Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord is actually quite fragile, and without the thick, bony spine protecting it, debilitating injuries to the spinal cord would occur more often. Generally, a spinal cord injury occurs after a traumatic impact or blow to the spine. Some common causes of spinal cord injuries, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, include:

• Motor vehicle accidents (accounts for nearly 42 percent of all injuries)

• Falls (account for nearly 27 percent of all injuries)

• Violent acts (account for nearly 15 percent of all injuries)

• Injuries resulting from a recreational sport, such as football (account for about 7.5 percent of all injuries)

Spinal injuries can range from mild to extremely severe. The effects of an injury can include:

• Loss of movement

• Loss of sensation

• Loss of bowel and/or bladder control

• Pain or stinging sensations

• Changes in sexual function

• Spasms or other exaggerated reflexes

 

Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits

If your spine was injured in a Kansas City accident, one option that you have is to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against any responsible party(s) that directly or indirectly caused the injury. In general, to pursue a lawsuit, you need to declare an individual, corporation, or another entity as the cause of the preventable spinal cord injury.

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Moreover, you may need to prove “negligence” in your spinal injury lawsuit and show to the judge, insurers, and/or the court that the other party’s negligent behavior caused the injury. For example, a driver is talking on his cell phone and hits a pedestrian. The pedestrian may be entitled to damages by proving that the driver’s distraction and negligence led to the injury.