Bicycle accidents can leave cyclists highly exposed to injuries and particularly vulnerable to spinal cord injuries. Unfortunately, cycling accidents are one of the leading causes of spinal cord injuries today. While some injuries may be minor, most spinal cord injuries have significant lifelong implications for a cyclist. This is particularly true if a victim is paralyzed or suffered catastrophic injuries.  If you or a loved one were seriously injured in a California bicyclist accident, ask our Los Angeles bicycle accident spinal cord injury lawyer how you may be entitled to recover compensation for your injuries.

There are different types of spinal cord injuries that can affect a bicyclist, including the following:

• Cervical — these injuries occur close to the brain and may have an effect on many large systems of the body. These types of injuries often result in quadriplegia.
• Thoracic — these injuries will affect the areas of the trunk of the body including the upper chest area, back and abdominal area. Thoracic injuries can affect an individual’s ability to breathe and may even result in paraplegia.
• Lumbar — these injuries affect the lower torso and extremities and can result in some loss of function of the legs and hips as well as bowel and bladder function.
• Sacral — these injuries can affect the area near the coccyx and can result in loss of function of bladder and bowel control and leg control as well as the loss of sexual function.

Some of the most common types of spinal cord injuries include the following:

• Paraplegia – affecting the lower extremities and lower torso
• Quadriplegia also known as tetraplegia – affecting all four limbs and most of the toros, sometimes even everything below the neck
• Monoplegia – affecting just one limb and usually due to trauma to that limb or side of the body
• Hemiplegia – affecting half the body usually due to a brain injury on one hemisphere of the brain.

These types of injuries will have a substantial long-term impact, both physically and financially, on the life of an injury victim. A cyclist who has sustained spinal cord injuries from an accident should consult with a skilled Los Angeles bicycle accident spinal cord injury lawyer to ensure that they are compensated by the at-fault party for their injuries. For more information and a FREE case review, contact us today at (888) 588-1777.  We are ready and willing to help.