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The Effects of Spinal Cord Injuries

Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook

Car accidents in California often leave victims with devastating spinal cord injuries that are caused by trauma during the impact. Although spinal cord injuries can be caused by other factors, about 90 percent are the result of trauma. Most people with a spinal cord injury have chronic pain, and between 20 and 30 percent of people who have sustained a spinal cord injury become clinically depressed.

Depending on its location and severity, a spinal cord injury can cause different types of paralysis. Partial or complete paralysis may affect a person's legs, arms or other body parts. Severe spinal cord injuries can result in a victim losing control over their bladder and bowel systems. Spinal cord injuries can also affect the regulation of a person's lungs and heart.

Live-in caregivers may become necessary for a person who has suffered from a severe spinal cord injury. However, a car accident victim who has sustained a spinal cord injury may be able to have greater independence if they are provided with appropriate rehabilitative care and assistive devices. Because many people with spinal cord injuries cannot continue to work in their former occupations, vocational rehabilitation may be required.

A serious spinal cord injury can result in significantly greater medical expenses than other kinds of injuries that are suffered during a car accident. A victim whose spinal cord injury was the result of another party's negligent actions might be able to obtain financial recompense through the filing of a personal injury claim. An attorney who has experience in these types of matters can assist such a victim in seeking an appropriate award for damages.

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