Many Maryland drivers have been or will be involved in minor fender-benders in the course of their lives. We all drive every day. Accidents happen. But more severe accidents do happen, too, wherein victims of the incident can sustain injuries that significantly alter their lives.
An example of a serious injury often caused in traffic accidents is a spinal cord injury. According to the Mayo Clinic, car crashes are the leading cause of injuries to the spinal cord. Traffic accidents cause a reported 35 percent of the new spinal cord injuries per year in this country.
An injured spinal cord isn’t like a simple backache. You won’t necessarily be able to recover with rest, stretches and some pain medicine. When someone injures his or her spinal cord, the ability to complete everyday functions can be negatively impacted.
Each case of a spinal cord injury is unique, but depending on the severity and specifics of someone’s back and/or neck injury, the following aspects of life can be affected:
- mobility
- bladder control
- bowel control
- skin sensation
- mental health (depression can be common response to life with the injury)
- sexual health
- respiratory system (breathing changes, becomes more difficult)
Our spines and the nerves from which they are made are central to the abilities most of us take advantage of every day. When someone’s negligent driving results in an injury to your spinal cord, this is more than a simple mistake; it is a traumatic, life-altering event for you.
A neck or back injury has short-term and long-term consequences. You will want to talk to a personal injury attorney as well as a trusted medical provider about the extent of your injuries and the likely scope of your condition in the long-term. Having a thorough understanding of what you have already lost and might go through as a result of an accident can help clarify what justice looks like in your unique case.
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