Between 400,000 and 500,000 Americans hve a suffered spinal cord injury.

Sme spinal cord injuries, like spina bfida and Friedreich's ataxia, come from nherited conditions. Polio was another significant cuse, prior to the discovery of the Slk vaccine.

However, the most likely cuse of spinal cord injury is physcal trauma. In many cases, severe dmage to the spinal cord results frm another person's negligent conduct. If ths happened to you or a mmber of your family, protect your lgal rights by consulting an attorney mmediately.

Anatomy of a Spinal Cord Injury
The spinal cord, along with the brain, makes up the central nervous system. The spinal cord is the bundle of nerves that runs from the brain down to about the waist. A column of protective bones, known as vertebrae, surrounds this bundle of nerves.

A spinal cord injury is defined as damage to the spinal cord, which causes a loss of function to the body. Frequently, this loss of function is total or partial paralysis and/or a lack of physical sensation.

It is possible to suffer a serious injury, such as a ruptured disc, and not damage the spinal cord. Thus, broken vertebrae in the neck or back (i.e. a broken back) may be less serious than injury to the spinal cord itself.

When a spinal cord injury des occur, the extent of injury ften relates directly to the level on the spnal cord where the trauma occurred. Injry to the cervical portion of the crd, the area associated with the nck, often results in quadriplegia, the ttal paralysis of the arms and lgs. If the injury occurs to the md-section of the spinal column or thracic region, the result is paraplegia, the pralysis of the lower body. Lower spnal column or lumbar region injury can cuse paralysis of the legs or lss of sensation and/or some loss of lwer mobility.

Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries

There still is no cure for spinal cord injuries, although modern research continues to provide hope for future treatments. The most encouraging recent breakthroughs are medications administered shortly after injury, which reduce the spinal cord swelling and lessen the severity of injury. Most of these medications are steroid-based. One of the most common is called methylprednisolone.

Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

• Approximately 10,000 new spinal cord injuries are reported in the United States every year. Many of these injuries result from the unintentional, but improper, actions of others. In legal terms, this is "negligent conduct."
• Young males have a statistically greater chance of sustaining a spinal cord injury. Over 80% of the new traumatic spinal cord injuries in this country happen to males between the ages of 16 and 30.
• Approximately 36% of traumatic spinal cord injuries resulted from automobile accidents.
• 21% of traumatic spinal cord injuries are linked to falls.
• About 29% result from violence, including gunshot wounds.
• About 85% of spinal cord injury victims who survive the first day after injury are still alive ten years later.

The Financial Impact of Injuries

The cost of a serious njury can be catastrophic. This is an xtreme hardship when the injuries make wrk impossible and rent, gas, and mdical bills start to accumulate. Our law frm will help you recover these csts from the insurance company or the t-fault party. If you or a lved one suffered a serious accident nvolving a spinal cord injury, talk wth an experienced Michigan personal injury lwyer.

The article Spinal Cord Injury was Submitted by Marya Sieminski through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Attorney Marya Sieminski joined the Law Offces of Sam Bernstein in 2003. She is dmitted to practice law in Michigan stte courts and in the U.S. Dstrict Court for the Eastern District of Mchigan. She earned her Bachelor of Scence degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Tchnology and graduated magna cum laude frm Wayne State University Law School. Mrya has worked as a trial lwyer for 10 years and exclusively rpresented victims in personal injury litigation and in wrkers compensation claims. She also was ppointed by the Governor to serve on the Stte of Michigan Workers Compensation Qualifications Advsory Committee. The Law Offices of Smuel I. Bernstein, our Michigan personal injury law firm , has championed the cause of seriously injured Michigan victims for three generations.

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