Texas Accident Victims - News You Can Use

Rutgers player’s injury highlights seriousness of spinal cord damage

Spinal cord injuries can be devastating to accident victims, a sad fact that was recently underscored by an injury suffered by Rutgers defense tackle Eric LeGrand.  LeGrand was hurt while making a tackle on a kickoff return, and had to be taken to the hospital on a backboard after being motionless on the field for 5 minutes before the emergency team came to help him.

LeGrand went into surgery for his spinal cord injury, and after surgery was not able to move from the neck down.  This type of paralysis after a spinal cord injury is very serious, and the likelihood that LeGrand will regain use of his limbs is slim – although other football players have been lucky with this type of injury.

Why are spinal cord injuries so serious?  When nerves or their protective covering (myelin) are damaged, it can be impossible for them to grow back.  Without the ability to conduct nerve impulses, a victim’s brain cannot communicate with the rest of their body.  Intensive therapy may help restore some function to a paralyzed accident victim, but even with the best care the prognosis is often grim.

Future therapies may include stem cell transplants that could help regenerate damaged nerves or their myelin sheaths.  Until then, doctors concede that it is often a mix of hard work and luck when it comes to seeing patients recover from a paralyzing spinal cord injury.

Because of their unpredictable nature, anyone suffering from a paralyzing spinal cord injury due to an accident caused by somebody else’s careless mistakes needs to take their future into account when considering a settlement.

Read More About Rutgers player’s injury highlights seriousness of spinal cord damage...

back to top