Spinal Cord Injury First Aid Tips from Tampa Auto Accidents Lawyer Dale Appell, P.A.

Sometimes the symptoms of a spinal cord injury are immediate and other times they won't appear for hours or days after an accident. An immediate spinal cord injury is typically the result of one or more vertebrae breaking, causing bony fragments to press on or cut into the spinal cord. Delayed symptoms, on the other hand, are caused by inflammation and bleeding around the spinal cord that occur in the hours and days following a car accident, as pressure slowly builds and eventually damages the nerves. Either way, a spinal cord injury is just as serious and detrimental to your health and mobility. The fact that a spinal cord injury may not be immediately obvious after your car accident is one reason why Tampa auto accidents lawyer Dale Appell, P.A. recommends that everyone involved in an accident goes to a hospital for immediate evaluation.

For example, let's assume you were involved in a serious car accident at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa. You suspect that your neck and back were hurt in the accident, but you are still able to move your limbs without a lot of pain. By going to the hospital, doctors can scan your head and spinal cord for evidence of damage or bleeding. They can also give you medication to reduce swelling. In those precious moments after the accident, doctors may be able to save you from a lifetime of disability that would have been caused by gradual pressure around your spinal cord—damage you otherwise would not have been aware of until it was too late.

If you believe someone's head, neck, or back has been injured in a car accident, it is critical that the injury be handled properly from the beginning. Even if you are not sure if there has been a spinal cord injury or not, it is best to treat the victim as if he or she has a spinal cord injury and then let medical personnel evaluate the situation. Here are the recommended steps to take after a car accident with possible spinal cord injuries:

• Call 911 and tell the operator there have been serious injuries sustained in the accident
• Keep injured accident victims still
• Follow basic first aid steps such as applying pressure to bleeding, but make sure not to move the victim's head or neck
• If you have heavy towels or pillows, place them on either side of the victim's neck to reduce movement while you wait for emergency responders to arrive

As soon as the accident victim or family members are able, it is also advisable to discuss your car accident injuries with an attorney. Your Tampa auto accidents lawyer will take on the task of submitting insurance claims and getting your medical bills paid, which provides injury victims with more time and energy to heal.

For a free consultation about your car accident injuries, please contact Tampa auto accidents lawyer Dale Appell, P.A. You are welcome to call us or fill out the form available by clicking our “Do I have a case?” link. We represent car accident victims in Tampa, Florida and beyond including the communities of Hillsborough, New Port Richey, Lutz, St Petersburg, Dunedin, Clearwater, Dade City, Hudson, Largo, Hernando, and beyond.