What Are the Top 3 Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries?
Motor vehicle crashes, falls, and violence account for the vast majority of spinal cord injuries in the United States. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause, followed by falls and then violent acts. Understanding what causes spinal cord injuries—especially those from preventable accidents—can help you understand both your medical recovery and your legal options.
Overview: Understanding Spinal Cord Injury Causes
A spinal cord injury is a catastrophic event. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that carries signals between your brain and the rest of your body. When trauma damages it, those signals are interrupted, often causing permanent loss of function below the injury site.
The cause of a spinal cord injury matters for two reasons. First, it determines the medical treatment and rehabilitation path. Second, if the injury resulted from someone else’s negligence—such as a reckless driver or unsafe conditions on someone’s property—you may have a legal claim for damages to cover medical care, lost income, and other costs.
Many spinal cord injuries are preventable. When they result from another person’s or business’s failure to act safely, that party may be held responsible.
The Top 3 Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of traumatic spinal cord injuries. Falls are the second leading cause. Violence, including gunshot wounds and stab wounds, is the third leading cause.
Together, motor vehicle crashes, falls, and violence are the leading causes of traumatic spinal cord injuries.
1. Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle crashes are the single most common cause of spinal cord injury. Car collisions, truck crashes, and multi-vehicle accidents can generate the sudden, violent forces needed to damage the spinal cord.
High-speed collisions, rollovers, and rear-end crashes pose particular risk. The sudden acceleration, deceleration, or twisting motion can fracture vertebrae or compress the spinal cord itself. Even crashes at moderate speeds can cause severe injury if the spine is twisted or the head and neck are jerked violently.
Commercial truck accidents often result in more severe spinal cord injuries than car-to-car crashes. Large trucks weigh 20–30 times as much as passenger vehicles. The sheer mass and momentum mean that collisions with trucks generate far greater forces. A passenger vehicle struck by a commercial truck may be crushed, rolled, or pushed off the road with catastrophic results.
Spinal cord injuries from motor vehicle accidents may result from negligent driving (speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving), unsafe road conditions, vehicle defects, or a combination of factors. When another driver’s negligence causes the crash, that driver and potentially their employer (if the driver was working) may be held responsible for your injuries.
If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury from a car or truck accident, understanding what caused the crash is the first step toward understanding your legal claim. Correll Law Firm handles spinal cord injury cases from motor vehicle accidents across the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, Harrisonburg, Richmond, and Henrico County.
2. Falls
Falls are the second leading cause of spinal cord injury. Falls from heights—off ladders, scaffolding, or balconies—can cause severe spine trauma. Falls on stairs, falls on level ground, and falls from beds also cause spinal cord injuries, particularly in older adults.
Older adults face disproportionately high risk from falls. As people age, balance declines, bones become more fragile, and reaction time slows. A fall that might cause a bruise in a younger person can fracture a vertebra and damage the spinal cord in an older adult.
Falls may occur due to unsafe premises, inadequate warnings about hazards, poor maintenance, or the failure of a property owner or business to correct known dangers. In those cases, the property owner or business may bear legal responsibility for the injury.
3. Violence and Penetrating Trauma
Violence, including gunshot wounds and stab wounds, is the third leading cause of spinal cord injury. Penetrating trauma can sever or severely damage nerve fibers, often causing permanent loss of function below the wound.
Violent acts may give rise to both criminal charges and civil liability. A person injured by violence may pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the perpetrator, even if a criminal case is also pending.
Who Is at Greatest Risk for Spinal Cord Injury?
Certain groups face higher risk of spinal cord injury based on age, sex, occupation, and behavior.
Young adults between ages 16 and 30 have high rates of spinal cord injury, often from motor vehicle crashes and risky behavior. Older adults age 65 and over also face high risk, primarily from falls. Men are injured more frequently than women, and men also face higher rates of death from spinal cord injury.
Occupational exposure increases risk. Construction workers, commercial truck drivers, and people who work at heights face greater exposure to accidents that can cause spinal cord injury.
Risky behaviors elevate risk significantly: speeding, driving while impaired, not wearing a seatbelt, not using motorcycle helmets, and diving into shallow water all increase the likelihood of a catastrophic spinal cord injury.
What Happens After a Spinal Cord Injury?
Immediate medical care is critical. Emergency treatment aims to stabilize the spine and prevent further damage. Over hours and days, swelling around the injury site can worsen neurological damage, so early intervention matters.
Long-term effects depend on the level and severity of the injury. The spinal cord has four regions: cervical (neck), thoracic (upper mid-back), lumbar (lower mid-back), and sacral (lower back). An injury at the cervical level affects the arms and legs; an injury at the thoracic level affects the trunk and legs; lumbar and sacral injuries affect the lower body and bowel and bladder function.
Rehabilitation, adaptive equipment, home modifications, and ongoing medical care are often necessary. Many people with spinal cord injuries require wheelchairs, ventilators, or other assistive devices. The financial, emotional, and family impacts are profound and lasting.
When an Accident Causes a Spinal Cord Injury
If a crash or accident caused the spinal cord injury, legal questions often follow. Determining fault and liability is essential to recovery of damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future care needs.
Medical records, accident reports, witness statements, and expert analysis of the crash are key evidence. Virginia law allows a limited time to file a lawsuit. Virginia generally allows two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (Va. Code § 8.01-243(A)); the clock runs from the date of injury, not the date of discovery, with narrow exceptions.
If you or a family member has suffered a spinal cord injury from a motor vehicle accident or commercial truck crash, you may wish to speak with a lawyer about your legal options. Correll Law Firm represents people with catastrophic spinal cord injuries from crashes throughout the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, Harrisonburg, Richmond, and Henrico County.