3 Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

 Posted on March 23, 2017 in Catastrophic Injuries

Nearly 450,000 Americans live with a spinal cord injury, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association. Each year, about 11,000 spinal cord injuries are sustained in the United States.

What is a Spinal Cord Injury?

Most spinal cord injuries are attributed to vertebral column trauma. In a healthy person, the spinal cord sends and receives messages between the body and the brain. These messages control sensory, autonomic, and motor functions. However, when the vertebral column is injured, the spinal cord cannot send and receive these vital messages resulting in conditions such as paralysis and loss of sensation.

Spinal Cord Injury Classifications

The location of an injury on your spinal cord will dictate what impairments your will suffer. Injuries can be complete or incomplete.

With incomplete spinal cord injuries, the cord is partly severed, which means the victim will keep some function. Complete injury refers to a spinal cord that is totally severed and function is shut down.

Spinal cord injuries result in three types of conditions:

1. Quadriplegia (or tetraplegia): This is the most severe classification and describes the condition of paralysis in all limbs. This can mean that the victim has trouble with bodily functions such as breathing and bladder control.
2. Paraplegia: This describes paralysis of the legs and is caused by injury to the thoracic portion of the spinal cord.
3. Triplegia: This describes the loss of movement and sensation in both legs and one arm. Triplegia typically occurs after an incomplete spinal cord injury.

The Cost of Spinal Cord Injuries

All of these injuries come with huge costs. Spinal cord injuries cost $9.7 billion each year, according to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention. For example, pressure sores alone, which are often experienced by people with spinal cord injuries, cost $1.2 billion to treat.

If you or a loved one sustained a spinal cord injury, it is important that you hire an attorney who understands your injuries. Any settlement you receive must be enough to cover your long-term medical needs. A skilled personal injury attorney will work on your behalf to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

Contact a Bloomingdale, IL Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

The experienced Bloomingdale spinal cord injury attorney at the Law Offices of David W. Clark, P.C. understands how to maximize your recovery. Whether your case settles or is taken to trial, our firm will advocate on your behalf every step of the way. If you think someone else may be fully or partially to blame for your spinal cord injury, contact our firm at 630-665-5678 to set up your free consultation today.

Sources:

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/physical_medicine_and_rehabilitation/spinal_cord_injury_85,P01180/

http://www.aans.org/Patient%20Information/Conditions%20and%20Treatments/Spinal%20Cord%20Injury.aspx