Understanding Different Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

After a car accident, slip-and-fall, or other damaging incident, your doctor may diagnose you with a spinal cord injury.

You may be eligible for compensation from the negligent party responsible, which can make all the difference in the care you receive and how you can move on after such a serious injury.

Our serious injury attorneys have a long track record of getting people what they deserve after a catastrophic spinal injury. Let us review the details and explain your next steps.

What is a Spinal Cord Injury?

The spinal cord is a collection of nerves surrounded by the vertebrae that make up the backbone. These nerves communicate messages between the brain and the rest of the body. A spinal cord injury affects these nerves and the surrounding tissues. The location of the injury plays a major part in both the amount of damage and your chances of recovery.

Simply put, the higher on your spine the injury occurs, the greater the chance that you will suffer paralysis and other severe outcomes. There are four main areas on the spinal cord where you can be hurt:

• Cervical area: The cervical section of the spinal cord resides in the head and neck area above your shoulders. This is the most serious spinal cord injury since damaging the cord at this level impacts everything below the injury.
• Thoracic area: The thorax includes the shoulders, upper chest, abdomen, and middle of your back. When you suffer a spinal cord injury in this area, you may lose sensation or function in your arms and hands.
• Lumbar area: The lumbar region includes your lower back, where nerves radiate into the hips and legs. If you are injured in this area of the spinal cord, you may experience mobility issues and need braces, a cane, or a wheelchair while you recover or permanently.
• Sacral area: The sacral portion of the spinal cord is located at the end of the spine in the hips and tailbone. Damage here may affect your feeling and movement in your hips and buttocks, as well as the bladder and other pelvic organs. However, a sacral spinal cord injury often has the highest chance of satisfactory recovery.

As a spinal cord damage patient, you may experience one of two types of spinal cord injuries: incomplete and complete. The type of spinal injury determines how well you can expect your spinal cord to recover.

Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries

An incomplete spinal cord injury means the spinal cord is not completely severed, so you may retain some functionality. The level at which your spinal cord can perform depends on the nature and degree of your injuries. Other factors that impact your final recovery prognosis include your health at the time of the injury, any pre-existing conditions, and the extent of your treatment regimen.

Some examples of incomplete spinal cord injuries are:

• Anterior cord syndrome: This is an injury to the front of the spinal cord that disrupts your motor and sensory skills. You might be able to feel things, but you could have a hard time moving your limbs.
• Central cord syndrome: The central cord sends messages from the brain to the spinal cord, so even a partial injury causes considerable damage. You may have trouble moving your legs and arms, and your fine motor skills could suffer. Your bowel, bladder, and sexual functions may also be impaired.
• Brown-Séquard Syndrome: This affects one side of the spinal cord. Consequently, you could experience varying degrees of functionality on one side of your body.

With incomplete spinal cord injuries, you may be able to return to your previous activities and work again. However, if your job or hobbies are physically demanding, you may experience a long period of recovery where you struggle to perform tasks or reach goals you could before you were hurt. If another person is at fault for your spinal cord injury, you have the right to seek justice by holding them accountable for your losses and the way your injury has impacted your life.

Complete Spinal Cord Injuries

With a complete spinal cord injury, the spinal cord is totally severed, stopping the messages from the brain from reaching below the point of injury. You lose feeling in the area below the injury point, and you cannot move your limbs. You will likely be unable to work or care for your own basic needs, relying on family or professional caregivers every day for the rest of your life.

The most common kinds of complete spinal injuries you could suffer include paraplegia and tetraplegia. Paraplegia is paralysis of the bottom half of the body, most often from spinal cord injuries in the thoracic region of the spine. Tetraplegia also referred to as quadriplegia, is total paralysis below the point of injury. Often, you can no longer move any of your limbs.

While many patients with complete spinal cord injuries continue to live fulfilling lives, there’s no doubt that they also face substantial emotional, physical, and financial struggles. If you experience a complete spinal cord injury, you will require extensive medical treatment and personal care. You may also need mental health assistance since you could develop depression or other issues. All of these costs, as well as the loss of your income, are eligible for compensation in a successful personal injury claim.

Symptoms Of Spinal Cord Injuries

The symptoms of a spinal cord injury depend on the severity. Some signs of a spinal injury include:

• Loss of movement in one or more of your limbs
• Numbness
• Loss of bladder and bowel control functions
• Problems with sexual performance or libido
• Difficulty breathing

You may also experience chronic pain in the area of the injury and related areas. For example, an incomplete cervical spinal cord injury may cause headaches and pain in the shoulders and arms.

If your injuries are lower in the spinal cord and affect your ability to move, you could also develop bed sores from remaining immobile for long periods of time. You could also develop respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia because the injury causes a reduction in your breathing and activity levels.

Causes Of Spinal Cord Injuries

Some spinal cord injuries result from disease or a medical condition, such as cancer or inflamed vertebral discs. However, the majority of these injuries are due to a traumatic event since it takes significant force to damage this well-protected bundle of nerves inside the spine. In most cases, your trauma-based spinal cord injury can be traced back to a negligent or even intentional act, such as:

• Car and truck accidents
• Acts of violence, such as a gunshot wound or severe beating
• A workplace injury
• A sports-related injury
• A fall
• Surgical complications associated with medical malpractice

Determining the cause, who is liable, and the extent of your injuries are critical tasks for a personal injury attorney after you’ve been hurt by another person. Your lawyer can conduct a thorough investigation and prepare your claim while you are putting your energy into your recovery from this life-changing injury. By gathering robust evidence from police reports, witness statements, photos, medical records, and other sources, your spinal cord injury attorney can tenaciously pursue the compensation you require for your recovery.

Recovering From Spinal Cord Injuries Is Possible

As mentioned before, a spinal cord injury is extremely serious, and predicting how well you recover depends on a range of factors. The most important step you can take is to get an immediate medical evaluation and then follow your doctor’s orders completely. Getting maximum function and sensation back requires that you receive appropriate care, which can be time-consuming and costly. Your back injury lawyer will work to secure every penny you need.

Along with the location and severity of your spinal cord injury, whether your spinal cord swells after your accident may impact your need for surgery or other specialized care. There are a number of methods your doctors may use to facilitate your healing, including:

• Immediate stabilization: Both at the scene of the accident and in the ER, your caregivers will work to minimize movement that could cause any further damage.
• Medication: Your doctors may administer steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as methylprednisolone, to reduce swelling or other reactions that could increase the damage to the spinal cord.
• Surgery: If needed, your medical providers will prepare you for surgery, which may happen soon after your injury or in the following weeks. Due to the delicate nature of this part of the body, they will plan carefully to ensure they cause no further damage, and so the surgery advances your recovery.
• Rehabilitation: Once you are stabilized and doctors more fully understand the extent and nature of your spinal cord injury, you will likely begin rehabilitation therapy that focuses on regaining mobility, strength, and sensation. Generally, nerves do not regrow fully, but through consistent treatment, you may be able to renew your control and feeling in damaged areas.
• Continuing care: You may leave the hospital and enter a nursing facility, or you may return home for the remainder of your recovery. With a sacral or lumbar spinal cord injury, you may be able to return to your work and hobbies. If your injury is cervical, you may need lifelong round-the-clock care.

What About Your Financial Recovery When Someone Else Is to Blame for Your Spinal Cord Injury?

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, approximately 18,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury each year in the United States. Patients may pass away immediately or in the days after they are hurt, while others may survive to begin a lengthy battle to recover. As a survivor, you and your doctors may be unsure of whether you will be able to return to your former life, but when someone else is to blame, your personal injury attorney can work to ensure you are not left with a financial crisis.

Your lawyer will document your injuries, consult with your doctors, and determine what you really need to heal. From there, they will deal with the insurance company or other parties involved to negotiate for an outcome that gets you everything you need. If the insurance company or at-fault parties refuse to cooperate, we’ll be prepared and aggressively fight for you in court.

An Experienced Attorney Can Help With Your Spinal Cord Injury

At The Krist Law Firm, P.C., we know how debilitating a spinal cord injury can be, and we understand that you still need to be able to look after your family while you recover.

You don’t need to worry about what it will cost or any risks because we only get paid when you recover compensation.

Starting with a free case review, you can discuss your concerns and get your questions answered by a skilled legal professional who treats you with respect, honesty, and compassion.

Let us help with your case and fight for you after a spinal injury. To schedule a no-cost consultation with one of our Houston back injury attorneys, contact us at (443) 234-0423.