Injuries happen because accidents are a part of life. However, many of the injuries suffered by individuals in Pennsylvania and elsewhere are minor. This is why it is especially shocking for you when a major accident has left your suffering from a catastrophic injury. While the pain associated with a spinal cord injury is in the forefront of your mind, you have many concerns racing through your mind about how this injury will impact the rest of your life.
A spinal cord injury could cause permanent damage, resulting in an accident victim requiring ongoing treatment and daily care. This can greatly impact how a person lives at home and what work he or she is able to complete. Thus, your focus is not only on understanding the path to recovery after a spinal cord injury but also what steps you need to take to return to your normal life.
The ability to recover from a spinal cord injury is based on the severity of the injury. In cases of a severe spinal cord injury, this could mean a permanent loss of certain functions, such as walking. Additionally, it is important to point out that a spinal cord injury could lead to secondary conditions, such as pressure sores and blood clots. This means that other treatments might be necessary in addition to the treatments designated for the spinal cord injury.
Currently data suggests that roughly 17,000 Americans suffer a spinal cord injury each year. More than half of these injuries are suffered by those between the ages of 16 and 30, and most victims of a spinal cord injury are males. The rate of recovery is dependent on the severity of the spinal cord injury. Thus, if you suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury, there is a greater chance that you will have a full recovery.
An incomplete spinal cord injury occurs when there is a partial damage to the spinal cord; however, brain signals are able to get through to the other parts of the body. In contrast, a complete spinal cord injury prevents all nerve signals from traveling through the spinal cord. With a complete injury, a victim will experience the loss of bodily functions or paralysis. For those with an incomplete injury, regaining some functions is likely; however, making a full recovery is rare. Thus, no matter the severity of the spinal cord injury, a victim will often suffer from the injury for the rest of his or her life.
Because it is expected that a spinal cord injury will impact you for the rest of your life, you need to focus on more than just the recovery process. There are more than physical damages when it comes to this injury, as the financial damages could impact your life just as much. Thus, it is important to consider the cause of the injury and if another party was at fault for the accident that resulted in the injury. A personal injury action could help assign liability and assist with the collection of compensation.