Car accidents: Motorcycle and automotive accidents are the number one reason for a spinal cord injury, claiming over 35 percent of new annual injuries.
Falls: Most often, elderly patients with spinal cord injury experienced a fall. Overall, more than 25 percent of injuries can be accounted for by falls.
Violence: About 15 percent of such injuries are due to violent attacks, such as a knife wound or a gunshot wound.
Recreation: Impact sports and similar athletic activities, such as diving into the shallow end of the pool, result in spinal cord injuries, accounting for 9 percent of them every year.
Alcohol: Alcohol was proven a factor for 25 percent of injuries.
Disease: Natural developments like cancer and osteoporosis can also result in damage to the spinal cord.