New York Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Explains Complete and Incomplete Severity Levels
Car accidents, workplace injuries, and trip and fall accidents are just some of the ways that a severe spinal cord injury may occur. While injuries vary widely, they can be classified as either complete or incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury is one that causes total loss of function at and below the original point of injury.
Complete spinal cord injuries are further divided into complete paraplegia and complete tetraplegia. In the first type, the injured person permanently loses all motor function below the T1 vertebrae. This includes loss of sensation in the legs, bladder, bowel, and sexual organs. The person is usually able to move his or her hands and arms and may have partial trunk movement.
A person with complete tetraplegia suffers from all of the above limitations in addition to the loss of hand and arm movement. The disability is so severe that the injured person might require a ventilator to breathe.
Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury
An incomplete spinal cord injury means that the person retains partial sensation at the site of the injury or below it. It is impossible to tell if the injured individual needs help from a spinal cord injury lawyer until several weeks after the accident when spinal shock has stopped. People with an incomplete spinal injury may experience some feeling but not be able to move. Some can continue making movements but lack the ability to feel them.
There are five different types of incomplete spinal cord injuries. These include anterior cord syndrome, posterior cord syndrome, central cord syndrome, Brown-Sequard syndrome, and cauda equina lesion. The first three types are self-explanatory while the fourth refers to spinal cord injuries that affect only the right or left side of the body. Cauda equina lesion is the name for the type of injury that damages nerves between the first and second lumbar regions in the spine.
Do You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
If another person or organization caused your spinal cord injuries, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Please contact us at Frekhtman & Associates to learn more about filing a personal injury lawsuit.