Diving can cause serious spinal injuries, but these are preventable if precautions are taken beforehand. A single dive can result in disabilities that impact your quality of life. Most diving injuries occur in swimming pools, creeks, rivers, lakes, and other swimming holes.
A spinal cord injury results from severe trauma to the bundle of nerves in the bone that run from the base of the brain to the waist. This can happen during a poorly planned dive. For example, if the diver plunges headfirst into the shallow part of a pond, their head may hit the bottom hard enough to result in this injury.
When the head strikes the bottom, the vertebrae covering the spinal cord collapse, thus preventing the nerves from transmitting signals to and from the brain. This usually leads to paralysis, but depending on the location of the injury, you can suffer from other debilitating complications as well.
This is understandable. When the entire weight of our body hits the bottom of a pool, the sheer force of the impact has an immense effect on the cervical spine. Most of these accidents occur in water that is less than three feet deep, so paralysis is imminent in most cases. According to an experienced Grayslake spinal cord injury lawyer, a preventable accident can result in permanent machine dependency.
Some of the best ways to avoid spinal injuries from a dive include the following:
A spinal cord injury is imminent if you fail to take the precautions mentioned above before a dive. If you experience these symptoms post-dive, call emergency services immediately:
You deserve fair financial compensation, whether you suffered a spinal cord injury during a dive or a car accident. Why should you pay out of pocket for someone else’s negligence? Get in touch with a compassionate and experienced Grayslake spinal cord injury lawyer from the Law Offices of Robert T. Edens today. We have years of experience fighting for the rights of spinal cord injury victims such as yourself and can ensure you get the compensation you deserve.