A spinal cord injury occurs when the spinal cord, the body’s main nerve pathway, suffers damage from trauma such as fractures, dislocations, or penetrating wounds. This disrupts communication between the brain and body, leading to paralysis, loss of sensation, and impaired bodily functions. Because the spinal cord cannot repair itself, these injuries are often permanent and life-changing.
From a legal perspective, the severity and lifelong impact of spinal cord injuries classify them as catastrophic harm. These cases require substantial compensation for medical care, home adaptations, and long-term support, which a personal injury lawyer in Houston can help secure. Their expertise ensures the injured person’s rights, needs, and future are fully protected throughout the legal process.
Types of Spinal Cord Injury
Medical professionals describe spinal cord injuries in terms of where the cord is damaged and how severely it is affected. Both factors matter greatly when assessing the long-term impact and the scale of a legal claim. The spine is divided into four main regions:
- Cervical injuries
These involve the neck. They can affect the arms, hands, trunk, and legs. High cervical injuries may result in tetraplegia (quadriplegia), where all four limbs and many core functions are impaired. Breathing can also be affected. - Thoracic injuries
These affect the upper and mid-back. They typically impact trunk stability and leg function, resulting in paraplegia, but usually leave arm and hand function intact. - Lumbar and sacral injuries
These affect the lower back and base of the spine. They can impair hip and leg movement, and may also disrupt bladder, bowel, and sexual function to varying degrees.
In simple terms, the higher the injury on the spinal cord, the more of the body is likely to be affected, and the greater the care and support needs will be.
Complete vs incomplete injuries
Spinal cord injuries vary in severity, and understanding the type of injury is important for both medical care and legal considerations. The classification affects mobility, independence, and potential compensation in a personal injury claim. Knowing whether the injury is complete or incomplete helps guide treatment and long-term planning.
- Complete injury – total loss of movement and sensation below the level of damage, as no nerve signals can pass the injured point.
- Incomplete injury – some communication remains, allowing partial movement, partial sensation, or better function on one side of the body than the other.
Accident-Related Causes of Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries can arise from disease, tumours, or degenerative conditions, but in a law-firm context, we are usually concerned with traumatic injuries caused by accidents or avoidable events. The main accident-related causes include:
- Road traffic collisions
Crashes involving cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians can produce enormous forces. Rollover collisions, high-speed impacts, and ejections from vehicles are particularly associated with spinal injuries. - Falls from height
Ladders, scaffolding, roofs, stairs, or balconies can fracture the spine, especially where proper safety systems were lacking. For tips on slip and fall cases, refer to slip and fall settlements with surgery and general slip and fall settlements. - Workplace accidents
Falls, being struck by objects, or crush injuries from machinery are common. For guidance on what to do immediately after an accident, see workplace injury guidance. - Sports and recreational incidents
Diving into shallow water, high-impact tackles, and extreme sports accidents can all cause neck and back trauma with spinal cord involvement. - Assaults and violence
Stabbings, gunshots, and severe physical assaults can directly injure the spinal cord or destabilise the spine.
In many of these scenarios, a legal claim will focus on whether the accident could and should have been prevented, for example, by safer driving, proper risk assessments, protective equipment, or adequate supervision and training.
Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury
The symptoms of a spinal cord injury vary according to its level and completeness, but they usually involve a combination of motor, sensory, and autonomic (automatic body function) problems.
- Loss of movement and strength: Weakness or paralysis in the legs (paraplegia) or all four limbs (tetraplegia/quadriplegia), loss of balance, coordination, and ability to walk or stand, and reduced control over fine movements, especially of the hands and fingers in cervical injuries.
- Loss of sensation: Numbness or reduced ability to feel touch, pain, temperature, or vibration below the injury level, and abnormal sensations such as tingling, burning, or electric-shock-like feelings.
- Bladder, bowel, and sexual function: Problems with bladder retention or incontinence, constipation, loss of voluntary bowel control, and changes in sexual function, arousal, sensation, and fertility for both men and women.
- Breathing and circulation: High cervical injuries can impair the muscles needed for breathing, sometimes requiring ventilatory support, and affect heart rate, blood pressure, and the body’s ability to regulate temperature.
- Pain and spasticity: Neuropathic pain caused by nerve damage, often resistant to standard painkillers, and involuntary muscle stiffness or spasms that can be painful, interfere with positioning, and complicate care.
- Emotional and psychological impact: Shock, grief, anger, or sadness after the injury, anxiety and depression linked to loss of independence, changes in relationships, and uncertainty about the future, and challenges in adjusting to a new identity as a disabled person.
Life After Spinal Cord Injury
It involves recognizing the lasting impact on mobility, independence, work, and daily living. Every consequence must be carefully documented to ensure a claim reflects the full scope of the injury.
- Mobility, independence, and equipment: Many people need wheelchairs, hoists, and specialist seating. Homes may require adaptations like step-free access, wider doorways, and accessible kitchens, while vehicles often need modifications for wheelchair use.
- Care and support needs: Some clients require 24-hour care, while others need daily support from family or professionals. Care needs and costs often increase over time, necessitating long-term planning.
- Work, education, and financial impact: Returning to the same job is often impossible, with retraining or alternative roles sometimes required. There may also be substantial loss of earnings, pensions, and ongoing costs for care, transport, and equipment.
- Long-term health management: People with spinal cord injuries face higher risks of complications like pressure sores and infections. Regular medical follow-up and preventive care are crucial, and legal claims must account for lifelong care and associated costs.
When to Contact a Lawyer
You should reach out to a personal injury lawyer in Houston as soon as possible after a spinal cord injury, even while receiving medical care. Early legal guidance ensures evidence is preserved, accident reports are accurate, and your rights are protected under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §16.003. Prompt action can also help secure interim payments for urgent medical treatment, care, and home adaptations, and ensure proper consideration of comparative negligence under §33.001.
Get Legal Help for Your Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury is catastrophic, permanently affecting movement, sensation, bodily functions, and independence. It often results from accidents such as car crashes, falls, workplace incidents, sports injuries, or assaults, bringing long-term care, housing, equipment, and financial challenges. Understanding the medical and practical impact is essential to securing fair compensation and support.
If you or a loved one has experienced a spinal cord injury, Abogada Kim Bruno can help. With expertise as a personal injury lawyer in Houston, she guides clients through the legal process, protects their rights, and ensures that their financial and care needs for life are addressed. Contact her today to safeguard your future.