Spinal and Brain Injuries

If you sustained a head injury in an accident it’s very likely your neck and spine suffered damage as well. In car accidents, whiplash is an extremely common neck injury and should not be overlooked as something minor. Accidents involving motorcycles and large trucks often result in more serious spinal cord injuries that can lead to:

• Partial paralysis: Bruised or partially severed spinal cords may result in partial paralysis. In these cases, the victim may still retain some feeling or mobility in the affected area. They are only “partially paralyzed.” Some cases can be reversed, while others are permanent.
• Total paralysis: A completely severed spinal cord will result in total paralysis below the area of injury. The person will have no feeling or mobility in the affected area. Total paralysis is usually irreversible, meaning that the victim will be paralyzed for the rest of his or her life.
• Paraplegia: Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis of the legs, but not the arms, is known as paraplegia. Paraplegics are unable to walk, but still have use of their arms and are usually able to utilize wheelchairs to get around.
• Tetraplegia / quadriplegia: Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis from the neck down, including the arms and the legs, is known as quadriplegia or tetraplegia. This is the most severe form of paralysis. Tetraplegics and quadriplegics require caretakers since they cannot use their arms or legs.