If you are like most people in Ohio, you have likely heard references to spinal cord injuries. These may frequently be the result of a motor vehicle accident. It is important to understand that no two spinal cord injuries are generally alike. There is a wide range of variance in the severity of spinal cord injuries and any associating disabilities that may occur.
As explained by the Mayo Clinic, the spinal cord is not really a single cord but a group of nerves and soft tissue that runs the length of your back inside the vertebrae. The spinal cord is responsible for sending messages to and from the brain and the rest of the body. An injury can occur at any point along the length of the spinal cord.
The location of damage to the cord is one of the factors that contributes to the outcome to a person. Generally, sensation and movement from the injury site and below will be limited or even lost altogether as the flow of communication to and from the brain essentially stops at this site. An injury in the middle to lower portion of the back may allow a person to retain full use of their arms, for example, but an injury near the top of the cord may result in quadriplegia.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give residents in Ohio an overview of what the spinal cord is and the varying types of injuries to the spinal cord that can be experienced and how those injuries may impact their lives.