Last updated on August 29th, 2017 at 11:09 am

About spinal cord injury

Currently, there are round 50,000 people nationwide who are paralysed as a result of a spinal cord injury and globally, 2.5 million people live with disability as a result of a spinal cord injury.  Every day 3 people are told that they will never walk again.

A spinal cord injury is damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal.

Damage to the spinal cord causes a loss of communication between the brain and the body, which means that there can be permanent changes to sensation, movement and other body functions below the level of the injury. However, the level of disability depends upon where the injury is along the spinal cord and the severity of injury to the spinal cord.

The type of injury is classified as either:

• Complete – where almost all sensation and the ability to control movement are lost below the spinal cord injury.
• Incomplete – where there is some sensation or movement below the injury level. There are varying degrees of incomplete injury.

The types of paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury are referred to as:

• Tetraplegia – meaning arms, hands, trunk, legs and pelvic organs are all affected by the spinal cord injury.
• Paraplegia – meaning all or part of the trunk, legs and pelvic organs are affected

Causes of spinal cord injury

A traumatic spinal cord injury is usually caused by a sudden blow to the spine that damages one or more of the vertebrae.  Whilst spinal cord injury can affect anyone at any time the most common causes as identified by NHS England are:

• motor vehicle accidents
• accidents while working
• accidents during sports or other types of activity
• falls – especially in an ageing population

NHS England also states that

“the nature of these causes means that most spinal cord injuries occur in men (who account for 80% of all cases) and younger people. It is estimated that half of all spinal cord injuries occur in people who are 16 to 30 years of age.”

However, a spinal cord injury can also be caused by disease rather than injury which is known as a non-traumatic injury. Conditions such as arthritis, cancer, inflammation, infections or disk degeneration of the spine and cauda equina syndrome can all result in a spinal cord injury.

If you suspect that someone has a back or neck injury:

• DO NOT move them — permanent paralysis and other serious complications may result
• Call 999 for an ambulance
• Keep the person still
• Hold the head and neck to prevent movement until the ambulance arrives

Effects of spinal cord injury

A spinal cord injury affects every aspect of life, not just mobility. It can affect bladder and bowel control, breathing, regulating body temperature and have secondary complications, such as muscle wasting and contractures, pressure ulcers (bed sores).  Pneumonia can also occur.

We understand that caring for a loved one with a catastrophic injury is both stressful and demanding and can have a severe strain on the financial, psychological and physical health of the whole family.

Our clinical negligence team are experts in conducting high value, catastrophic spinal injury claims and, with the involvement of the specialists and therapists required, we will help you to secure a financial settlement that will provide both financial security and a care package that will ensure that all of your care needs will be met for life, which will improve  quality of life for you and your loved ones.

You can get further information about spinal cord injuries on the NHS website or on the Spinal Cord Injuries Association’s (SIA) website:

You can find out more about claiming compensation for medical negligence on our website.