Catastrophic car crash injuries create financial devastation and tend to have a profound impact on an individual’s quality of life. Spinal cord injuries are among the best-known and most feared injuries that people may develop because of car crashes.
The force of impact or the damage caused by flying debris can sever or otherwise damage the spinal cord. Many people associate spinal cord injuries with an instantaneous and total loss of sensation and motor function. They think of people who become unable to move their feet or feel a needle prick in their legs.
Most people assume that if they can walk away from a car crash, they probably don’t have a catastrophic injury. What they may not understand is that spinal cord injuries can sometimes worsen after the initial trauma of a collision.
Incomplete injuries are often unstable
When people think about the total loss of function often depicted in popular media after a spinal cord injury, that is a complete spinal cord injury. The trauma completely cuts through the spinal cord, permanently ending the ability of the brain to communicate with the body below the location of the injury.
However, people can damage their spinal cords without actually severing them. Car crashes can tear, pinch or partially cut the spinal cord. People may notice impaired motor function or unusual physical sensations, but they may think they have some less serious injury, such as a pinched nerve.
They might go on with their day, only to suddenly experience an abrupt worsening of their symptoms. Physical exercise, secondary trauma and even aggressive motions caused by transportation can convert a previously incomplete spinal cord injury to a complete injury.
The possibility of an injury suddenly worsening is why medical professionals responding to car crashes or other incidents that involve head neck or back injuries use stabilization boards. They prevent people from moving abruptly so that health care professionals can assess them and provide appropriate interventions to prevent a spinal cord injury from worsening.
Those involved in serious crashes that cause significant injuries to others or catastrophic property damage may have injuries that they don’t notice at the scene of a crash. Getting prompt medical attention can help those people improve their long-term chances of recovery.
Those with costly injuries, including incomplete spinal cord injuries, may need help securing reasonable financial compensation afterward. Getting a timely diagnosis can also strengthen an individual’s ability to seek financial relief after a wreck leaves them with a catastrophic injury.