If you have been in a car accident, you may be at risk of a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries can happen in several ways, often in accidents with significant force.
Spinal cord injuries
One of the most common ways a spinal cord injury happens is through whiplash. Whiplash is common in rear-end accidents and it can cause your head to quickly snap back and forth, damaging your spinal cord.
In a head-on car accident, the spinal cord can be compressed, which can cause a serious injury down your spine. Side-impact accidents can also compress your spine or twist it, which can leave you partially or fully paralyzed.
If you are thrown from a vehicle in a rollover accident, you can suffer trauma to your spinal cord either from hitting the roof of the car or from impact with pavement or other objects. Some accidents are so severe that they cause the car to be crushed, causing a high likelihood that you will suffer a spinal cord injury.
Life-changing impact
A spinal cord injury often causes a loss of mobility, which can cause you to have to rely on others as your caregivers and may require you to change jobs or stop working entirely. In addition to financial losses from your job, you may also have very expensive medical expenses.
You can lose sensation in your arms and legs, meaning that you can’t feel pain or pressure. A spinal cord injury can also cause difficulty breathing and other respiratory issues, chronic pain, and a loss of independence when you can no longer perform daily living functions like dressing and bathing on your own.
In addition to the physical impact, a spinal cord can cause serious psychological harm, including depression, isolation and anxiety. These challenges may not be immediately noticeable. It may be necessary to seek compensation for your injuries.