Getting involved in a serious motor vehicle accident in California where you suffer a spinal injury can quickly change your life. Being involved in an automobile accident is one of the leading causes of spine injuries and paralysis. Each year, close to 18,000 individuals suffer from these career-ending injuries in the United States. If you or a loved one has been affected by a spinal cord injury, you understand how challenging it can be to deal with.
General statistics for spinal cord injuries
Typically, males are more prone to suffer from a spinal cord injury. Statistics indicate that males account for close to 80% of new spinal cord injury cases each year. The average age for getting injured with a spinal cord injury is 43. If your injury occurred in your neck, making you tetraplegic, your time in rehab may be longer than a person who had a lower back injury and became paraplegic.
Top causes of spinal cord injury
Since 2015, the top cause for receiving a spinal cord injury has been motor vehicle accidents. Almost 39% of spine injuries are due to this type of accident. Whether you were hit by another vehicle or were responsible for the incident occurring, dealing with this new way of life can be challenging. Having a bad fall comes in second place as a top cause at 32%.
Violence is also a leading cause of 14% of total injuries. Getting hurt in a sports activity is close to 8%. Finally, medical and surgery-related injuries are at about 4% of yearly spinal cord injuries.
If you’ve become a tetraplegic or paraplegic, you join a small group of individuals in the United States who have suffered these serious consequences from an accident. If someone’s negligence caused the accident, you may be able to hold them financially accountable for your losses.
