If you are a fan of television’s Lost, then you know that nothing is as it seems on the show.  Therefore, you might be skeptical when it comes to their diagnosis of a spinal cord injury.

As Popular Mechanics recently wrote, the character of John Locke was paralyzed in a recent episode and told by Dr. Jack Shepard that “nothing is irreversible”, including Locke’s spinal cord injury.  Does that statement hold weight in the world outside of the TV box?

Is LOST’s John Locke living with complete or incomplete paralysis? (Source: Popular Mechanics)

Our paralysis attorneys in San Diego have compiled this Web site as vast resource of knowledge on the varieties of paralysis.  One of the ways it breaks down is in terms of complete paralysis and incomplete paralysis, meaning what are the chances of living with paralysis for the rest of our your life.

In the series, Locke was thrown from a window and has become paraplegic.  Now, his character is confined to a wheelchair.  In the show, he seems to have incomplete paralysis that has occurred in his lumbar or thoracic region of the spine.  Surgeries are typically done almost immediately after an injury happens to improve the chances that injured persons will walk again.

However, if  a significant amount of time has passed and Locke is not undergoing paralysis treatments, that’s not a good sign.  Nor is the fact that if his injury was sustained at the spinal level and turns out to be complete, then the idea that “nothing is irreversible” does not apply to him.  What’s worse is that Shepard, a spinal surgeon in the show, might be giving him a false outlook on recovery.

That’s not our job, as spinal cord injury lawyers.  We work in the real world and deal with things in reality.  Lost, while it might be a great source of entertainment, is spinning a thread of fiction that you should not take as factually based.  Take it from a professional who’s business is dealing with paralysis every day.

If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident and suffered a spinal cord injury or paralysis we urge you to contact our bilingual offices as soon as possible following the accident at 1-858-551-2090 or please click here for a free consultation with an experienced San Diego paralysis attorney.  We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you owe us nothing until we recover money on your behalf.