Spinal cord injuries vary in terms of type and severity. Victims may experience nerve damage, persistent and intense pain, loss of sensation in certain areas of the body, loss of movement, and sexual dysfunction.

Motor functions may be impaired, as well as bowel and bladder function, leading to incontinence. Paraplegia (paralysis from the waist down) or quadriplegia (paralysis from the neck down) may result from the most severe cases of spinal cord injury.

A spinal cord injury could result from a wide variety of causes. These include, but are not limited to:

• Gunshot
• Car, motorcycle, or bicycle accident
• Construction site accident
• Slip and fall
• Work-related accident
• Diving or swimming pool accident

Common types of spinal cord injuries include fractures, herniated discs (bulging of the vertebrae), and partial misalignment of vertebrae. People who have suffered a spinal cord injury usually feel pain in the neck area, or the middle or lower back. Those who experience total or partial paralysis are at increased risk for blood clots and pressure sores, among other debilitating side effects.

Victims of spinal cord trauma may be entitled to significant damages because of their injuries. It’s important, however, to have an experienced personal injury attorney on your side. Victims of a spinal cord injury may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills and expenses, physical disability, disfigurement, loss of earnings, reduced earning capacity, loss of society with friends and family, loss of consortium with a spouse, and the cost of physical therapy, rehabilitation, and medications, both past and future.