When drivers travel in Nashville and throughout Tennessee, they generally do not anticipate the possibility that they will be involved in a serious traffic accident that could cause a spinal cord injury. However, there are between 6,000 and 10,000 people per year who make that same assumption that suffer a spinal cord injury in a motor vehicle accident while driving or riding in a car, motorcycle, truck or SUV based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Car accidents account for nearly half of all new spinal cord injuries. The CDC also reports that alcohol is a significant contributing factor in causing a quarter of all spinal cord injuries.
Spinal cord injuries are typically a result of damage to the spinal column which is made up of 31 bones referred to as vertebrae. Each of the vertebrae has a body and arch that form an enclosed space. The vertebrae are stacked on one another to form the spinal column. The spinal cord, which is contained within this enclosed space, connects the brain to nerves throughout the body. When the spinal column is damaged because of trauma suffered in a car crash or other motor vehicle accident, the vehicle occupant may suffer injury to the spinal cord that causes impairment of sensation and loss of control of bodily functions and/or use of extremities.
While those involved in an auto collision who suffers a spinal cord injury in Tennessee may not immediately focus on seeking financial compensation for their injury or loss, the financial impact of this type of devastating injury cannot be ignored indefinitely. The annual medical expenses associated with a spinal cord injury range from $15,000 to $30,000 according to the Journal of Spinal Medicine. The amount that a spinal cord injury costs a car accident victim during his or her lifetime may be anywhere between a half a million and three million dollars. These are only direct and indirect medical expenses and do not include estimates that cover lost income from disability, pain and suffering or other forms of loss.
There are ways to reduce your risk of suffering a debilitating spinal cord injury that causes paraplegia, quadriplegia or other types of loss of use or impairment of extremities and body functions. The most effective way to avoid such injuries is to never engage in high risk driving practices like texting and driving, drunken driving, talking on a cell phone while driving or traveling at high rates of speed. However, safe drivers that never engage in these types of unsafe driving practices also may be the victim of a reckless driver who is indifferent to the safety of others. If you buckle up before being involved in a collision with a negligent driver, you reduce the risk of suffering a spinal cord injury by sixty percent according to the CDC.
Our Tennessee motor vehicle accident attorneys at The Nahon Firm are committed to holding negligent parties’ accountable for the injuries and wrongful deaths caused by their negligence. Our experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at The Nahon Firm are dedicated to helping injury victims recover the financial compensation they need to reclaim their lives. We invite you to contact us at 615-324-2000 to schedule your free consultation so that you can learn about your rights and options.
