A serious spinal cord injury is not always immediately apparent

Many people in the Reno area probably know that a spinal cord injury is a serious affair that can cause paralysis and other debilitating conditions that can last for the rest of the victim’s life. What some might not realize, however, is that the onset of the most serious symptoms of a spinal cord injury is not always immediate. As such, there may be some misunderstanding that if a person seems fine right after an accident, then there is no cause to be concerned about spinal cord injuries.

The reality is that paralysis and other symptoms can and often set in gradually after an accident. This is because it sometimes takes time for conditions like bleeding and swelling to develop enough to actually interfere with nerve signals from the spine, and thus, create the tell-tale numbness or paralysis of a spinal cord injury.

This gradual onset can be hazardous, since the damage to the spine can be aggravated when a person does not take immediate steps to treat a serious injury. Generally speaking, it is a good idea to assume that anyone who has had a serious blow or fall has an injury to the spine until there is an opportunity to verify as much one way or the other.

From a legal standpoint, it is important to remember that a gradual onset of symptoms after something like a car accident or workplace accident does not mean that the victim of the accident wasn’t really hurt as seriously as one might suppose. People suffering from spinal cord injuries, even if the injuries do not manifest themselves immediately, will want to determine if the injury was the result of someone else’s negligence. If so, the spinal cord injury victim may want to learn more about pursuing compensation for the damages they suffered.