Workers in a number of different industries can suffer spinal cord injuries on the job through a variety of different circumstances. Those who work in customer service, security or even medicine could suffer a violent attack that results in an injury to the spinal cord. Construction workers or window washers who suffer falls might damage their spine. Anyone who drives for a living could easily get into a crash with spinal damage as a result.
Regardless of what situation led to the spinal cord injury, the location of the injury on the spine will be one of the factors that most directly influence the impact of the injury on the victim.
Spinal cord injuries affect motor control and sensation below the injury site
Your spinal cord is almost like the wiring that connects your brain with the rest of your body. When you suffer a spinal cord injury, those wires get cut or pinched and either eliminate or diminish the ability of the brain to communicate with the body below the site of injury.
Due to the way the spinal cord works, injuries that are higher on the spinal cord have a greater impact of the injury. A spinal cord injury to the upper spine or neck could impact sensation or motor function for all four limbs and the torso, while a spinal injury to the lower back might only impact the legs.
Those with higher spinal injury locations may require more help
Spinal injuries located high on the back or neck can permanently reduce someone’s independence and ability to work. Any spinal cord injury can result in substantial medical costs and lost wages. However, the more severe and debilitating the condition is, the more likely it is for long-term consequences to affect the victim.
Those who suffer spinal cord injury on the job need to be very careful in estimating the impact of that injury on their career and their finances in order to determine the kind of compensation they need. An experienced attorney can help you do that.