Spinal Cord Injuries

Michigan personal injury lawyers often represent clients who have suffered spinal cord injuries. These injuries arise from Michigan auto accidents, Michigan truck accidents, Michigan motorcycle accidents and from all other types of trauma. These include falls from scaffolds and even diving injuries into swimming pools and lakes. In order to provide the best possible representation and understand the future needs of the client, the attorney must fully understand the causes and treatments for spinal cord injuries

A spinal cord injury usually begins with a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that fractures or dislocates vertebrae. The damage begins at the moment of injury when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue. Most injuries to the spinal cord don't completely sever it. Instead, an injury is more likely to cause fractures and compression of the vertebrae, which then crush and destroy the axons, extensions of nerve cells that carry signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of the body. An injury to the spinal cord can damage a few, many, or almost all of these axons. Some injuries will allow almost complete recovery. Others will result in complete paralysis.

Improved emergency care for people with spinal cord injuries and aggressive treatment and rehabilitation can minimize damage to the nervous system and even restore limited abilities. Respiratory complications are often an indication of the severity of spinal cord injury About one-third of those with injury to the neck area will need help with breathing and require respiratory support. The steroid drug methylprednisolone appears to reduce the damage to nerve cells if it is given within the first 8 hours after injury. Rehabilitation programs combine physical therapies with skill-building activities and counseling to provide social and emotional support.

Spinal cord injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete. An incomplete injury means that the ability of the spinal cord to convey messages to or from the brain is not completely lost. People with incomplete injuries retain some motor or sensory function below the injury. A complete injury is indicated by a total lack of sensory and motor function below the level of injury. People who survive a spinal cord injury will most likely have medical complications such as chronic pain and bladder and bowel dysfunction, along with an increased susceptibility to respiratory and heart problems. Successful recovery depends upon how well these chronic conditions are handled day to day.

There are many great organizations and support groups for spinal cord injury patients. These inlcude national organizations and local Michigan support groups. Patients with new injuries and their families should look to these groups for support, resources for treatment, and counseling.

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Contact a Southfield, Michigan, paraplegia injury attorney serving the greater Detroit area.

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