Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
Most drivers in the Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C., areas know that they could be involved in a passenger car or commercial truck accident some time during their driving careers. Accepting risks, at least reasonable risks, is all part and parcel of living in the modern world. One hundred years ago automobile accidents were few and far between, since cars were new to the scene and accidents occurred at slower speeds.
These days car, truck and motorcycle wrecks can happen at much higher speeds than in the pioneering days of internal combustion. Fortunately for us, and unlike our ancestors, advances in medical science can significantly improve an accident victim’s chances for survival following a severe or near-fatal traffic collision. This doesn’t mean necessarily that doctors and healthcare professionals can completely reverse the damaging effects of a bad car crash; there are significant downside risks for any personal injury victim.
Case in point: the head and spinal injuries that can take place during a high-speed automobile, truck or motorcycle crash. Closed-head injuries can be some of the most vexing when it comes to returning a victim to normal function, even in these days of advanced medical procedures and treatment techniques. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we understand how so many drivers and passengers can end up paralyzed for extended periods, if not for life.
And, with the potential severity of injuries that result from car, motorcycle or 18-wheeler collisions being rather high, a full or partial recovery may be more hopeful, but never a sure thing. As we remind our friends and associates, damage to property can be remediated for the most part; however, a life lost through a bad car accident is something nobody can bring back.
For survivors of serious auto accidents, two of the more severe physical injuries that can chance a victim’s life for the long-term include head and spinal cord damage. This goes for the occupants of motor vehicles, but should also be assumed for those on foot or riding a bicycle. In fact, passenger car occupants and bus riders are much safer than pedestrians when it comes to being involved in a traffic accident.
Looking at head and spine injuries, it’s easy to see how they can be some of the more severe, unpredictable and potentially life-threatening. As injury lawyers, I and my colleagues know from experience that medical treatment for these types of injuries can put a strain on a family’s finances especially in cases where an insurance company is not covering a significant percentage of the costs associated with closed-head trauma or spinal cord damage.
For those who have received a spinal cord injury in a traffic accident, the trauma caused to the cells in one’s spine can result in the nerve tracts becoming damaged. These tracts include the delicate and tiny conduits that provide a transmission line for an individual’s motor control functions throughout the entire body.
If those tracts are physically severed, a victim of a car or pedestrian accident is almost certain to experience, at minimum, a long period of recuperation with no real guarantee of a full recovery. Getting back to a normal life after a life-threatening spinal cord injury can sometimes be based more on hope than anything else. And, the same can be said for traumatic brain injuries, since this kind of medical condition can affect a person’s cognitive abilities, as well as the body’s autonomic functions.