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Types of catastrophic spinal cord injuries

On Behalf of | Jan 11, 2022 | Personal Injury

Spinal cord injuries can dramatically change lives. While there’s a chance that an injury will only produce temporary impacts, there are many that come with permanent changes for the victim. There are around 17,000 new spinal cord injuries diagnosed each year in this country. 

For people who are under 65 years of age, the primary cause of these injuries is a motor vehicle crash. Individuals over 65 years of age are more likely to suffer a spinal injury due to a fall. When a spinal cord injury occurs, prompt medical care is imperative.

What type of spinal cord injury is present?

Spinal cord injuries are divided into two primary categories: Incomplete and complete. A person who has an incomplete injury is more likely to have a better recovery than a person who has a complete injury. This is because there are still some nerves that are intact when the injury is incomplete. The nerve bundles are fully severed in a complete injury. 

The impacts of an incomplete injury may resolve in as little as a few days if the cause is a spinal concussion. Many of the impacts of a complete injury, including organ and limb paralysis, are permanent.

People who suffer a spinal cord injury because of the negligence of another person can opt to seek compensation. Determining who to hold liable requires you to look at the circumstances of the event that led to the injury. There are times limits for these cases, so you should do this quickly. Having someone on your side who knows about these cases can help you to ensure you have your case in order.