Car crashes and other vehicle accidents can cause a variety of different injuries. One serious form this damage can take is a spinal cord injury.
How common are spinal cord injuries in car accidents?
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) notes that nearly 18,000 people experience spinal cord injuries each year, and hundreds of thousands of people live with these injuries. According to their most recent data, around two in every five of these spinal cord injuries result from a vehicle accident.
How can a spinal cord injury impact your life?
Because a spinal cord injury can impact the function of any body parts below the injury site, these injuries can have a wide-ranging effect on the life of those injured. They can experience a variety of symptoms, including:
- Pain
- Weakness or loss of voluntary movement in the muscles below the injury
- Loss of sensation
- Loss of control over the bladder or bowels
- Difficulty breathing
Depending on the type and severity of the injuries a person experiences, they may require surgery or immobilization after an injury to prevent further damage. They may also require medication, rehabilitation to adapt to permanent paralysis and other ongoing care to manage their condition.
Treatment for these injuries is often costly, with the NSCISC noting that yearly expenses can range from $46,119 to $202,032 each year. Depending on the age of the person at their injury, the cost of their care over a lifetime can add up to millions of dollars.
Thankfully, injured people and their families have options. A personal injury claim may help them address these costs and address the impact of a spinal injury on their life.
