Types of Spinal Cord Injuries in San Antonio
No two physical injuries are the same, and this is especially true for injuries to the spinal cord, which runs through the vertebrae of the spine and connects the brain to the rest of the central nervous system. Depending on what type of trauma you have sustained and where in your spinal cord that trauma occurred, you may experience wildly different symptoms compared to another spinal cord injury. While some injuries to the spinal cord may be innocuous, others may alter the course of your life.
Knowing about the various types of spinal cord injuries in San Antonio can help you identify the damages you have suffered and seek compensation for them in a lawsuit or settlement demand over your unique injury. If you have suffered any damage to the spinal cord as listed below due to another person’s reckless or careless actions, a spine damage injury attorney from Felix Gonzalez Law Firm can help you effectively demand the compensation you deserve.
Complete Versus Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries
The single biggest factor determining how severe the damage caused by a spinal cord injury will be is the completeness of the injury—in other words, whether the spinal cord has or has not been completely severed at the injury site. A complete spinal cord injury invariably results in the total and usually permanent loss of sensory and motor function in every part of the body below the injury site, since the brain is completely cut off from the central nervous system below that point.
Conversely, incomplete spinal cord injuries, which involve the spinal cord being bruised, twisted, or slightly torn, may only cause partial loss of function below the injury site. More importantly, this type of spinal cord injury may offer some prospects of long-term recovery in San Antonio through intensive medical and rehabilitative treatments. A skilled legal professional can help factor the cost of these treatments into a lawsuit or settlement demand against whoever was at fault for causing the injury in the first place.
How the Location of Spinal Cord Damage Affects Its Severity
The other primary factor determining the severity of a spinal cord injury is the area of the spinal cord that sustains damage. Different parts of the spinal cord are connected to different parts of the body, and an injury higher up on the spine may impact more areas of the body than one lower down the body and farther away from the brain, causing different problems as listed below:
- Sacral spinal cord injury, near the tailbone – some loss of motor function in the legs and hips, as well as loss of bladder and bowel control
- Lumbar spinal cord injury, in the lower back – significant loss of motor function and sensation below the waist and all the way down to the feet
- Thoracic spinal cord injury, in the middle of the back – significant loss of function in the feet, legs, and groin, as well as pain in the arms and rib cage
- Cervical spinal cord injury, near the neck – significant loss of function in the entire body below the neck, also known as quadriplegia
A practiced San Antonio lawyer can help build a strong civil claim custom-tailored to a specific type of spinal cord injury.
Contact a San Antonio Spinal Cord Injury Attorney To Explore Your Legal Options
Few other types of traumatic injuries are more instantly life-changing than those affecting the spinal cord. However, no matter which one of the different types of spinal cord injuries in San Antonio you have suffered, you have a limited time to identify the person or people at fault for it and take proactive legal action against them.
Fortunately, you also have support available from seasoned legal professionals who know how to fight effectively on behalf of people like you. Call Felix Gonzalez Law Offices today to discuss your recovery options.
