What Kind of Accidents Cause Spinal Injuries?

Friday, October 20, 2017 by The Law Offices of J. Jeffrey Herman

Recovering from a spinal cord injury may not only be an expensive and time-consuming process but also leave you disabled with no ability to earn money for the rest of your life.

The mere thought of not being able to provide for your family is scary, which is why our team of personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of J. Jeffrey Herman have provided you with this handy guide to staying safe and keeping yourself out of trouble.

While spinal injuries usually result from damage to the vertebrae, ligaments or disks of the spinal column or to the spinal cord itself, there are certain types of accidents and activities that cause spinal injuries in Ventura and all across California.

Violence accounts for 15% of spinal injuries

Ventura County may be a relatively peaceful county in California, but did you know that around 15 percent of all spinal cord injuries result from acts of violence?

Violent encounters are not the only kind of accidents that cause spinal injuries. In fact, a spinal cord injury may be a result of a sudden and traumatic blow (not necessarily powerful) to your spine.

That blow may fracture, crush, dislocate or compress your vertebrae. If you enjoy walking down the streets of Ventura County at 2 a.m., be warned that a gunshot or knife wound that penetrates and cuts your spinal cord may cause a spinal injury.

Fact: Ventura County accounts for over 4,300 violent crimes every year.

Who can be held accountable for your spinal injury?

Here at the Law Offices of J. Jeffrey Herman, our personal injury attorneys have handled hundreds of spinal injury-related cases that were caused by acts of violence on the streets of Ventura County.

We’ve helped our clients obtain maximum compensation for their injuries and damages, including lost income and lost capability, from both the perpetrator and third parties in premises liability claims.

Fun fact: the perpetrator is not the only party that can be held responsible for your injuries, damages, and losses. Depending on the circumstances, you may be entitled to file a premises liability claim against the owner of the property where the violent act took place (private property) or Ventura County if the act of violence took place in a public place.

What kind of accidents may result in spinal injuries?

Violence is not the only culprit to blame for spinal injuries in Ventura County. In fact, car accidents and falls are a much bigger issue.

More than 35 percent of spinal cord injuries are caused by motor vehicle accidents (car, bicycle and motorcycle accidents) in California. Falls, meanwhile, account for more than 25 percent of spinal injuries.

Fact: spinal cord injuries in individuals over 65 are mostly caused by falls.

Playing dangerous types of sports, such as football, soccer, and other impact sports, may also cause spinal injuries. Athletic activities, including diving in shallow water, is just as risky, accounting for about 10 percent of spinal injuries.

Drinking alcohol responsibly may also minimize the risk of getting a spinal injury, as alcohol use is a factor in about 25% of all spinal cord injuries.

Spinal injuries may also be caused by cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, infections, and other non-traumatic diseases.

How to prevent spinal injuries?

Given the above-outlined scenarios and facts about causes of spinal injuries in Ventura County and across California, our experienced personal injury attorneys advise you to:

• stay away from dangerous neighborhoods at night and don’t engage in violence
• walk/ run on wet surfaces and walk/run up or downstairs with caution to prevent falls
• play sports with caution
• drive a car, bicycle or motorcycle safe by following all traffic rules
• go through a full medical check-up every year to prevent non-traumatic spinal injuries caused by the disease.

Call the Law Offices of J. Jeffrey Herman at 805-983-2344 to get a free case evaluation.