What is an Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury?

Spinal cord injuries are the most impactful injuries that our clients can suffer. An incomplete injury is what it sounds like: the spinal cord is not completely compressed or cut into two pieces. Instead, some neural pathways remain to send signals from the brain to the rest of the body. That’s good news. It means that a victim should retain some ability to move their limbs even after a tragic accident. Nonetheless, incomplete injuries are disruptive, and accident victims deserve fair compensation. Reach out to talk with an experienced personal injury law firm.

A Grueling Road Ahead

One way to think of the spinal cord is that it’s like a highway, with neurological signals whizzing up and down the road. With an incomplete injury, a lot of the highway is damaged, so many cars never reach their destination. By contrast, with a complete injury, no vehicles ever make it up or down the road.

The most common signs of incomplete injury are impaired movement and sensation. Although you have some movement, it certainly is a lot less than if your spinal cord were uninjured. Similarly, you might feel numbness or weakness in limbs which never improves even with rest.

Our clients suffer incomplete injuries in a variety of ways:

• Blunt trauma. The vertebrae can temporarily compress and bruise the spinal cord in a serious accident. An example is a vehicle rolling onto a pedestrian.
• Bone fragments. When vertebrae crack, bone fragments can break free before becoming embedded in the spinal cord or cutting it.
• Foreign objects. A person might have their spine damaged by a bullet if shot in the back.
• Displaced vertebrae. Any vertebrae moved out of alignment can compress the spinal cord. Even when repositioned, there might be damage remaining to the cord.

Spinal cord injuries are most common with motor vehicle crashes and pedestrian accidents. These are the types of traumatic accidents which can permanently damage the spine.

This is a potentially catastrophic injury. Helpfully, some pathways remain, so there is hope of making at least a partial recovery. A patient will try to make the most of what remains. Physical therapy can help strengthen muscles and possibly allow a victim to relearn how to walk.

Contact a Sioux Falls Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Hoy Law is prepared to negotiate a settlement for our clients’ back injuries. An incomplete spinal cord injury is expensive. In addition to surgery and rehab, patients can need ongoing surgeries to strengthen the spine or release any compression. According to some estimates, an incomplete injury can cost more than $500,000 to treat in the first year alone. This figure does not account for future medical care, to say nothing of lost income. With the most serious incomplete injuries, an accident victim might be unable to return to their old job.

Call Hoy Law. We can calculate the value of your lost income, and property damage. You also deserve compensation for mental distress. A Sioux Falls spinal cord injury lawyer can explain more in a free consultation.

Source:

christopherreeve.org/todays-care/living-with-paralysis/costs-and-insurance/costs-of-living-with-spinal-cord-injury/