Violent accidents, such as traffic accidents involving large commercial trucks, typically result in serious injuries. Some of the most severe injuries that occur in trucking accidents are injuries to the spine. Sadly, when serious injuries such as spinal cord injuries occur, long-term health issues can be the result.
Because spinal cord injuries can result in quadriplegia, the complete loss of movement throughout the body, or paraplegia, the loss of movement in the lower portion on the body, accident victims who suffer spinal cord injuries are often affected for life. Although some accident victims are able to recover from spinal cord injuries following rehabilitation, they may also suffer the long-term effects.
Some of the long-term complications of spinal cord injuries include:
- Back pain. Spinal cord injury victims who haven’t suffered paralysis typically suffer from lower back pain. The pain can be so intense that it causes accident victims the inability to participate in the things they once did.
- Spasms. Many people living with spinal cord injuries suffer from spasticity, which is uncontrolled reflexes (spasms) in the limbs.
- Weakness in extremities. Victims who suffer from spinal cord injuries often experience weakness in their arms and legs and numbness that continues to get worse with time.
- Bladder and bowel dysfunction. When nerves that control the bladder and bowel are damaged, bowel difficulties and urinary problems can occur. As a result, many spinal cord injury victims have to wear catheters.
- Blood clots. For those spinal cord injury victims who are immobile, blood clots are a real concern due to lack of movement.
- Pressure sores. For victims who suffer from paralysis, bedsores or pressure sores are likely to develop if one’s body position isn’t changed frequently.
- Low blood pressure. After a spinal cord injury, a victim’s heart rate often slows down and results in low blood pressure.
- Depression. When victims living with spinal injuries no longer feel the same or are able to do the things they love, they often suffer emotionally, such as extreme sadness.
Spinal cord injury victims not only suffer in pain, but they often have difficulties performing simple tasks, participating in hobbies once enjoyed, or even working. Because of this, they end up suffering physically, emotionally and financially. If your body functions have been impacted as a result of a trucking accident, you need to seek legal advice. For a complimentary consultation, please call our office today at (301) 942-9118.
| Related Links: |