Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: What is It and What Are Its Causes
Traumatic spinal cord injury represents a severe and life-altering injury that can happen to anyone at any time.
While the most common cause of a spinal cord injury is a car accident, many other causes come to the attention of Chorney Sidhu Injury Lawyers. Here we define spinal cord injuries and its leading causes.
What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
The spinal cord refers to the bundle of nerve fibres running from the brain through the vertebrae, or bones, of the spine.
Traumatic spinal cord injury results from damage to the spinal cord.
The symptoms vary depending on the level of the injury. A mild spinal cord injury may cause numbness or tingling in your legs or arms. A severe injury to the spinal cord could result in paralysis or loss of function and sensation below the level where the injury occurred.
Either way, you must seek immediate medical attention after such an injury.
What Are the Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?
Motor Vehicle Accidents
According to the Canadian Spinal Cord Injury Foundation, motor vehicle accidents rank as Canada’s number one cause of traumatic spinal cord injury. These accidents can be due to a variety of reasons, including:
- Driving while distracted
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Speeding
- Neglecting to wear a seatbelt
Slips and Falls
Falls also serve as a top cause of spinal cord injuries. The most common type of fall is a slip and fall or trip and fall, which can happen anywhere—on the sidewalk or at work, for example. You might trip over something or slip on a patch of ice, but no matter what caused it, a slip and fall can leave you with a spinal cord injury.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents
One of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries in Canada stems from pedestrian and bicycle accidents, according to the Canadian Spinal Cord Injury and Research Network.
In 2014, there were approximately 3500 people who sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury in Canada. Of those, about 1400 were the result of a pedestrian collision. Another 400 were due to bicycle collisions.
Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents can also lead to spinal cord injuries in Canada. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety reported over 1300 work-related spinal cord injuries in 2015 alone. Falls, slips, trips, or material handling equipment can cause these injuries.
Other causes include:
- Falls from heights
- Slips and trips
- Heavy objects falling on workers
- Faulty products
Consult Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Brampton, ON, for a Free Consultation
Injuries can be frustrating and confusing. You are hurt, you are worried about your future, and you do not have the time or the energy to figure out how to deal with it all. Our professional injury lawyers at Chorney Sidhu Injury Lawyers handle your injury case from start to finish.
We know what it is like to be in an accident and struggle to get back on your feet after a traumatic spinal cord injury, and we want to help you do that.
If you’ve sustained damage to the spinal cord, You Know What To Do, call Chorney Sidhu at (844-HURT-GTA) (844) 497-8482 for a free consultation with one of our injury lawyers in Brampton.
