Accidents that Can Result in Paralysis
Many types of accidents can, within only seconds, cause a spinal cord injury that will result in paralysis. Among them are:
It’s terrifying to realize that slipping on icy pavement, being hit by a heavy object, being in a serious traffic accident, or being tackled on a football field can, however rarely, leave you unable to walk, use your arms, or even to breathe without assistance.
How the Negligence of Another Can Be the Cause of Your Paralysis
In a great many instances, another party is at least partially responsible for the lasting harm you have suffered. Compass Law Group’s sharp attorneys will protect your rights by filing a civil lawsuit to hold the responsible party accountable whether that party is, for example, a:
- Drunk, distracted, or otherwise reckless driver
- Management company that failed to clear snow from the entrance of its building
- Construction company that allowed an untrained employee to operate heavy machinery
- Camp or school that didn’t properly supervise young athletes
- Store owner who didn’t mark a dangerous spill with a hazard warning
Whatever the specific circumstances of your case, as long as negligence contributed to your paralysis, we will fight hard to win you with the amount you need to give you and your family a secure future.
Types of Paralysis Injuries
Depending on where the spinal cord is injured, the area of paralysis will vary. Also, the paralysis may be classified as “complete” or “incomplete,” indicating whether the victim has lost all ability to feel and control the affected limbs and regions or whether some sensory or motor function remains intact. While there is hope for restored movement demonstrated in ongoing stem cell research, for the time being, individuals fall into one of the following two primary categories: paraplegics or quadriplegics.
Paraplegia, though devastating, leaves the victim with the use of her or his body above the waist. Though the patient loses the use of limbs below the waist, affecting parts of the trunk, legs, and pelvic organs, he or she retains mobility and range of motion in the neck, hands, arms, and chest.
Quadriplegia (also known as tetraplegia) involves losing the use of limbs and extremities below the neck, affecting the arms, hands, trunk, and pelvic organs. Quadriplegics’ lives are threatened because they not only lose almost all ability to move but often the ability to breathe independently as well.
Either type of paralysis injury is life-altering and makes the patient dependent on others to a greater or lesser extent. While a person with paraplegia may maintain or redevelop the ability to wash, dress, cook, use the bathroom, hold a book or a baby, and move from one place to another in a wheelchair, expensive changes to the surrounding environment (e.g., ramps, lower stoves, sinks, toilets, and countertops) may be necessary to facilitate this. Nonetheless, some paraplegics can continue working. So are some few quadriplegics — think of Stephen Hawking.
Complications of Paralysis Injuries
Being inactive or much less active than before your paralysis injury can result in numerous complications, including muscle atrophy, sexual dysfunction, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Your increased dependency and diminished abilities will, almost inevitably, create problems with your self-image and self-esteem.
As your paralysis injury attorneys, we are committed to evaluating accurately how much your altered lifestyle will cost you, now and in the future, so that we can demand, during negotiations, both in and out of the courtroom, a realistic amount to carry you and your family through.
Damages We Will Fight to Obtain for You and Your Loved Ones
At Compass Law, we are laser-focused on how best to win you the compensation you will need going forward. We know that medical costs are already soaring and your income may have become limited to disability benefits. We will take into consideration all of the following when arriving at a reasonable settlement amount:
- Medical, surgical, rehabilitative, and pharmaceutical costs
- Psychotherapy
- Permanent nursing care
- Replacement care (e.g.cleaning service, dog-walking, cooking)
- Transportation costs
- Alterations to make your home accessible
- Lost income, now and going forward
- Pain and Suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Since every case is unique, there may be other costs not yet on this list that apply to you.
Contact Our Talented California Paralysis Injury Attorneys Today
We are well aware of how overwhelming a paralysis injury can be. We know that the resulting physical and emotional pain affects your loved ones as well as you. We also know what a struggle it is to adjust to a new self, one who is no longer capable of accomplishing many of the things you took pleasure and satisfaction in.
This is why we will work our hardest to provide you with the tools you need to overcome the challenges you face. We are determined to help you reshape your life, your goals, and your relationships to give you and your family the hope and fulfillment you deserve.
