Paraplegia is one of the most severe spinal cord injuries you can suffer. About 40% of all spinal cord injuries each year are due to car accidents. If you suffered paraplegia in a motor vehicle accident, you are rightfully worried about the road ahead, how you will pay for expensive medical treatments, and how you can rebuild your life after such a tragic injury.
The Albuquerque injury lawyers at Caruso Law Offices explain this condition and are here to guide you through the legal process of seeking compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and reduced quality of life.
Spinal Cord Injury Overview
The spinal cord is a tube of tissue that runs from the brain to the lower back, carrying nerve signals between the brain and the rest of the body. These signals help move your body, give you feeling, and control autonomous functions like breathing. Any damage to the spinal cord can affect movement, function, and sensation.
The spinal cord is divided into different regions:
- Cervical spine (C1-C7) – The vertebrae in this section form the neck.
- Thoracic spine (T1-T12) – The vertebrae in this section form the upper back.
- Lumbar spine (L1-L5) – The vertebrae here are located near the base of the spine and form the lower back.
- Sacral spine (S1-S5) – The sacral spine is at the very end of the spinal column, lies between the fifth segment of the lumbar spine and the tailbone, and contains spinal nerves.
Generally, the higher up the spinal cord injury, the more severe the injury because everything below the site of injury can be paralyzed.
When Is a Spinal Cord Injury Considered Paraplegia?
A spinal cord injury may be paraplegia when it occurs in the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral region of the spinal cord. It affects both legs. Spinal cord injury victims with paraplegia do not feeling or function in the lower half of the body.
Paraplegia is sometimes compared to tetraplegia. Tetraplegia causes loss of sensation and function in all four limbs.
Medical Treatment for Paraplegia
People cannot usually recover from paraplegia, so medical treatment tends to focus on minimizing symptoms and teaching victims how to live with impairments. Medical treatment may include:
- Surgery – Doctors may perform surgery to relieve pressure from the spine, remove foreign objects from the spinal column, or prevent infections that could worsen the injury.
- Physical therapy – Physical therapy teaches spinal cord injury victims how to control their bodies after a paralyzing injury, build muscle mass, and fight atrophy.
- Exercise therapy – Participating in water aerobics, lifting weights, and other forms of exercise therapy may help individuals with paraplegia lead healthier lifestyles and higher-quality lives.
- Psychotherapy – Individuals with paraplegia may suffer chronic depression, PTSD, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. Psychotherapy treatment may be able to address these issues.
- Education and support – Doctors may recommend spinal cord injury victims attend support groups to talk about their injuries and lean on each other to learn how to cope with their lives following paralysis.
Individuals with paralysis may suffer from various complications, including loss of bladder and bowel control or sexual dysfunction. They can develop pressure sores if they do not move often enough. They may require a lifetime of care, have to relearn basic skills, and be permanently removed from the workforce. It’s important to seek medical treatment after a spinal cord injury. Then, call an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer who can fight to recover maximum compensation for your claim.
Contact Caruso Law Offices Today
Contact us for a free case review to discuss how we can help after a motor vehicle accident causes paraplegia.