accidents and falls are the top SCI causes in the US, according to the National Institutes of Health. Acts of violence (primarily assaults and gunshot wounds), sports injuries, and workplace accidents also take their toll.
Some age groups (those 16 to 30 and older than 65) are more prone to SCIs. Risk factors include alcohol use, some diseases, and the failure to use seat belts or protective sports equipment.
An accident’s sudden and forceful impact can damage the vertebrae, discs, or spinal cord itself, disrupting communication between the brain and body.
The violent forces involved in a vehicle collision can cause:
- The spine to flex or twist beyond its normal range
- Fractures or dislocations of vertebrae
- The spinal cord to compress against fractured vertebrae or displaced discs
The risk of an SCI in a vehicle accident grows as the force of the accident increases due to high speeds or the oncoming vehicle’s substantial weight. The angle at which the vehicle is struck can also play a role.
A fall from height can cause similar spinal damage as a car accident. Older people are more likely to fall and suffer serious injuries, including SCIs. SCIs can occur in motorcycle accidents because the rider may be thrown off and strike the road, another vehicle, or an object like a curb or telephone pole.
Speak To a Satterley & Kelley Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If another’s negligence caused spinal cord injuries to you or a loved one, Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers can protect your interests and legal rights to compensation for the harm you suffer.
Call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532 to schedule a free initial consultation so we can talk about your accident and injuries. If it’s more convenient, you can complete our contact form.