Throughout Michigan, there are many people recovering from severe injuries that occurred in car accidents. Perhaps you or someone in your family received a recent diagnosis of a spinal cord injury. This is a common type of catastrophic injury that can occur in a motor vehicle collision when your body is violently shaken, crushed or ejected from a vehicle.
The implications of spinal cord injury can have both an immediate and far-reaching effect on your quality of life, as well as your ability to work or function without daily assistance. In some cases, the symptoms of a spinal injury are temporary. In many cases, however, there are permanent consequences, such as partial or whole-body paralysis.
Adapting to daily life following a motor vehicle collision and spinal cord injury
Following a spinal cord injury, it is not uncommon to have to change your daily routine. Even basic tasks that you may have performed without much thought prior to your injury might now be impossible to do on your own. Such tasks include things like brushing your teeth, combing your hair or feeding yourself.
Depending on your condition, there may be some tasks you can still do on your own. It might simply be a matter of learning to do those things in new ways. However, a severe spinal cord injury might require daily assistance around the clock, which can be difficult to adjust to and emotionally upsetting.
Mobility following a spinal cord injury might include a wheelchair
If you still have use of your upper body following a spinal cord injury, you might be able to move around using a wheelchair. There are many types of wheelchairs, and the first step to adapting to a new lifestyle as a spinal patient is to determine which apparatus best fits your needs and enables you to maximize the abilities you still possess even if with paralysis.
If you’re unable to work a wheelchair on your own, it can take time to become accustomed to having someone push your chair when you want to move from place to place.
Dealing with setbacks and mental health issues
During recovery, you will undoubtedly have some good days and bad days. Most spinal cord injury patients experience setbacks, which can be frustrating, frightening and distressing. It is not uncommon for spinal patients to become depressed or suffer other mental health problems associated with a reduced quality of life. Resources are available to provide support to those in need.
When driver negligence was a causal factor in a Michigan motor vehicle accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury, a recovering victim can seek restitution for damages. Many patients use court-awarded compensation to cover medical bills and replace lost wages, potential earnings and other expenses associated with their injuries.