Below are discussing with you the two types of spinal cord injuries, how a spinal cord injury can impact a victim’s life, and why anyone who has been faced with such unfortunate circumstances should consider retaining a spinal cord injury attorney in Iowa.
Your spinal cord plays an integral role in allowing your body to operate and function in a normal manner. When it suffers an injury, it may not be able to communicate between the spinal nerves and the brain thereby affecting your mind and body in a multitude of ways. Now, before we get into how a spinal cord injury affects your body which can directly impact your ability to enjoy your life the way you once could, we first want to discuss with you what the two types of spinal cord injuries are.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
There are two types of spinal cord injuries an individual might suffer after engaging in a car accident, (1) a complete injury and (2) an incomplete injury. A complete injury “means that there is no function below the level of the injury” and the “sensation and movement [of] both sides of the body are equally affected.” An incomplete injury is when “there is some function below the level of the injury.” This often results in a victim being able to move “one limb more than the other, [experience] feeling in parts of the body, or control “one side of the body more than the other.” Stanford Health Care highlights that both complete injuries and incomplete injuries “can occur at any level of the spinal cord.”
How might a spinal cord injury affect your body?
Depending on the type of injury an individual suffered along with the severity of it, a spinal cord injury victim might notice the following:
- The muscles located in their legs and arms have become weak or completely paralyzed.
- They aren’t able to experience certain sensations such as heat, cold, or pain.
[Source: University of Utah].
- Their spinal cord is unable to deliver messages that would allow their body and organs to function in certain ways. For example, a spinal cord injury victim might experience urinary problems. According to the University of Washington Rehabilitation Medicine, a victim might notice that their bladder and sphincter muscles may be weak, overactive or poorly coordinated,” which could cause the following to occur:
- Filling problems, which happens when “the bladder is overactive and contracts too much or at the wrong time, or the sphincter doesn’t contract enough to keep the urine from leaking out.”
- Emptying problems, which arise when “the bladder doesn’t contract enough, or the sphincter won’t relax.”
Aside from experiencing urinary issues, spinal cord injuries can have a serious effect on you and your ability to enjoy your life, family, friends, etc. Individuals with a spinal cord injury may no longer be able to partake in sports or other recreational activities they once enjoyed, they may find themselves feeling uncomfortable while being intimate with a spouse or partner, or can no longer perform the same duties they once could at work prior to the accident.
And that brings us to why a spinal cord injury victim should consider hiring a lawyer in Iowa who can help them recover compensation that can make getting through this difficult time a little easier.
While money cannot repair the body or mind, it can help remove the burden of trying to provide for your family during the time you are unable to work. It can also help you afford certain services to replace the tasks you can no longer complete as well as certain types of medical care that can make living life with a spinal cord injury easier on you. If you would like to learn more about the steps we can help you take to recover the funds you are entitled to, contact Eells & Tronvold Law Offices, P.L.C. and our team of dedicated and knowledgeable spinal cord injuries would be more than happy to discuss this with you.
Although living a life with a spinal cord injury might seem insurmountable, we are here to help and support you through this tough time. Contact us today at (319) 393-1020 to schedule an initial consultation.
You can reach Eells & Tronvold Law Offices, P.L.C. at:
1921 51st Street NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Phone: (319) 393-1020
Fax: (319) 393-4000
Website: www.eellsandtronvold.com
