Every year, almost 12,500 people have their lives turned upside down with a serious spinal cord injury. With numerous bones, nerves, muscles, and ligaments involved with the spine, there is a lot that can go wrong when a back or neck injury occurs. Most often these injuries are the result of car accidents, slip and falls, or accidents at work. If you or a loved one suffers a spinal cord injury, it is very likely you are going to need the help of Bullhead City injury lawyers to help get your life back on track.
Understanding the Spinal Cord
Your spine consists of 31 butterfly-shaped vertebrae. These bones are under pressure because they basically hold up most of your body weight. In-between each pair of vertebrae are cartilage disks that cushion and prevent the vertebrae from rubbing bone on bone. Further, running through the spine, secured by its vertebrae is the spinal cord, which is a column of nerves with a sheath of myelin surrounding it. The spinal cord runs from the bottom of your brain stem down to almost the end of your spinal column. Its nerves are responsible for transmitting messages between your brain and the rest of your body.
Doctors refer to the spinal cord as having four distinct regions:
- Cervical spinal area
- Thoracic spinal cord
- Lumbar spinal area
- Sacral spine
Injuries to the spinal cord are extremely dangerous. Depending on the region where the injury occurs and the severity of the injury, the ability to control your legs, arms, and bodily functions can be lost or compromised.
Injuries that Affect the Spinal Cord
Nerve damage can occur to your spinal cord as the result of:
- Jarring of your spine from blunt trauma that could occur with motor vehicle accident or fall
- Compression of the nerves from swelling, broken bones, or hematoma
- Complete or partial tearing of the nerves
Because the spine surrounds the spinal cord, damage to the bones of the spine can lead to damage to the spinal cord. Therefore, fractures, dislocations, or misalignment of vertebrae can cause trauma to the spinal cord or compress its blood supply and nerves.
Levels of Spinal Injury
Doctors determine the neurological level of a spinal injury by locating the lowest normal part of the spinal cord. Then, they will classify the severity of the injury or its “completeness” as either:
- Complete – loss of all feeling and the ability to control movement below where the spinal injury occurred; or
- Incomplete – where some feeling and motor function is still present below where the spinal cord injury occurred
Paralysis from spinal cord injuries falls into one of two categories:
- Quadriplegia where the legs, arms, hands, trunk and organs in the pelvic area are affected by the injury; or
- Paraplegia where the injury affects part or all of the legs and pelvic organs
Individuals that suffer from spinal cord injuries can suffer from a multitude of symptoms that could include:
- Complete loss of movement
- Inability to feel touch
- Loss of bladder and blow control
- Painful muscle spasms
- Chronic pain from nerve damage in the spinal cord
- Lastly, difficulty breathing that may require the need for a respirator
Bullhead City Injury Lawyers That Are Always in Your Corner
Depending on the severity of your spinal cord injury, you could have a rough road ahead with recovery or adjusting to your new normal. The last thing you need is dealing with hassles from insurance companies or trying to get compensation from those responsible for your injuries. You need lawyers that will fight for your rights and represent your best interests in court if needed.
Look no further than Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys when you need Bullhead City injury lawyers on your side. We are one of the hardest working personal law firms in the Valley. We take pride in fighting for the rights of the injured. Our office is open Monday through Friday, from 8am to 5pm. However, we are always available for contact when you need us. Call us 24/7 at 928-222-2222 or go to our website to fill out an online form. You can also take advantage of our LiveChat feature anytime of the day or night to schedule your free consultation.