Spinal cord injury can be devastating to the victims of an automobile or semi truck accident -partly because the spinal cord is involved in almost every movement we make and the main conductor of our nerve system. The recovery from a spinal cord injury can vary greatly depending on the severity of the injury.
Statistics indicate that, approximately 44% of spinal cord injuries in the United States are from motor vehicle accidents. In children the numbers go up. Recent information indicates that nearly 70% of spinal cord injuries in children up to age 19 can be credited to car wrecks. The highest risk percentage of this population is young boys.
In a car or 18 wheeler accident there are a number of things that can occur within the vehicle itself, which can cause spinal cord injury - principally in the case of a rollover.
These situations consist of such things as the roof collapsing in on the driver and/or passenger (known to personal injury lawyers as "roof crush"), the seat back collapsing in on passengers, and even the failure of a seat belt to properly hold the passenger in place.
When the vehicles design itself is a part of the cause of a serious spinal cord injury personal injury attorneys will investigate the potential for a product design defect case against the maker of the vehicle.
Paraplegia and quadriplegia are the terms for paralysis. Both are devastating and include a loss of motor function, both will require and extensive and ongoing rehabilitation and expensive medical care. Often the cost of treating a spinal cord injury can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Spine injuries can also include bulging or herniated discs, which are often referred to as "ruptured discs", or a "blown disc".
Bulging discs can sometimes happen when one of the spinal cord bones shifts out of its normal position by a sudden impact like a car accident. Symptoms of a disc injury vary and include such things as chronic back or neck pain and also tingling or radiating pain in the arms or legs.
A herniated disc is more serious medical condition than a bulging disc and may require surgery costing in the high five figures.
