Sadly, many people in Texas suffer from catastrophic injuries each year. Many of those injuries affect the spinal cord and can end up being permanent and even disabling. Spinal cord injuries can affect the way the brain and body function and result in significant medical expenses to treat.
What can cause catastrophic spinal cord injuries?
There are three main causes of serious or catastrophic injuries. They include the following:
- Motor vehicle accidents: Car accidents are the leading cause of catastrophic spinal cord injuries in younger individuals.
- Falls: Falls can cause serious or catastrophic injuries in people 65 and older.
- Sports: Certain types of sports and recreational activities can also lead to these injuries. In most cases, males between 16 and 30 are affected by sports-related catastrophic injuries.
What are the symptoms of spinal cord injuries?
Serious or catastrophic injuries involving the spinal cord can result in a total or partial loss of motor and sensory function. Around half of all of these injuries involve complete loss of motor and sensory function with both sides of the body affected. The injury is commonly caused by a bruise or contusion of the spinal cord or blood flow loss to the part of the spinal cord affected.
Spinal cord injuries are graded based on the American Spinal Injury Association or ASIA scale. Injury scales include the following:
- ASIA A: Complete spinal cord injury with no motor or sensory function
- ASIA B: Incomplete sensory injury with complete motor function loss
- ASIA C: Incomplete motor function injury with less than half of the muscle groups anti-gravity
- ASIA D: Incomplete motor function injury with more than half of the muscle groups anti-gravity
- ASIA E: Normal function
Overall, the more severe the spinal cord injury, the less like the individual is to recover.
An attorney might be able to help you if you have or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury. You may be able to get help in preparing your lawsuit and understanding your rights.