What Is a Catastrophic Spinal Cord Injury? Information from Tampa Auto Accident Attorney Dale Appell, P.A.

Catastrophic spinal cord injuries are very common during car and motorcycle accidents in the Tampa Bay area. They are so common, in fact, that car and motorcycle accidents account for about 50 percent of new spinal cord injuries each year. By definition, all spinal cord injuries are catastrophic, causing a tremendous amount of pain, disability, and suffering, not to mention high medical bills. Tampa auto accident attorney Dale Appell, P.A. has successfully represented numerous victims of catastrophic spinal cord injury, fighting for their right to medical care, lost wages, lost ability to work, and other damages the victims are entitled to.

To understand a catastrophic spinal cord injury, one must first understand what the spinal cord does. A spinal cord is an approximately 18-inch-long cable of nerves that runs from the base of the brain, down the middle of the back, to the pelvis area. The spinal cord is surrounded by bones called vertebrae. The nerves in your spinal cord are responsible for carrying messages from your brain to the rest of your body and back to your brain. These messages enable the body to move and feel.

Catastrophic spinal cord injury occurs when the spinal cord is damaged, typically by an object, swelling, or fluid accumulation around the spinal cord. During a car accident, the spinal cord is usually damaged when vertebrae—the bones protecting your spinal cord—break or become compressed, sending pieces of bone into the spinal cord or damaging it with increased pressure. Whether the spinal cord is completely severed or there is a narrow path of cellular damage in the spinal cord, it will still result in the loss of functioning somewhere in the body.

The loss of function caused by catastrophic spinal cord injury depends on what part of the spinal cord is damaged. For example, injury to the spinal cord in the neck and upper back area can affect every part of the body below the neck, sometimes meaning a person cannot breathe properly or move his or her arms and legs. An injury toward the bottom of the spinal cord will affect the leg muscles as well as bladder control.

Catastrophic spinal cord injuries are lifelong ailments requiring daily care. In addition to significant disability, there are multiple serious complications that can crop up because of a spinal cord injury including infections, chronic pain, lung problems, and much more.

If you have endured a catastrophic spinal cord injury from an auto accident in the greater Tampa Bay area, please contact Tampa auto accident attorney Dale Appell, P.A. for a free consultation about your case. Our personal injury law firm has the experience and knowledge to calculate the true cost of your injury (past, present, and future), and to fight for just compensation on your behalf. From our main office in Rocky Point, Tampa, we serve all of West Central Florida including Carrollwood, Hernando, Brandon, Hillsborough, Clearwater, St Petersburg, Citrus, Dade City, Bradenton, Dunedin, and beyond.