A spinal cord injury can change your life in a split second. This trauma can affect your ability to move, work, or handle everyday tasks.
These are more than injuries; they are life-altering events that ripple throughout your family, your finances, and your future.
How can spinal cord injuries be prevented? While you can’t control everything, you can take steps to lower your risk. And if the worst happens despite your best efforts, knowing where to turn for legal help can make all the difference.
Why Are Spinal Cord Injuries So Devastating?
The spinal cord is your body’s information highway. It carries messages from your brain to the rest of your body. When that pathway is damaged in a crash, the results can include paralysis, chronic pain, or a loss of independence.
Many people face months of rehabilitation and medical bills with injuries to the spinal cord.
These costs can climb into hundreds of thousands of dollars. That is why prevention is important, and it can protect your quality of life.
Everyday Car Safety
For those of us who spend a lot of time behind the wheel, some safety steps may feel routine, but they make a difference.
Buckling your seat belt every single time is the easiest and most effective way to prevent serious injury in a car crash. The fit matters, too. It should be worn properly across the chest and hips. A seat belt keeps you from being thrown around the car or, worse, ejected from it.
Another overlooked detail is the positioning of your seat and headrest. A properly adjusted headrest can minimize the violent whipping motion that occurs in a rear-end collision, which can injure the neck and upper spine.
Distraction is another major factor. Staying focused on the road is one of the best ways to protect yourself.
And of course, you want to make sure your brakes, tires, and airbags are in great working order. This can add another layer of protection.
Extra Precautions for Motorcyclists
Motorcycle riders face even higher risks since they do not have a protective shell around them.
Helmets are non-negotiable. A DOT-approved helmet protects the brain. Plus, it helps stabilize the head and neck during impact. In turn, that can reduce the chance of a spinal injury.
Protective gear, ranging from jackets and boots to padded suits with built-in spine guards, provides your body with a buffer when you are out on the road.
Along with gear, riding skills matter. All bikers can benefit from motorcycle safety courses. These can sharpen defensive riding techniques and prepare you to handle unexpected situations.
Staying Safe Around Trucks
Truck accidents are especially treacherous because of the vehicles’ size and weight. For truck drivers, long hours on the road can lead to fatigue. Unfortunately, fatigue is a recipe for delayed reaction times. All truckers should get proper rest and secure loads correctly to prevent crashes.
For everyday drivers, awareness is key. Trucks need much more room to stop. Also, they have massive blind spots where smaller vehicles can disappear completely.
Cutting in front of a truck or tailgating puts you in unnecessary danger. Providing trucks with extra space and avoiding sudden lane changes around them reduces the likelihood of a catastrophic big rig accident.
How Can You Prevent Spinal Cord Injuries in Sports and Daily Life?
Not all spinal cord injuries happen on the road. Sports and recreational activities may lead to spinal cord injuries. Football, gymnastics, hockey, wrestling, diving, and cheerleading can put the spine at risk if safety is not a top priority.
Once again, using the right protective equipment, such as helmets and pads, is vital. It is important to learn and follow proper technique, whether that is tackling in football, heading a soccer ball, or diving into a pool.
But it is not just about organized sports. Biking, skiing, or using a backyard trampoline can carry risks. Kids and adults should wear helmets. You may want to supervise high-risk play and avoid risky stunts to help keep the spine safe.
Maintaining a healthy body can help protect your spine. Strengthening your core, stretching regularly, and maintaining good posture can help reduce the risk of falls or strains. Prevention is about creating habits that keep your body protected every day.
We Can Help with Your Spinal Cord Injury Case
Unfortunately, you can do everything right, and still, someone else’s reckless choices can leave you dealing with a spinal cord injury. That’s the hardest part, knowing that you are not always in control.
What is in your control is how you protect yourself on the road, and what you do if you or someone you love has already been hurt.
Spinal cord injuries do not heal and typically do not go away. They require medical care, rehabilitation, and long-term adjustments. The costs, including financial, physical, and emotional, are substantial. You need legal help for these incidents.
At Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, we’ve stood beside people whose lives were turned upside down after crashes. We understand how overwhelming those first weeks and months can feel. Plus, our team knows how to fight for the resources and support for your future.
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury in a car, motorcycle, or truck accident, reach out to us.