If a motor vehicle collision results in damage to your spinal cord, the chances are good that you will notice immediately. Spinal cord injuries typically result in a loss of motor function and also physical sensation below the location of the injury.
The higher on the spine the injury occurs, the more significant the limitations that it generates. Those with a spinal cord injury typically need emergency medical care right after a crash, as their symptoms are impossible to ignore.
Can you expect your condition to improve after receiving medical treatment?
Incomplete injuries may improve
The possibility of recovering from a spinal cord injury ties directly to the kind of injury you have. Those with an incomplete spinal cord injury that pinches, tears or otherwise damages the spinal cord without fully cutting through it have the greatest chance of recovery.
In some cases, with proper therapy and time to heal, an incomplete spinal cord injury will improve. People may regain physical function and sensation, although the injury may have a lasting impact on their overall strength and dexterity. Incomplete spinal cord injuries typically require extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation support if the individual is to have any hope of regaining motor function.
There is hope on the horizon for complete injuries as well. Amazing medical advances published in 2022 pave the way for a brighter future for those with complete spinal cord injuries. Early research into implanted devices has shown great potential. Of course, at this point, such research is in its earliest stages and is not accessible to the general public.
Those with complete spinal cord injuries will still require ongoing medical support to care for how their injuries affect their body, although such treatment will usually not result in a reduction of their injury-related symptoms. The care necessary when someone has a spinal cord injury often costs far more than what insurance will pay.
Those adjusting to life with a spinal cord injury may need to look into other options for financial compensation, including civil lawsuits. Knowing your options after a major motor vehicle collision causes a spinal cord injury will make it easier to secure financial resources to pay for treatment and offset your other losses, like lost wages.