Georgia Car Accidents: The Devastating Impact of Spinal Cord Injuries
Every year 2.9 million people in the U.S. are injured in serious car accidents. One of the most devastating injuries that a person can experience in a serious car crash is a spinal cord injury, which often results in paralysis and permanent disability. While many people assume that spinal cord injuries are fairly rare, nothing could be further from the truth. Over 259,000 people in the U.S. currently are afflicted with some form of spinal cord injury with 12,000 more suffering spinal cord injuries every year.
Although there are a variety of accidents that may result in spinal cord injuries, statistics clearly indicate that car crashes dwarf all other causes of spinal cord injuries. A specific breakdown of individual causes of spinal cord injuries includes the following:
• Auto Accidents 42.1%
• Falls (i.e. Construction Accidents) 26.7%
• Violent Crimes 15.1%
• Sports Accidents 7.6%
• Other 8.6%
A spinal cord injury results in disruption of the communication between the brain and other parts of the body. The specific nature of the disruption is dependent on both the severity and location of the injury. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerve cells and fibers that extends from the brain down through the back. The spinal cord transmits signals from the brain to all parts of the body and receives signals back from the body. The location and severity of the injury also will dictate which bodily functions are impacted. Damage to the spinal cord can adversely impact movement, feeling, bladder control, or other bodily functions.
In a serious motor vehicle accident, such as a car crash, tractor-trailer accident, motorcycle collision or pedestrian accident, the spinal cord injury may tear the spinal cord and/or its nerve fibers. In the wake of a spinal cord injury, nerves above the level of the damaged portion of the spinal cord will continue functioning like normal. The spinal cord nerves below the injured area cannot transmit signals between the brain and parts of the body the way it did prior to the serious accident which caused the injuries. The closer a spinal cord injury is to the brain the greater its impact on body movement and the sensory ability of a serious accident victim. The area of the vertebrae injured determines the classification of the level of the spinal cord injury. Quadriplegia results when an accident victim suffers a spinal cord injury that is at a level from C1 to T1 and often results in a loss of feeling and/or movement in the head, neck, shoulder, arms and/or upper chest. Paraplegia occurs with a level of spinal cord injury from T2 to S5 and results in a loss of sensation and/or inability to move the lower parts of an accident victim's body. Paraplegia affects the chest, stomach, hips, legs and feet.
Whether a spinal cord injury victim is injured in a car accident, commercial trucking accident, construction accident, SUV rollover accident or other serious motor vehicle collision, a spinal cord injury typically means a long tough road of rehabilitation and major changes in one's quality of life. At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, our compassionate and experienced attorneys represent spinal cord injury victims so that they can obtain legal compensation and begin rebuilding their lives. Our Georgia spinal cord injury attorneys are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. Call us today for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or visit us on the web at www.montlick.com. No matter where you are located, we are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you.