Seattle Injury Lawyer Blog
There are many different types of injuries a Washington driver may suffer should he or she become involved in a car wreck. One of the most serious injuries that could be suffered includes damage to the spinal cord, which could result in an injured person losing physical function below the point of injury.
The spinal cord is responsible for transporting messages from the brain to the rest of the body. Should that pathway become injured or damaged, the messages cannot reach their intended destination. The spinal cord does not necessarily need to be completely severed in order for the injured person to lose function. When this does occur, however, this is known as a complete injury. In general, the level of a spinal cord injury can determine what abilities are lost.
There are two stages of a spinal cord injury. The first is the initial injury that is caused by the accident. Following the injury, the spinal cord will swell, which could cause further damage. However, some people may regain certain functions as the swelling goes down. Very rarely, others may regain function years after they suffered the injury.
Approximately 450,000 people across the nation live with spinal cord injuries. If the person suffered a spinal cord injury or other auto injuries and they were not responsible for the accident, they may be eligible to seek compensation for the cost of the damages. Because spinal cord injuries will affect the person for the rest of their life, they could potentially seek future medical costs that are associated with these types of life-altering injuries. Because a paralyzing injury could cause a person to lose their job, they may also seek lost income.