An incomplete spinal cord injury is just what it sounds like. It is an injury to the spinal cord that does not completely sever the cord. Therefore, individuals with incomplete spinal cord injuries usually retain some amount of motor or sensory function below the site of the injury. For example, an incomplete spinal cord patient might have partial motor control and be able to walk, while experiencing certain debilities while doing so.
In most cases, if a spinal cord injury victim has some kind of sensory abilities or motor functions in the area of the body around the anus, he or she will be diagnosed as an incomplete spinal cord injury patient.
Incomplete spinal cord injuries are classified into four different categories: ASIA B, ASIA C, ASIA D and ASIA E. In ASIA B, victims will have sensory function without motor function below the site of the injury. In ASIA C and D, individuals will have varying levels of muscle function, but no sensory abilities. In ASIA E, the victims experience normal function that has returned following a previous motor or sensory deficit.
Regardless what kind of spinal cord injury an Ontario accident victim is suffering from, treatment for the injury will likely be costly. There are many advanced medicinal and rehabilitative therapies available to victims of such injuries, and if they are employed earlier rather than later, they could produce remarkable benefits.
That said, it may be difficult or impossible for victims to pay for these injuries. It may also be difficult for these individuals to pay for their living expenses if they are left unable to work following an accident. For this reason, many people who suffer spinal cord injuries as a result of another person’s negligence choose to seek financial restitution for their injuries in court.
Source: uab.edu, "What is an “incomplete” spinal cord injury?," accessed June 12, 2015