Spinal cord damage can change almost every aspect of the victim’s life in the blink of an eye. It affects the personal, professional and social lives, and often causes significant changes to the victim’s home life dynamics. Sadly, a considerable percentage of people in Colorado who have to adjust to life in a wheelchair after suffering spinal cord injuries are victims of other negligent drivers.
Physical consequences of spinal cord injuries
When an auto accident injury damages the spinal cord, it could cause permanent or temporary harm to its normal autonomic, sensory or motor functions. A severed or damaged spinal cord typically causes changes in sensation, strength and other bodily functions below the injury site. Spinal trauma could occur even if one does not sever the spinal cord, and paralysis results from nerve damage caused by the injury.
Four types of paralysis
Paralysis categories are as follows, according to the inability to move certain parts of the body:
- Monoplegia: Paralysis that affects a single limb, like one arm, without affecting other areas.
- Hemiplegia: Loss of sensation and movement of both limbs on one side of the body.
- Paraplegia: Paralysis of the entire area of the body below the waist — hips, legs and bodily functions.
- Quadriplegia: Loss of all function and sensation below the neck, including the torso and all four limbs.
When another person’s negligence causes any catastrophic injuries that cause paralysis, the consequences go far beyond financial losses. Along with medical bills, therapy and loss of income, changes to their homes to allow wheelchair use could add significant economic challenges. Fortunately, in Colorado, both financial and emotional damages might be recoverable through the civil justice system.