Whether it is caused by damage to the spinal cord, severe brain trauma, localized nerve damage from a burn or penetrative injury, or other medical trauma, paralysis is among the most devastating outcomes of an accident. Money may feel like an insufficient remedy for an injury this severe, but getting fair restitution from the person whose negligence caused your accident could be key to minimizing the harm that injury causes.
A skilled Trinity paralysis injury lawyer at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys could demand the money you deserve without putting additional stress on you or your loved ones. Your seasoned catastrophic injury attorney could help you build a strong lawsuit and ensure your claim accounts for every way your injury will negatively affect your life. We are 3 brothers helping others, and we want to help you move forward following a traumatic accident.
What Is Considered a Paralysis Injury?
Paralysis is the medical term for a partial or total loss of sensory or motor function in one or more parts of the body. While paralysis injuries can sometimes stem from neurological conditions like strokes or certain degenerative diseases, those that can justify civil litigation almost always originate from traumatic accidents. These accidents cause damage to some part of the central nervous system, particularly the spinal cord or the brain. Below are some of the more common types of paralysis injuries that may stem from another person’s negligence in Trinity, each of which a skilled attorney could provide irreplaceable help filing suit over.
Paraplegia
Typically stemming from damage to the lowermost (lumbar) or middle (thoracic) sections of the spinal cord, paraplegia involves a loss of sensory or motor function below the waist, which almost always affects the legs and may also impact the lower abdomen.
Quadriplegia
As the name suggests, quadriplegia entails paralysis in all four limbs as well as most or all of the torso. While it can sometimes stem from certain types of brain damage, it most often stems from damage to the uppermost (cervical) section of the spinal cord.
Hemiplegia
Hemiplegia is a somewhat unique form of paralysis involving either the entire left or right side of the body becoming paralyzed without the other side suffering any harm. This almost always stems from severe brain trauma, with strokes being a particularly common cause.
Monoplegia
In some situations, localized nerve damage—particularly in the shoulders or hips—can lead to monoplegia or paralysis in just one arm or just one leg.
Common Causes of Paralysis Injuries
As is the case with many other types of personal injuries, paralyzing injuries very often occur as a result of high-speed auto accidents, especially side-impact wrecks—which may involve a great deal of force being imparted directly into someone’s body and spine. Along similar lines, crashes involving pedestrians being hit by cars are more likely than most other collisions to result in someone sustaining a paralyzing injury, especially if the vehicle involved is situated high off the ground the way a modern pickup truck or SUV may be.
Other common causes of traumatic spinal cord and brain injuries that may result in temporary or permanent paralysis include:
A seasoned legal professional’s support could be essential to building strong civil cases after accidents like this based on the legal theory of “negligence,” as discussed in more detail below.
Legal counsel can also play a vital role in taking action over medical misconduct that paralyzes someone in Trinity. While less common than the accidents mentioned above, medical malpractice can lead to a doctor failing to properly diagnose and treat a serious injury or a condition like a stroke, which may result in paralysis, or even in a surgeon directly causing damage to the brain or spinal cord by acting recklessly or carelessly during an operation.
Proving Someone Liable for Specific Paralysis-Related Losses
The legal theory at the heart of most paralysis injury claims is negligence. This is the idea that someone who harms another person accidentally should be the one who pays financially for the negative effects of that harm. A person has a duty to act in a specific way under specific circumstances. When they breach their duty by acting irresponsibly or unlawfully, causing serious physical harm to another, they should be liable for all economic and non-economic losses sustained by the injured party, including:
- Medical bills
- Lost work income
- Physical pain and suffering
- Lost quality/enjoyment of life
- Personal property damage/loss
- Emotional distress and psychological anguish
Both past and future losses from the accident should be incorporated into this claim. For example, if someone in Trinity can no longer hold employment because of a paralyzing injury, a qualified attorney could help demand compensation not just for their short-term wage loss, but also for the future income they would have earned were they physically able to work.
Navigating Around Common Roadblocks to Recovery
Another aspect of typical personal injury litigation that could impact paralysis injury claims is “comparative negligence,” the degree to which an injured person is at fault for their injuries through their own reckless or careless misconduct. Under Florida Statutes § 768.81, courts could assign a percentage of fault to a plaintiff along these lines and reduce the total value of that plaintiff’s final damage award in proportion to their share of fault.
Additionally, Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3) grants people intending to file suit over an injury caused by someone else’s negligence only four years after the injury to start their claim, even if the injury in question is permanent. Guidance from a knowledgeable lawyer may be vital to overcoming these kinds of procedural obstacles during a paralysis injury claim in Trinity.
Speak With a Trinity Paralysis Injury Attorney About Your Case
Becoming paralyzed because another person was irresponsible is an incomparably frustrating and life-changing experience. You deserve fair financial restitution for the impact of your injury, and support from experienced legal counsel could be essential to minimizing the degree to which this frustrating experience changes your life.
A Trinity paralysis injury lawyer at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys could discuss your rights and potential options for pursuing recovery in detail during a confidential consultation. Schedule yours by calling today.
(727) 669-2828