A spinal cord injury requires immediate medical attention

It may seem hard to believe that a fall could result in an injury that leaves you significantly injured or permanently paralyzed. Yet, according to the Mayo Clinic, falls cause more than one-quarter of all spinal cord injuries, and falls are the most common cause of spinal cord injuries in people over age 65.

How Does This Happen?

Spinal cord injuries occur when there is damage to the vertebrae, ligaments, or discs that surround the spinal cord or damage to the spinal cord itself. If you fracture, dislocate, or crush a vertebra when you fall, then that can result in an injury to the spinal cord.

The specific injury that you suffer will depend on the unique part of the spinal cord that is hurt. For example…

  • An incomplete spinal cord injury could result in a loss of sensory or motor function below the point of the injury. Since the spinal cord is not injured all the way through, you will retain some feeling or movement; however, depending on the severity of your injury, you could still suffer significant and long-term complications.
  • A complete spinal cord injury could result in paralysis below the point of injury. You may be unable to move at all below the point where you were hurt. In some cases this may result in paralysis of your legs, and in other cases it may include your legs, trunk, and arms.

A spinal cord injury is a serious injury that requires immediate medical attention; however, currently there is no way to cure a complete spinal cord injury.

How to Protect Yourself If You’ve Suffered a Spinal Cord Injury in a Fall

Once you have suffered a spinal cord injury your doctors will do everything possible to stabilize you, to prevent the injury from worsening, and to help you become as independent as possible.

But that might not be enough.

You may also need to pursue a legal recovery so that you can be compensated for your past, current and future medical expenses, lost income, out-of-pocket costs, physical pain, and emotional suffering. To learn more about how to protect your recovery of these damages after a fall injury, please start a live chat with us now.

Jason F. Abraham
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Helping car accident and personal injury victims throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa since 1993.