The human body is both complex and incredibly fragile.
Any serious injury to the delicate central nervous system and in particular the spinal chord can have immediate and permanent consequences that can change a person's life forever.
Spinal injuries have always been considered to be some of the most serious forms of injury the human body can suffer and still survive.
Medical science is making progress, but we are still a long way away from a treatment that can 'mend' a damaged spinal chord and restore complete mobility.
But we are getting there, and primary and secondary care for spinal injuries is now far more advanced than a few years ago.
A spinal injury does not necessarily mean that the victim is automatically confined to a wheelchair for the rest of their lives.
But the physical implications of a spinal injury are still serious, requiring specialist treatments.
An overstretched NHS does its best, but cannot always deliver those specialist treatments for free, particularly if the treatment is a new one.
So who can help? Surprisingly, it's your solicitor.
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Solicitors specialising in serious injuries such as spinal damage or head injuries have an advantage over the average high street solicitor in that because they deal with serious injury cases on a regular basis.
As a result they have had the chance to develop a far more relevant network of contacts.
Neurologists, physiotherapists and even experimental medical programmes often form the core of a specialist solicitors network of contacts, meaning that through them you have an 'access all areas' pass into more advanced therapy fields.
Unfortunately, many of these treatments are not free and some can cost a small fortune, putting them out of reach of most victims.
But if your accident was the result of someone else's negligence then the compensation your specialist solicitor can get for you (which is often considerable for spinal injuries) can go a long way towards paying for the treatment you need.
Part of the solicitor's case will be to establish what kind of treatment a spinal injury claim victim will need to provide them with the best quality of life in the long term.
They do this by consulting experts in the field of neurology and spinal injuries specialists and, as they deal with these types of cases on a regular basis, they know that expertise is trustworthy and reliable.
The testimony of a spinal injury specialist can play a large role in determining how much compensation you receive.
If the expert feels that a victim would benefit from a particular form of treatment then that too can form part of the body of evidence the solicitor presents to the courts.
Not just physical help Facing up to the fact that you've lost the use of your legs or will have to rely on others for the rest of your life because your mobility is restricted can be a bitter blow for many victims, particularly if they were active individuals before the accident.
A specialist solicitor knows that it isn't just physical recovery that's important, but mental recovery too.
Some victims feel guilty about the additional burden that's been placed on their loved ones, even if the accident wasn't their fault.
While in time they may come to terms with the situation, the additional support that a specialist solicitor can arrange through their network of contacts can speed up the healing process, both mentally and physically.
So if you or a loved one has been the victim of a serious accident and is facing the challenges of living with a spinal injury, make sure that the solicitor you talk to has the right experience and expertise.
They'll make sure that not only do you get the compensation you deserve, but that you also get the right help and support too.
It could be the key to taking those first steps on the long road to recovery.