When accidents involving commercial semi trucks occur, whether in Connecticut or elsewhere, the outcomes for victims generally involve fatalities or serious injuries. These vehicles are big and heavy, so it is understandable that the damage they cause is usually severe. For those who do survive, spinal cord injuries are often seen. The affects of such injuries can certainly be, and often are, life-altering.
When a person suffers an injury to his or her neck and/or back, he or she is said to have suffered a spinal cord injury (SCI). An SCI causes damage to the bones and nerves. Depending on the severity of the injury, damage to nerves can result in a person experiencing intense pain or even paralysis — either of which can be life-long issues.
There are different types of spinal cord injuries. Medical providers will diagnose this type of injury based on the level of the spinal cord affected and the overall damage sustained to the area. Those injuries that occur closer to the base of the skull can cause tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia or complete paralysis; whereas injuries lower down the spine may result in paraplegia or partial paralysis. These conditions may be temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the injury.
Experiencing paralysis and/or pain associated with spinal cord injuries can be devastating on a number of levels for victims and their loved ones. Those in Connecticut who have experienced such injuries as the result of trucking or other accidents may have legal recourse. Through successful litigation, one might achieve maximum compensation for any current and future losses.
Source: nichd.nih.gov, “Spinal Cord Injury (SCI): Condition Information“, Accessed on May 9, 2016
