Spinal Cord Injury After a Car Accident
Car accidents are one of the most common causes of personal injury in the United States each year. Many car accident victims suffer from short-term injuries that heal within a reasonable amount of time. Unfortunately, many others sustain injuries like brain and spinal cord injuries that cause long-term or lifelong damages.
Personal injury attorney Michael E. Shelton understands the devastating effects of a spinal cord injury after a car accident. He works with injury victims in the Houston, TX, area to pursue compensation for the full extent of damages related to a spinal cord injury.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
The spine can be classified into three main regions: the cervical spine (extends from the neck to the upper back), the thoracic spine (the middle of the back), and the lumbar spine (the lower back). Any part of the back can be injured in an automobile accident. Common types of spinal cord injuries after a car accident include:
- Whiplash
- Herniated or slipped disc
- Spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal cord)
- Spondylolisthesis (refers to vertebrae that have slipped out of place)
- Spinal fracture
Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries
The symptoms of a spinal cord injury can vary greatly. The degree and type of symptoms experienced depend on the type of injury/damage that is sustained as well as the location where the injury occurs. The spinal cord serves as a column of nerves that sends signals back and forth to the brain. When a spinal cord injury occurs, those nerve signals are interrupted, so symptoms are likely to affect all areas of the body from the point of injury and down. Some of the most common spinal cord injury symptoms experienced by our Houston clients include:
- Throbbing or pinching pain in the back
- Muscle weakness
- Loss of movement (paralysis)
- Numbness or loss of sensations
- Muscle spasms
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of sexual functions
- Loss of bowel and/or bladder control
Unfortunately, the effects of a spinal cord injury are usually long-lasting, and often permanent. The physical symptoms of a spinal cord injury may completely alter the way a person lives and functions, which can have a dramatic impact on their quality of life.
Financial Damages of a Spinal Cord Injury
In addition to their physical effects, spinal cord injuries tend to have a huge financial impact. The financial losses that are typically associated with a spinal cord injury after a car accident include:
- Medical expenses
- Cost of ongoing therapy and/or rehabilitation
- Cost of prescription medication
- Cost of assistive medical devices
- Cost of home accommodations
- Lost wages and/or loss of wage earning capacity
If another person’s reckless or negligent actions cause a car accident that results in a spinal cord injury, they should be held liable for the physical, emotional, and financial damages of the injury. Michael Shelton works with car accident victims in the Houston area to fight for maximum compensation for spinal cord injury losses.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury as the result of a car accident, you may be due substantial financial compensation for injury damages. To discuss your case with attorney Michael E. Shelton, send us a message online, or call (713) 807-0700 and request a personal consultation.
