A car accident can change any Louisiana resident’s life in an instant. Some may be lucky enough to avoid physical harm, but others could suffer catastrophic injuries. In many cases, those life-changing injuries can have side effects and complications that make the ordeal even more harrowing.
Unfortunately, spinal cord injuries are not uncommon after car accidents. The amount of damage that this type of injury causes ranges in severity, but often, individuals’ lives are changed forever. One issue that can stem from a spinal cord injury is spinal shock. This issue results in the injury sufferer experiencing a reduction or loss of reflexes in the aftermath of a spinal cord injury. Typically, this issue is temporary, but the worse the injury, the more severe the dysfunction.
Reflexes are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, and after a spinal cord injury, spinal shock syndrome can lead to autonomic dysfunction. With spinal shock, individuals can experience changes in skin color, body temperature, vasomotor response, sensory response, bladder and GI tract functions, perspiration function, blood pressure, heart rate, and more. Though commonly considered temporary, individuals can still experience issues related to spinal shock even 12 months after the initial injury. Some may even have permanent effects.
Catastrophic injuries can affect each person differently, and the complications that these injuries have also depend on a significant number of factors. If Louisiana residents have suffered such injuries after a car accident caused by another person or another event in which another party was reckless or negligent, reason may exist to pursue a personal injury claim. A successful claim could allow injured individuals to obtain compensation for damages stemming from the event.
