Why Spinal Cord Injuries are Very Serious Personal Injuries from Oregon Trucking Accidents
There are many types of injuries that can be sustained in a truck accident. Broken bones, soft tissue damage, and head trauma are all very common but one of the most debilitating injuries that can occur are spinal cord injuries. It is estimated that there are almost 18,000 new cases of spinal cord injuries each year, with motor vehicle accidents accounting for 38% of those. People who suffer from spinal cord injuries often have to deal with life changing disabilities as well as emotional and physical pain and suffering. Our Oregon spinal cord injury lawyers are very aware of how debilitating spinal cord injuries can be and will ensure your rights are protected in any trucking accident that causes damage to your spinal cord.
Spinal Cord Basics: Understanding the Anatomy
The spinal cord is very complicated but essentially it is a long bundle of nerves that begins at the base of the brain and runs downward along the spine, ending at the lower back. It is located inside the spinal canal, which is a hollow tunnel formed by the vertebrae, or the bones that make up the spine. The bony spinal canal is very important because it provides a hard shell of protection around the soft tissues of the spinal cord.
The job of the spinal cord is to transmit signals from the brain to the body and vice versa. It makes things like sensation and movement possible and when there is a lesion, or damage, to the spinal cord in a certain area, it will result in sensory and movement issues. Lesions that are more proximal, or closer to the brain, will result in more disability than lesions which are distal, or closer to the bottom of the spinal cord.
Type of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can be classified as complete or incomplete. This refers to how far the lesion extends into the spinal cord. A complete lesion will sever the spinal cord entirely while an incomplete lesion will only sever it partially and will vary in the extent that it is severed. For patients with complete lesions, they will suffer from paralysis depending on the location of the injury.
Lesions to the cervical spinal cord, or neck, are most debilitating. They cause limited use of the arms and neck and total paralysis from the neck down. Lesions to the thoracic spinal cord usually spare the neck and arms but will cause paralysis from the trunk down. Injuries to the lumbar spinal cord, the lower back, does not affect the arms of the trunk but may cause paralysis of the legs but some of these people may be able to ambulate with special braces to assist them.
Why Oregon Truck Accidents Cause Spinal Cord Injuries
Trucks are big and heavy, they travel at high speeds and therefore carry a lot of momentum. The crushing forces applied to a human body with that amount of momentum behind it is no contest for the bones of the spine and they can easily be crushed upon impact. When these bones break, they send sharp fragments of bone into the spinal cord resulting in severe injury. It is no surprise then that the majority of spinal cord injuries occur during motor vehicle accidents.
Injured in an Oregon Trucking Accident? Ask Our Portland Personal Injury Lawyers for Help
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of a trucking accident or collision contact the Oregon Truck Accident Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form. We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.
Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles, St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.
We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take Trucking accident cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.
Please act quickly, there is a limited time (Statute of Limitations) in which you can bring a claim under the law.
