Spinal Cord Damage in ATV Accidents
I’m Ed Smith, a Personal Injury Attorney in Sacramento. As children grow into adults, their bodies change in many ways. One of the most important organs, the spinal cord, develops and extends nerves to provide innervation to the various parts of the body. If the spinal cord is damaged, the development of a child can be derailed.
Spinal cord injuries have the potential to change someone’s life permanently. According to the Brain Injury Center, some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries include:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: Close to 40 percent
- Slip and Fall Injuries: 30 percent
- Physical Assault: About 15 percent
- Sports and Athletics: About 10 percent
The USA Spinal Cord Injury Center reported that over 50 percent of new spinal cord injuries occur in people between 16 and 30 years of age annually.
A Case Report: Spinal Cord Damage in a Teenager
A young teenager was out riding an ATV. Even though he was wearing a helmet, ATVs are still dangerous. Unlike in an auto accident, an ATV doesn’t have a metal frame that could otherwise protect someone from suffering numerous traumatic injuries. When the young teen drove the ATV off of a jump, he lost control of the vehicle. The ATV crashed, and he was ejected from the seat. When he struck the ground, he sustained polytrauma. His parents immediately called 911, and he was rushed to the hospital. There, he received a variety of scans in an attempt to figure out what type of injuries he had sustained. While he had numerous scrapes, bruises, and even bone fractures, he had also sustained damage to his spinal cord. He had patches of his limbs where he could not sense touch. He also had lost range of motion in his arms and legs. He also noticed numbness, tingling, and shooting pains into his hands and feet. He was then taken to an operating room so that his injuries could be repaired. After the surgery was completed, the long road to recovery began.
Watch YouTube Video: Safety Tips for the Young ATV Rider. This video provides some safe ATV riding tips for children and teens.
The Recovery Process: Numerous Specialty Visits
After the acute injuries were corrected, the teenager entered into rehabilitation. There were many different specialists involved, including:
Physical Therapy: A physical therapist is important because they can help strengthen the muscles around broken bones and joints. This extra support assists in the recovery.
Neurologist: A neurologist has a detailed understanding of how the nerves function. Using this knowledge, nerve function can be restored as much as possible.
Neurosurgery: A neurosurgeon likely performed the surgery on the spinal cord. Proper follow-up with the neurosurgeon is important to ensure that no complications arise following surgery.
Home Health: Home health is important because many teenagers and children need help at home as they adjust to their new baseline. With a motor and sensory function impaired, home health ensures that people with spinal cord injuries have the right medical assistance and equipment at home.
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I’m Ed Smith, a Personal Injury Attorney in Sacramento. If your child has sustained spinal cord damage in a traumatic accident, please call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.
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