Paralysis Injuries

Paralysis affects millions of men, women, and children across the country.

However, “paralysis” does not refer to a specific condition so much as a spectrum of medical signs and symptoms. Paralysis can disrupt lives in very different ways, with some cases requiring much more intensive care than others.

Here’s what you need to know about paralysis and your right to recovery after an accident:

Understanding Paralysis

If somebody has paralysis, they are unable to move specific muscles voluntarily.

Almost every incidence of paralysis can be traced back to a nervous system problem. Your nerves, the extensive communication network between your brain and body, send signals that activate muscles. If this communication network is impaired, whether as a result of accident-related injuries or due to a prenatal condition, it could induce paralysis, making it impossible to move affected parts of your body.

Some accident-related causes of paralysis include:

1. Spinal cord injuries;
2. Traumatic brain injuries;
3. Car accidents;
4. Semi-truck collisions;
5. Motorcycle crashes;
6. Medical malpractice, surgical error, and medication reactions; and
7. Serious sports injuries.

Paralysis is not specific to any one region of the body, but can be either partial or complete. In cases of partial paralysis, you may be able to control some of your muscles, but not all; in contrast, total paralysis is the inability to control any of the muscles at the site of injury.

The 5 Types Of Paralysis

Paralysis is not a standalone condition. Instead, it could take any of the following five forms:

1. Diplegia, or paralysis that occurs in the same area of your body and on both sides. So, for example, you might have paralysis that affects both sides of your face or arms, but no other parts of your body.
2. Hemiplegia, or paralysis that occurs on only one side of your body.
3. Monoplegia, or paralysis that makes it impossible to move one limb, such as an arm or a leg.
4. Paraplegia, or paralysis that affects both legs and, in some cases, the torso.
5. Quadriplegia is paralysis that involves each limb and, often, the torso. People who have quadriplegia may be able to speak or turn their heads, but they typically cannot move from the neck down.

Paralysis affecting entire limbs or multiple appendages is sometimes considered more severe and comparatively expensive to treat than other types of paralysis. This generalization is often true, but even localized forms of paralysis, depending on their location, can be just as debilitating.

Compensation For Paralysis And Paralyzing Injuries

If you’ve been seriously injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you could be entitled to significant compensation. Since courts recognize that paralytic injuries can take a severe toll on survivors’ physical health and mental well-being, judges are often willing to approve substantial awards and settlements—money that could be used to replace a lost income, pay for long-term rehabilitation, and provide a lasting sense of financial security.

However, filing and fighting a personal injury lawsuit is rarely straightforward.

Since paralytic injuries are almost always considered disabling, insurance companies will usually fight tooth and nail to minimize their liability—a strategy that works to preserve corporate profits but could come at the cost of a fair and reasonable settlement.

If you have been paralyzed in an accident that was not your fault, please send the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a personal injury lawyer and find out how we could help you.