{"id":42215,"date":"2026-09-08T15:33:52","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T15:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chglawyers.com\/resources\/glossary\/what-is-the-cause-of-tetraplegia\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T08:04:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T08:04:22","slug":"what-is-the-cause-of-tetraplegia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chglawyers.com\/resources\/glossary\/what-is-the-cause-of-tetraplegia\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the cause of tetraplegia? Cervical injury"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Spinal Cord Injury<\/p>

What Causes Tetraplegia? Understanding Cervical Spinal Cord Injury<\/h1>

Tetraplegia occurs when the cervical spine is damaged, affecting movement and sensation in all four limbs. Learn what causes it and what to do next.<\/p>

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By CHG Lawyers \u00b7 Published September 08, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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What Causes Tetraplegia? Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Explained<\/h2>\n

Tetraplegia happens when the cervical (neck) spinal cord is damaged. This damage stops nerve signals that control movement and sensation in all four limbs. Motor vehicle crashes, falls, and diving accidents are the most common causes. Non-traumatic causes include spinal cord disease and degenerative conditions. Understanding what causes tetraplegia is the first step toward recovery and determining your legal rights to compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you're researching tetraplegia because an accident changed your life or someone else's, you're not alone. Talk it through with our team — the first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.<\/p>

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What Is Tetraplegia?<\/h2>\n

Tetraplegia<\/strong> is paralysis<\/a> affecting all four limbs: both arms and both legs. The term comes from Greek: “tetra” means four, and “plegia” means paralysis. You may also hear “quadriplegia”\u2014it means the same thing.<\/p>\n

Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerve fibers. It runs from your brain down through your spine. It carries signals that tell muscles to move and allow you to feel touch, temperature, and pain. When the cervical spinal cord is damaged, signals cannot cross the injury site. Everything below the injury loses function.<\/p>\n

This differs from paraplegia<\/a><\/strong>, which affects only the lower body. Paraplegia results from injury lower in the spine\u2014in the thoracic (mid-back) or lumbar (lower-back) regions.<\/p>\n

How the Cervical Spine Works and Why Injury Causes Tetraplegia<\/h2>\n

The cervical spine has eight levels of vertebrae and nerve roots, labeled C1 through C8. Injuries at any of these levels cause tetraplegia because the cervical spinal cord controls signals to the arms, hands, legs, and feet.<\/p>\n

Injury level determines severity:<\/strong><\/p>\n