Motor vehicle crashes can cause significant jarring of the body. This can lead to catastrophic injuries, such as a spinal cord injury. People who have a spinal cord injury can suffer from a host of negative effects.
In most cases, the spinal cord injury may be evident at the site of the crash. The primary symptoms are back pain and an inability to move the affected part of the body. In those cases, stabilizing the back and neck for transport to the hospital is necessary.
Location of the injury matters
The location of the injury is one of the primary factors that affects the way this type of injury will impact the victim. The affected area of the body is always below the spot that has the damage. This means that an injury to the neck will affect more of the body than one that’s lower on the spine.
Type of injury
The type of injury is another factor in how it will affect the victim. Spinal cord injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete. A complete injury is one that doesn’t have any nerve connections remaining at the site of the injury. An incomplete injury still has some connected nerve pathways at the site of the injury.
Victims who suffer a spinal cord injury need immediate medical care, which often leads to the need for long-term care. Those victims may opt to pursue a claim for compensation to cover the damages that they’re dealing with because of the crash. It may be beneficial for them to work with someone familiar with these matters so they can explore their options and determine how to proceed.