Regardless of how good of a driver you are and how well you follow all the laws and rules of the road, you can never vouch for the competency or care of others on the road. Sadly, tens of thousands of Americans throughout the United States, including many from the Cincinnati, Ohio, area, suffer from serious and catastrophic injuries every year, many due to the negligence of others. One of the more common types of injuries as a result of a car accident are spinal cord injuries.
A spinal cord injury occurs when a strike or blow to the spine dislocates or fractures the discs of bones in the spine called vertebrae. The result of this impact often leads to discs, ligaments or fragments of the bone tearing or bruising the spinal cord and damaging the nerves. In addition, bleeding or swelling in the area can cause additional damage to the nerves, causing further issues.
Although other health issues such as infections, inflammation, cancer and arthritis can also cause spinal cord injuries, motor vehicle accidents are still the leading cause. As many as 36.6 percent of all spinal cord injuries are related to motor vehicle accidents since 2010, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. It is estimated that there are over 250,000 spinal cord injury victims living in the United States.
If you have been the victim of a serious spinal cord injury, it is important to understand that you may be able to pursue legal options. A victim of an auto accident may be entitled to compensation for the injuries. This may include a payment for pain and suffering, lost wages, as well as medical expenses and expenses related to therapy and rehabilitation.
Source: Live Science, “Spinal Cord Injury: Levels, Symptoms & Treatment,” Accessed on Aug. 21, 2017
