Emergency Techniques for Spinal Cord Injuries
The abrupt force of a car accident can lead to all kinds of personal injuries, many of which are spinal cord injuries. Knowing the signs of a spinal cord injury and how to stabilize the injured person until paramedics arrive can be key to preventing further damage or death. Understanding how to handle this situation can also prevent actions that could worsen the injury. Consider contacting a New York Spinal Cord Injuries Lawyer if this injury was caused by a negligent driver.
What Are Signs of a Spinal Cord Injury?
Before you can know how to manage a spinal cord injury, you need to be able to recognize the signs of this type of injury. Signs differ from symptoms in certain ways. Symptoms are subjective accounts reported by the 
person, but signs show observers what condition the person is in. Many people with spinal cord injuries will not be able to tell you their symptoms, so knowing the signs can be vital for saving their life.
Common signs of a spinal cord injury are:
- Unconscious or no response to your attempts to wake them up
- No signs that they can feel sensation like touch or pain
- Lack of movement (the person’s arm falls limp)
- Muscle spasms
If the person is still able to move, they may complain of neck or back pain and will tend to walk with poor coordination. Breathing may also be affected. Look for shallow or slow breathing. These symptoms and signs describe incomplete spinal cord injuries, but when it comes to complete spinal cord injuries, the person will lose all function below the site of the injury.
How to Handle a Spinal Cord Injury
The most important thing for stabilizing spinal cord injuries is to minimize movement of the back and neck as much as possible. Any wrong movement could potentially worsen the damage and result in serious lifelong impairments.
Once you suspect a spinal cord injury, call 911 first, then work on moving the person away from any kind of danger like oncoming traffic or a car on fire. Do this with caution and remember to keep the person’s back and neck from moving. Ideally, you will have someone else help you move the person. However, avoid moving the person if there is no potential danger.
You can prevent movement by placing towels or other items around the sides of the person. If the person begins vomiting, roll them to their side while keeping their back and neck aligned.
Car Accidents Attorney in New York
Spinal cord injuries can result in some of the most debilitating symptoms and lifelong impairments. Some people are left bound to a wheelchair for life and others may require nursing assistance for basic needs. If you suffered this kind of injury in the aftermath of a car accident caused by someone else, try calling a Binghamton Car Accidents Lawyer to talk about compensation. This compensation may be able to cover pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical bills.
At Gattuso & Ciotoli, we possess years of experience with personal injury cases. You can contact us at (315) 314-8000 today for a free consultation. Our offices are located in Central New York, Syracuse, Watertown, Binghamton, Syracuse, North Syracuse, Camillus, Liverpool, Cortland, and Auburn.