Many injuries can occur when you’re involved in a motor vehicle crash. One of these is a spinal cord injury, which is considered a catastrophic injury. The violent jarring motion at the point of impact in a car wreck can lead to damage that disrupts the nerve signals from the brain to the body and back again.
The area of the spinal cord that’s damaged and the type of damage that’s done determine what effects the victim has to deal with. The effects of a spinal cord injury always occur below the level of damage to the spinal cord. This means that an injury to the neck can lead to a larger area of the body being impacted by the injury than an injury in your lower back.
Complete versus incomplete injuries
Besides the location of the injury, the severity of the damage also plays a role in how a person is affected. A complete injury means that the nerves are fully severed, with no real chance of recovery. Any paralysis experienced after the injury is likely to remain for good.
An incomplete injury means that some recovery, at least, is likely possible. The nerves in an incomplete injury aren’t fully severed. This makes it more likely that the damaged area will be able to heal better than what’s possible if they were fully severed.
Regardless of the type of spinal injury someone suffers, it can take years before the full financial and social impact of the injury is clear. It’s incredibly important to have experienced legal guidance as you seek compensation for the losses.