Though people have long suffered from spinal cord injuries, there is still much that is unknown about them. That is why we are looking at research today that sheds light on some of the facts – and fictions – about these all-too-common injuries. If you have suffered a spinal cord injury, or another type of catastrophic injury, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
The Background of the Research
This research comes from Johns Hopkins. They looked at traumatic spinal cord injuries across the United States for patients that were treated within a two year period. In total, they looked at more than 43,000 injuries, all of which required emergency room treatment. The severity of the injuries in question ranged from minor, temporary bruising of the spinal cord that led to nothing more than temporary numbness to permanent damage resulting in paralysis.
Slip and Fall Cases Are the Leading Cause of Spinal Cord Injuries
It has long been assumed that the leading cause of spinal cord injuries was car accidents. While that might have been true in the past, the study described above found that falls were in fact the most common cause of spinal cord injuries. In fact, they found that more than 41% of these injuries were caused by slip and fall accidents compared to less than 36% of injuries caused by car accidents.
They believe there are two reasons for this. First, they note that vehicles are much safer today than they were just a decade ago, which is helping to reduce the instance of spinal cord injuries in car accidents. Second, they point to the fact that as baby boomers age, the average age of the American is older – and older people are both more likely to fall and more likely to be seriously injured by falling.
The Researcher Shows that Seniors Are at the Highest Risk
The data in these studies confirmed what has long been true: Older people have a greater risk of suffering a spinal cord injury compared to younger people. In the two year period that was studied, spinal cord injuries for people over the age of 65 went from 79.4 million to 87.7 million.
Likewise, the older a patient is, the more likely they are to die from the accident. Seniors are four times as likely to die in the emergency room after a spinal cord injury, and six times as likely to die at some other point during their hospital stay for a spinal cord injury, compared to younger patients. This is true even when differences in the severity of the injury and overall health were taken into account.
If you survive a spinal cord injury, you are likely to have medical bills to pay for the rest of your life. We suggest you contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 to request a free legal consultation as soon as possible.
