Being involved in a car crash puts the body under great stress, which can lead to catastrophic injuries. One that’s sometimes possible is a spinal cord injury (SCI), but not all SCIs are the same. These injuries can vary greatly in how they affect the victim.
While many people associate SCIs with paralysis, there are a host of other ways that these injuries can affect individuals. In some cases, the person may not experience any paralysis at all.
Type of injury
One of the most prevalent factors in how the SCI will affect the victim is the type of injury. The spinal cord is comprised of nerves that transmit signals throughout the body. If the nerves in the affected area are totally severed, the injury is said to be complete. These injuries don’t have a high chance of a full recovery because of the lack of nerve connection in the area.
There are some SCIs that involve the nerves being partially severed. These are known as incomplete injuries, which have a higher chance of the person having a full or close-to-full recovery because there are still nerve pathways in the affected area.
Location of the injury
The location of the injury is another primary factor. The area of the body that’s affected by the SCI is always lower than the injury. This means that an injury to the lower back could affect the legs, but not the arms. An injury to the neck could affect the arms and legs.
SCIs require considerable medical care and therapy, which can be costly for the victim. If the injury is the result of another person’s negligence, the victim may opt to file a personal injury claim, but the time to do this is limited. Since these cases can often be complex, it may be best for them to work with someone familiar with similar cases.