Car Accidents Often The Cause Of Spinal Cord Injuries in Wisconsin

One of the major reasons why victims of a devastating Wisconsin car crash need the support of a top-rated law firm like Hupy & Abraham is that the injuries they suffered are life-changing, or have a severe and long-lasting impact. One such type of injury is spinal cord damage.

Injuries to the spinal column can lead to compression or cuts to the spinal cord, the vital nerve cells that carry signals between the brain and the entire body. Like a command center crash, a spinal cord trauma may affect the various body functions. How these have been affected and how they can be repaired is not always or immediately clear.

What kind of damage can affect the spinal cord?

Displaced or broken bone fragments, disc material or ligaments can bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue. Complete cuts are rare, but not impossible. Oftentimes, damage is done by compression due to swelling and fluid accumulation, or by foreign objects like metal parts or shards.

Can spinal cord damage be treated?

Like brain injuries, spinal cord injuries are difficult to treat. No two injuries are alike, and every person reacts in his or her own way to the injury. Speed is of the essence, in order to maximize recovery: immediate care and intervention is required to relieve the pressure on the nerve cells due to swelling and body fluid accumulation, and to remove fragments and foreign matter. A severe trauma in the neck area could lead to breathing problems and require respiratory support. Some steroid drugs may alleviate the damage to the nerve cells if given soon after the accident. After stabilization, a rehabilitation therapy can reduce the initial impairment and recover a number of lost bodily functions.

How serious are spinal cord injuries?

The injured patient, depending on his or her healing powers, the efficiency and speed of the treatment received, and the nature and location of the injuries, may recover completely after time, or remain paralyzed in the upper and/or lower limbs. In addition, some bodily functions could be affected, such as:

• Bowel and bladder function problems;
• Sexual dysfunction;
• Reduced breathing ability;
• Irregular blood pressure;
• Irregular body temperature;
• Chronic pain.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a car, truck or motorcycle accident resulting in serious, long lasting or life-changing injuries, contact Hupy & Abraham today at 800-800-5676 (toll-free) or 414-223-4800 (local) for a free evaluation of your case, or send us an e-mail with your questions. Hupy & Abraham, S.C. has offices in Milwaukee, Madison, and Appleton in Wisconsin, and Gurnee and Bloomington in Illinois.