Why Are the Common Types of Spinal Cord Car Accident Injuries?
November 1, 2024
Car accidents can cause a whole host of injuries—in particular, our attorneys have seen many collision clients with damage to their spinal cord. Unfortunately, as common as these accidents are, they can also have severe and life-altering consequences.
If you suffered a spinal injury in a car accident and need to cover the resulting medical costs, you may not know where to turn. Let our lawyers help.
What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
An accident can damage your spinal cord through trauma or through pressure from the surrounding bones, muscles, or ligaments. For instance, the force of impact in a car accident can compress, fracture, or even sever your spine, which can lead to partial or total loss of motor control and sensation.
In the most severe and catastrophic situations, you may suffer a complete spinal cord injury, accompanied by a total loss of sensation and function below the location of the damage. This injury can cause paralysis and impact not you’re your mobility but also your bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and respiratory health.
Less severe but still relatively common are incomplete spinal cord injuries, where the injury only partially damages the spinal cord. Victims may retain some sensation or motor function below the damaged area.
Other car accident victims may suffer from herniated discs when the impact causes one or more discs in the spine to slip out of place. These injuries are generally accompanied by pain, numbness, and tingling that radiates through the body. Herniated discs do not always persist, but they can cause lasting discomfort and may require physical therapy or surgery.
You may also suffer from fractured vertebrae if your car accident crushes one or more of the bones that make up your spine. In some cases, a fractured vertebrae injury can lead to paralysis—in others, it can cause severe, chronic pain and limited mobility.
If you suspect a spinal cord injury after your car accident, seek immediate medical attention. Depending on the magnitude of your symptoms, you may need to undergo any combination of physical examinations, X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Spinal Cord Injuries?
Many spinal cord injuries result in paralysis, which can affect either the lower half of your body (i.e., paraplegia) or all four limbs (i.e., quadriplegia). If you sustain spinal cord damage, you may also experience chronic pain, loss of physical sensation, muscle atrophy, respiratory difficulties, and cardiovascular issues.
You may also go through associated emotional and psychological challenges, as the loss of independence and long-term medical care can take a significant toll on your mental health.
What Are Your Legal Options After a Spinal Cord Injury From a Car Accident?
If another driver’s negligence caused the car accident that led to your spinal cord injury, you may have the legal right to pursue compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, degraded quality of life, pain, and suffering. In these situations, we highly recommend hiring an experienced lawyer to help investigate the accident, pursue compensation from the at-fault party, and advocate for your rights.
Contact the Baltimore Car Accident Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton
If you need to cover the costs associated with your spinal cord injury after a car accident, speak with the Baltimore car accident lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton for more information. Call us at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or fill out our online form for a free consultation.
We have offices in Baltimore, Glen Burnie, Lanham, and Owings Mills, allowing us to represent clients in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.