Northern California Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
Spinal Cord Injury: Causes
It is estimated that around 300,000 Americans suffer from spinal cord injuries, with 11,000 new injuries every year. But how did these spinal cord injuries occur? What are the main causes of spinal cord injury?
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car and truck crashes are by far the largest contributor to spinal cord injury in the United States. The Spinal Cord Injury and Information Network estimates that over 46 percent of spinal cord injuries occur due to motor vehicle accidents. Patients can be thrown from the vehicle, crushed under a wheel or part, and battered during a car crash, leading to damage to the sensitive vertebrae that protect the body's central nervous system.
Falls constitute the second-highest category of spinal cord injuries, and fall injuries are on the rise. Improperly paved roads, unmaintained sidewalks, dangerous stairways, wet floors, and other scenarios can lead to slips and falls that put the spinal cord at risk. Often, negligent property owners or businesses can be held responsible for falls that occur outside of the victim's home.
Acts of Violence
Violent acts are the third-highest cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States, though statistics point to a decline in spinal cord injury due to violence in recent years. Though gun-related violence causes most violence-related spinal cord injuries, other situations such as domestic abuse, sexual assault, armed robbery and fistfights can cause injury to the spinal cord.
Sports Injuries
Swimming, soccer, football, rock climbing, and other sports put victims at risk for the fourth category of spinal cord injury. Though sports-related spinal cord injury is declining nationwide, spinal cord injury due to sports accidents can and does occur. Unfortunately, helmets are designed to protect the head and skull and can do nothing to protect a sports player against damage to the spinal cord lower on the body.
While safer behavior, education and awareness can do much to prevent spinal cord injury, all too often the cause of spinal cord injury is the neglect or negligence of a property owner, individual, or corporation. In cases where spinal cord injury was due to an accident, it is possible that the victim could file a civil lawsuit and recover generous compensation for their injuries. At Van Der Walde & Associates, our San Jose spinal cord injury lawyers specialize in bringing justice to spinal cord injury survivors. Contact us today for more information on whether you might have a valid claim.
