With the amount of time that we spend in cars every year it is easy to understand that car accidents have become a constant risk to drivers and their passengers. One of the most horrific injuries that a person can sustain from a Houston car accident is a spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia. Paraplegia is a spinal injury that affects a person’s ability to move their body from the waist down, impairing their walking, reproductive and bowel functions.
Close to 11,000 people a year sustain spinal cord injuries resulting in paraplegia, which is no small number considering the severity of the affliction. Of those 11,000 not all have lost complete feeling and movement. If their spinal cord has not been fully severed then they may still retain some mild voluntary muscle movement and feeling in isolated areas of their legs. These mild voluntary muscle movements can be exercised and trained into greater mobility through intense rehabilitation.
The treatment process for paraplegia begins at the site of the Texas car accident, where securing the victim to a backboard is crucial to preventing any further injuries by relieving pressure to the spinal cord and brain. The next step in the treatment process is assessment of the spine for possible surgery and administration of anti-spasm medication to prevent further injury. The final step in treatment is moving towards a rigorous rehabilitation routine that can last many hours during the day and go on for years.
A paraplegic’s struggle does not just end with their primary injury however, and there are many complications that can arise as a result of their inability to be active with their legs. One such condition that can arise from inactivity is a blood clot that can possibly stop blood from pumping to the heart or lungs resulting in death. These blood clots form when muscles are not actively used such as a paraplegic’s legs.
However debilitating that paraplegia may be, the life expectancy for victims is relatively high after the first year of survival. Life expectancy is especially high in younger people who are affected as opposed to older, but no matter the age of the victim there is still life after a Houston auto accident causing paraplegia.
If you have suffered a spinal injury resulting in paraplegia from a Houston car accident, caused by the other driver, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact Houston auto accident attorney Steve Lee at 713-921-4171 or 1-800-232-3711 for answers to your questions and advice regarding your Texas car accident case.
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Steven M. Lee, PC
5823 Gulf Freeway
Suite 300
Houston, TX 77023
Phone: 713-921-4171
Toll Free: 800-232-3711