What are the Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?

Broken bones and bruises can cause a significant amount of pain, but there are few injuries that are as serious and traumatic as spinal cord injuries. Damaging your spinal cord can affect your ability to move or feel sensations in certain parts of your body. In severe cases, a spinal cord injury could prevent you from being able to live independently. How do people end up with these devastating injuries? Here are some of the most common causes :

Traffic Accidents

The number one cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States is traffic accidents, which account for around 35% of new cases every year. The spinal cord is vulnerable during a car accident, and many times the impact of the collision can lead to a crushed, compressed, or fractured spinal cord. Motorcyclists are even more vulnerable to spinal cord injuries because they do not have the benefit of being protected by seatbelts, airbags, and the car’s structure.

Slip and Falls

Although traffic accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries in the U.S., falls are the number one cause of these injuries in people over the age of 65. Whether you slip on a patch of ice, trip because of uneven stairs, or simply faint because of a health condition, you are at a high risk of sustaining a spinal cord injury if you fall.

Violent Crimes

Fifteen percent of spinal cord injuries are caused by violent acts , especially those involving guns. Even if a bullet does not directly hit the spinal cord, it can cause a great deal of damage just by grazing past it as it enters the body.

Swimming Pool Accidents

People often let loose at swimming pools, but if they fail to use caution when diving into the pool, they may suffer a spinal cord injury as a result. Diving into the shallow end, for example, can cause you to collide with the bottom of the swimming pool and crush or compress your spinal cord.

Falling Objects

You may not think an object is going to fall out of the sky and seriously injure you, but some people are at a higher risk of being involved in this type of accident than others. For example, construction workers are constantly at risk of being injured by a fallen object that could damage their spinal cord. Safety gear can protect these workers to some degree, but even this gear is often not enough to prevent a spinal cord injury.

Are you living with a spinal cord injury? If your injury was caused by another person’s negligent behavior, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. To schedule a free consultation with an experienced attorney, contact Rush Injury Law today by calling 415-897-4801 or filling out the online form on our website, www.rushinjurylaw.com .