Blog

What to Do – and What Not to Do – If You Suspect Someone Has a Spinal Cord Injury If you witness an accident and suspect that someone was seriously injured, then your first instinct is likely to get to their aid. While this is likely due to wanting to help, the truth is that it can sometimes cause more harm than it can help. In fact, you could even be sued if the action you take makes the injury worse. That’s why Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas is here to offer our professional opinion about what you should and shouldn’t do when you witness an injury.

Always pause before you take action

If you see someone hurt, take a second before you act. If you can tell that they’re not in immediate danger of being further injured, then your best plan is to call for emergency services and wait for them to get there. You can provide emotional support but don’t move them and don’t touch them if you have reason to believe they may have a spinal cord injury.

Symptoms that the person in question may have a spinal cord injury

Of course, in order to leave someone alone if they may have had a spinal cord injury, you must first know the warning signs. First, if a person has a head injury and has had a change in consciousness, whether they’re passed out completely or are coming in and out of consciousness, then they may have a spinal cord injury. Likewise, the same may be true if the person seems disoriented.

If the person who was injured says they have serious neck pain or back pain, or if they say that trying to move makes their pain worse, then you should leave them be. If they say they can’t move their back, or if they’re positioned oddly – especially if their back or neck is in a strange position – then you can assume that they may have a spinal cord injury.

Ask the victim if they feel numb, weak, or completely paralyzed in either the legs or arms. If they have, then once again you should not move them. Finally, if they’ve lost control of their bowels and / or their bladder then you should assume the injury is severe.

There are a few things you can do

If the person in question has a safety helmet on, leave it in place. However, you can talk to the victim and comfort them verbally. You may also put heavy blankets or towels on either side of their head to assure there’s no movement while you’re waiting for emergency personnel.

There’s only one time you should move someone in these situations

There is just one situation in which a person who may have a spinal cord injury should be moved: If they are in further danger where they are. For example, if you’ve been involved in a car accident and they’re lying in the middle of a dark road. Another example is if the victim is choking and you need to roll them on their side.

If you or a loved one ever suffers a spinal cord injury that was the result of the someone else’s recklessness or negligence, then your next move should be to call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for your free case evaluation.