{"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":"2026-10-12T04:19:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T04:19:42","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 Spinal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Spinal Cord Injury<\/p>

What Is the Cause of Tetraplegia? Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Explained<\/h1>

Tetraplegia (also called quadriplegia) results from injury or disease affecting the cervical spine. Understanding the cause is the first step toward knowing your options.<\/p>

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By CHG Lawyers \u00b7 Published September 27, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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Tetraplegia (Quadriplegia): What It Means When All Four Limbs Are Paralyzed<\/h2>\n

If you or a family member suddenly cannot move your arms or legs after an accident, you may have tetraplegia\u2014a permanent condition where all four limbs lose function because the cervical (neck) spinal cord is damaged. Motor vehicle crashes, falls, and diving accidents are the most common causes. Understanding what tetraplegia is, how it happens, and what legal options exist is the first step toward recovery and protecting your family’s future.<\/p>\n

Important:<\/strong> Florida law gives you only two years from the date of injury<\/strong> to file a personal injury claim. If negligence caused your tetraplegia, waiting costs you the right to compensation.<\/p>\n\n

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Talk it through with our team — the first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.<\/p>

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What Is Tetraplegia? Plain Language First<\/h2>\n

Tetraplegia<\/strong> means you cannot move or feel all four limbs\u2014both arms and both legs. The clinical term is also called quadriplegia<\/strong> (they mean the same thing).<\/p>\n

Here’s what happens inside your body: Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerve fibers running from your brain down through your spine. It carries signals that tell your muscles to move and allow you to feel touch, temperature, and pain. When the cervical spinal cord is damaged\u2014usually from a violent impact, a fall, or a diving accident\u2014those signals cannot cross the injury site. Everything below the injury loses function. You cannot move those limbs, and you cannot feel them.<\/p>\n

This is different from paraplegia<\/a><\/strong>, which affects only the lower body (legs and lower trunk). 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 Level Matters<\/h2>\n

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

Injury level determines how severe paralysis<\/a> will be:<\/strong><\/p>\n