Most people in Northeast Wisconsin recognize that damage to the spinal cord is a type of catastrophic injury that can leave someone, oftentimes a young adult with a lot of promise, paralyzed or, at the very best, with serious limitations in their mobility.
In the most severe cases, a spinal cord injury can mean that a victim will need around-the-clock care in order to live and function, Being able to hold down a job is in most cases out of the question for these sorts of people, and those who are able to return work may be able to do so only after a long time of rehabilitation.
Even less severe spinal cord injuries will require a complete change in lifestyle and a long and expensive recovery.
Overall, most spinal cord injuries are caused by car and other motor vehicle accidents. Given the force that the impact of a collision and its aftermath can place on one’s spine, it is not surprising that over half of new injuries to the spinal cord are attributable in some way to a car accident.
Among older adults, that is, those over 65, the most common cause of spinal cord injuries is a slip and fall, although falls only account for 15 percent of all injuries overall. Other common causes of spinal cord injuries include violence, such as from stabbings and shootings, and injuries connected to sports like football or swimming and diving, particularly when one is diving in shallow water.
Many of these injuries are preventable. If a victim of a spinal cord injury was hurt on account of someone else’s negligence, then they may be able to pursue compensation for their injuries. To do so, a resident of Green Bay or another city in the area who finds himself in this predicament way need the help of a Northeast Wisconsin law firm which handles catastrophic injuries claims.