People in the Greater Toronto Area who have been involved in an accident may have suffered from some type of spinal cord injury. The spinal cord is a collection of nerves that help to send messages from the brain to other parts of the body. Damage to any part of the spinal cord can result in complete or partial paralysis.
Many people suffer incomplete spinal cord injuries and do not become completely paralyzed. When a person has an incomplete SCI, they still retain some movement and feeling in the part of their body that is affected by the injury. Some spinal cord injuries that would have otherwise been complete can now be improved soon after the injury with modern medical treatments.
The spinal cord runs from the brain to the buttocks, and different parts of the spinal cord control different parts of the body. When someone suffers from an SCI, the location of the injury will determine what parts of the body will be affected. An injury in the upper region of the spine may result in paralysis of the arms, trunk, legs and pelvic area. A person who was injured on the lower region of their spine would still retain arm movement.
A person who has suffered from a spinal cord injury may suffer from limited mobility that could result in financial setbacks from lost earning potential. If the SCI was caused as a result of another party’s negligence, a lawyer may be able to help the injured victim to file a personal injury claim for compensation.
Source: SCI Ontario, “What is an SCI?“, October 28, 2014
