Are Spinal Cord Injuries Permanent?
Spinal cord injuries are very serious events. In many cases, a spinal cord injury could prevent your ability to move or even feel sensations like heat or cold. Due to the severity of these injuries, many people wonder if spinal cord injuries are permanent. You can review treatment options for spinal cord injuries and the chances of recovery with this article.
Many Spinal Cord Injuries Are Permanent
You should be aware that the effects of a spinal cord injury are often permanent to some degree. Prompt medical intervention may limit the damage caused by a spinal cord injury, but this does not mean that medical treatment will allow you to completely heal from a spinal cord injury.
In fact, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), not even 1% of the people who experience a spinal cord injury experience full recovery by the time they leave the hospital. Therefore, many spinal cord injuries leave individuals with life-long consequences.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries in Dallas
There are many different types of spinal injuries in Dallas. The severity of these injuries may vary widely. You could experience an injury that damages different regions of your spine, including the:
- Cervical region – or the region around your neck
- Thoracic region – or the region around your upper back
- Lumbar or sacral region – or the regions in your mid and lower back
Some of these injuries may be considered “incomplete” injuries. An incomplete injury allows you to regain some degree of sensation and the ability to move below the area of your spine where the damage occurred.
Other spinal cord injuries in Dallas are classified as “complete.” A complete spinal cord injury may prevent you from feeling anything below the damaged area of the spine. These injuries may lead to paraplegia or quadriplegia.
Examples of Spinal Cord Injuries in Texas
Your spine contains the nerves that control much of your body’s movement and sensation. There are several major parts of the spinal cord that could be injured, leading to serious medical complications. You may experience:
- Damage to the bones of your spine, or your vertebrae
- Damage to the discs that are found between the vertebrae
- Damage to the nerves in the spinal cord
Damage to the spinal cord itself is one of the most severe injuries you can experience in a Dallas car accident. You should seek out immediate medical attention if you experience any injuries to your back after a car crash.
Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries
You may need immediate help if you experienced a spinal cord injury in the Dallas area. Depending upon the type of injury you sustained, you may require immediate surgery to decompress and stabilize your spine. Getting medical help quickly may mitigate some of the severity of your injuries.
In many cases, spinal cord injuries require extensive rehabilitation to help you regain some level of your functioning. However, even thorough physical therapy and occupational therapy may not return you to your previous condition after you recover from the damage you suffered.
You may need to use assistive devices for the rest of your life after a spinal cord injury in Dallas. Surgeries, rehabilitation, and access to assistive devices can all be incredibly expensive. Fortunately, a Dallas car accident lawyer may be able to help you get compensation for your medical treatments.
Get Legal Help Handling a Spinal Cord Injury
If you sustained a spinal cord injury as a result of an accident, you could be eligible to receive compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages at work, pain, suffering, and more. A Dallas car accident lawyer could be able to help you get compensation by demonstrating that:
- Another driver caused your accident
- The accident led to your injuries
In order to get compensation for the damage caused by a spinal cord injury, your lawyer may need to negotiate with insurance agents on your behalf. This could allow you to get a settlement to cover your losses. Your lawyer may also step in and take your claim to court in some cases.
Talk to a Lawyer About a Permanent Spinal Cord Injury
Are spinal cord injuries permanent? In some cases, these injuries will have lifelong impacts on your health. If you are dealing with any kind of spinal cord injury, you could be able to get compensation for your medical care. Find out how by reaching out to a Dallas car accident lawyer today. Call (469) 998-4069 or fill out our online contact form to get started.
We may be able to offer you a free consultation.
