If you have been involved in an accident, damage to the spinal cord may result in paralysis, which can be temporary or permanent. In many instances, a victim is left with some loss of ability to move.
Paralysis can cause significant impacts on your life or a loved one’s, causing physical, financial, and emotional costs. If someone else was to blame for a paralysis injury, you may be entitled to financial compensation. The personal injury lawyers at Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys will fight for you to get the highest possible payment for your injuries.
The Four Different Types of Paralysis
Paralysis is the inability to move one or more parts of your body because the brain is unable to relay signals to that part of the body. There are four different types of paralysis:
- Monoplegia is when you are unable to move one limb of your body, but you retain full control over the rest of your limbs
- Hemiplegia is when one side of your body is affected (generally both an arm and a leg)
- Paraplegia is when you are unable to use your body below your waist, including both of your legs
- Quadriplegia is when you cannot use either your arms or legs. This injury usually results from a high spinal cord injury that cuts messages to all areas below the injury
Paralysis can result from either a health condition or an accident. Sudden trauma can cause broken vertebrae that compress and injure the spinal cord. If someone suffers a complete spinal cord injury, it’s likely they will not fully recover. Even an incomplete spinal cord injury may require an extended period of convalescence and rehabilitation.
The Complications of Life with Paralysis
When you are unable to move one or more limbs, your life will be forever changed. Besides loss of movement, paralysis may affect sexual and respiratory function. You may need continuous care on a daily basis to help you perform the activities of daily life. At a minimum, you may not be able to work and enjoy the hobbies that you did before you suffered paralysis.
You may be incurring significant costs on a daily basis. Between medical bills are care workers, you may have to pay doctors and home health care workers. In addition to the stress of spending money, you may be dealing with depression and anxiety that come from life with paralysis.
Other complications of life with paralysis include:
- Potential pressure ulcers from not being able to move
- Urinary incontinence
- Circulatory problems
- Spasticity of limbs
- Higher risk of pneumonia
The complications that you are enduring will have a direct impact on the amount of financial compensation that you receive if you are able to prove that someone else was to blame for the accident that paralyzed you.
Damages in a Paralysis Injury Claim
We cannot give you an estimate of how much your claim would be worth without closely studying your circumstances and specific injury. Our lawyers will work with expert witnesses to come up with the possible value of your claim. Your damages depend on how you have been hurt because there is no such thing as a generic personal injury victim.
Your paralysis injury compensation can include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- The cost to adapt your home to accommodate your condition
- The cost of assistance with the activities of your daily life
- Specialized medical equipment
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Embarrassment and humiliation
- Emotional distress
The medical costs of any type of spinal cord injury usually top $1 million. At the upper end of the range, medical costs for a serious SCI can exceed $5 million. Your other damages can be several multiples of your medical costs, based on the severity of your injuries.
Factors That Can Influence Your Paralysis Injury Compensation
Even when you know how much your claim could potentially be worth, there are many steps that need to happen to convert potential into reality.
Some factors that may influence the amount of money that you could get include:
- The life that you had before the injury
- The aggressiveness with which your lawyer pursues compensation
- How long you are able to hold out for the money you deserve
- The amount of insurance coverage available to pay for your injuries
How an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
If you or a family member has suffered a paralysis injury, the legal process can be daunting. A spinal cord injury victim can rely on the expertise and skill of a lawyer as they seek the compensation that’s needed on their behalf.
Our lawyers can handle every detail from the beginning to the end of your paralysis injury claim.
All you need to do is make key decisions, and you would only do that after receiving advice from your attorney.
Specifically, our lawyers may do the following to help you:
- Investigate the accident that caused your paralysis and gather evidence that can be used in a claim or lawsuit
- Work with experts to determine the value of your claim
- File a claim or lawsuit on your behalf
- Fight the insurance company to protect your legal rights and obtain the maximum possible financial compensation for you
- Litigate your case if you cannot reach a settlement agreement
Contact a Wilmington, NC Attorney About Your Spinal Injury Claim
If you or a loved one have suffered paralysis from a personal injury, the result of your claim or lawsuit is crucial. The attorneys at Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys understand the stakes and will do everything within their power to deliver the best possible financial result for you.
Time is crucial, and you or a family member must reach out to us to schedule a free initial consultation as soon as possible. You can message us through our website, or you can call us today at 910-405-7751 to begin the legal process. You do not need to come up with any money from your own pocket to hire an experienced lawyer.
