The spinal cord is a collection of nerves and support cells that, along with the brain, make up the central nervous system.
This system is responsible for controlling many involuntary bodily functions and is responsible for allowing individuals to move.
When the spinal cord is injured, then an individual's body may lose its ability to regulate breathing, body temperature, and blood pressure.
The individual may lose his or her ability to move and control his or her bowels.
The worst case scenario is when an individual suffers all of these effects.
One of the main consequences of severe spinal injuries is the loss of an individual's ability to move.
When an individual loses feeling and movement below the waist, the individual is paraplegic.
If the loss of feeling and movement affects everything below the neck, then he or she is quadriplegic.
These consequences create many problems for individuals who suffer them.
For one, since severely paralyzed individuals' bodies cannot control bodily functions, the affected individuals must rely on breathing machines and other apparatuses to stay alive.
Additionally, these individuals must rely on wheelchairs for mobility since they will lose the ability to walk if they are paralyzed.
Usually, this means that spinal cord injury victims cannot live alone because their limited mobility often means that they are unable to perform many necessary daily tasks.
As such, they may have to rely on loved ones for care.
When individuals suffer spinal cord injuries and, as a result, suffer paralysis or other severe effects, they may be entitled to financial compensation from the individual or entity responsible for their accident.