Greensboro Spine Injury from Car Accident

Because the spinal cord plays a vital role in the body’s central nervous system, any injury to it can affect a patient’s motor and cognitive abilities, as well as other critical bodily functions. Because the effects of these injuries are often permanent, many people who suffer spinal cord injuries require lifelong medical care and experience a significant reduction in their quality of life.

At Ward Black Law, we know how devastating spinal cord injuries can be, and we want to help you recover maximum compensation if you suffered them due to someone else’s wrongdoing. Our North Carolina car accident lawyers have decades of experience, have recovered more than $150 million in settlements to date, and have received numerous honors for our work – including a “Lawyer of the Year” Award for founding attorney Janet Ward Black from U.S. News & World Report.

Let us put our experience and skills to work on your behalf. Contact us today for a free consultation with a compassionate, dedicated spinal injury lawyer.

What Is a Spine Injury from a Car Accident?

The spinal cord is a band of nerve tissue running from the base of the skull near the brain down to the lower back. This nerve tissue is surrounded and protected by the vertebrae in the back, as well as the cushiony discs between the vertebrae that provide extra support and stability.

As one of the main components of the central nervous system, the spinal cord relays nerve signals between the brain and the rest of the body. These signals control almost every conscious and unconscious process in our bodies. Any injury to the spinal cord can disrupt or block the nerve signals, severely impacting many critical bodily functions.

Car accidents are a leading cause of severe spinal cord injuries. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, motor vehicle accidents account for roughly 37.5 percent of all spinal cord injuries annually in the United States.

How Car Accidents Can Cause Spinal Cord Injuries

When two motor vehicles collide, the force from the crash is transferred to the occupants inside the vehicles. The spinal cord cannot withstand that severe strain, which can cause it to be injured.

In a particularly severe car crash, the force from the initial impact may be enough to cause a complete spinal cord break. Less severe collisions can cause partial breaks or compression fractures, which are hairline cracks in the spine’s vertebrae. If the spinal cord is severed or a damaged vertebra puts pressure on the spinal cord, nerve signals cannot travel from the brain to the parts of the body below the site of damage.

Moreover, the force of a collision can cause occupants to be ejected from a vehicle, resulting in catastrophic injuries. That usually occurs because the driver or passenger was not wearing their seatbelt.

Common Car Accident Spine Injuries in Greensboro

Some of the most common types of spinal cord injuries from car accidents in Greensboro include:

• Quadriplegia or tetraplegia (paralysis from the neck down)
• Paraplegia (paralysis from the waist down)
• Broken or fractured vertebrae
• Compression fractures (hairline cracks in the vertebrae)
• Bone fragments penetrating the spinal canal or spinal cord
• Herniated or ruptured discs
• Whiplash
• Numbness or weakness in the limbs
• Muscle spasms
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty with bladder control, bowel control, and other bodily functions

How Are Spine Injuries Diagnosed and Treated After a Car Accident?

Spinal cord injuries generally need to be diagnosed using an imaging test. If a doctor suspects a patient has sustained a spinal cord injury after a car accident, they will likely order an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI to get a better look at the spine and see if there has been any damage. Another way to diagnose a spinal cord injury after a car accident is through evoked potential testing, which measures how fast nerve signals reach the brain.

Treating a spinal cord injury is difficult, as the effects are often permanent. However, starting treatment immediately after a car accident can improve crash victims’ long-term prognosis. Some of the techniques used to treat a spinal cord injury after a car accident include:

• Surgery
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Medication for pain or other secondary effects from the injury
• Using a wheelchair or other devices to assist with mobility

New, experimental therapies for spinal cord injuries are under research and show promise. However, these treatments are not available to everyone and do not apply to every condition.

Can I Sue for a Spine Injury from a Car Accident?

North Carolina law allows you to sue another driver if they caused your spinal cord injury in an accident. However, you will have to demonstrate the driver was negligent in some way to recover any compensation for your injuries. An experienced car accident lawyer can make a compelling case for the other driver’s negligence, working from evidence like:

Potential Compensation for Spine Injury Victims

Because a spinal cord injury can impact all aspects of a patient’s life, it is essential that they pursue compensation for all the effects of their injury. A spinal cord injury lawyer can help you recover compensation for:

• Lost wages
• Reduced future earnings
• Medical bills, including the cost of future or ongoing care you may need
• Pain and suffering
• Mental and emotional distress
• Diminished quality of life
• Damaged personal property