Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

Over 250,000 people in the United States have sustained and survived traumatic spinal cord injuries, with more than 11,000 new cases of SCI emerging in the U.S. each year.

At this time, no cure for spinal cord injuries exists, but ongoing research to test surgical and drug therapies is progressing rapidly. Decompression surgery, nerve cell transplantation, nerve regeneration, complex drug therapies and treatments to prevent injury progression are all being examined as means of overcoming the effects of spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injuries are most commonly caused by car accidents. The next most frequent causes are falls and acts of violence. Sports-related spinal cord injuries occur more commonly in children and teenagers, while work-related injuries (especially from construction work) predominate in adults.

The majority of spinal cord injury patients are in their teens or twenties. Around 80% are male. This male preponderance decreases beyond age 65, at which age falls become the most common mechanism of spinal cord injury. Over half of all spinal cord injuries occur in the cervical area, i.e., in the neck. Almost a third occur in the thoracic area (where the ribs attach to the spine). The remainder occur in the lumbar area, i.e., the lower back.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury to the spinal cord or any other serious soft tissue injury, call VanDerGinst Law at 1-866-843-7367 or click here for a FREE online case evaluation. The initial consultation is free of charge. If we agree to handle your injury case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if, and when, there is a money recovery for you. In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. So please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.