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Paralysis is a devastating condition experienced by about 5.4 million individuals in the United States today. Paralysis occurs as a result of a breakdown in the functioning of the spinal cord due to injury or disease. Damage to the spinal cord can block signals from the brain to the nerves, thus rendering the individual unable to move body parts affected by the injured area of the spinal cord. For paralysis to occur, the spinal cord does not need to be severed. A person may still experience a type of paralysis if the spinal cord injury (SCI) is the result of the spinal cord or its protective outer layer of bone being bruised, stretched or crushed.
Complete versus incomplete paralysis are terms that describe more specifically the ability of the nerves of the spinal column to communicate messages around the site of the paralyzing injury. Complete paralysis indicates there is total lack of feeling and movement capability below the site of the trauma. Incomplete paralysis indicates that some amount of sensation is possible below the injury, due to the ability for some messages to be conveyed past it, though in a compromised capacity.
A paralysis injury can be caused by a variety of factors, with spinal cord injuries serving as the second most common cause at over 27% of cases. In a recent study, the Reeve Foundation (a leader in the paralysis field), discovered that the previously believed statistic of 250,000 Americans living with SCI paralysis was five times less than the actual number, with the corrected estimate now at 1.2 million. Over 77% of these 1.2 million spinal cord injuries originate from accidents such as truck and motor vehicle collisions, worksite physical labor injuries, falls and sporting or athletic mishaps.
If you or a loved one have become paralyzed in an accident due to the negligence of another party, call our paralysis injury attorneys today for a FREE CASE REVIEW.
Paraplegia is a paralytic injury impacting the mobility and sensation of the torso and legs. The arms and upper torso may also experience some effects in sensation and/or motility depending on the severity and location of the injury to the spinal column, but generally, there is still mobility of the arms, neck, and head.
The range of the severity of the paraplegic symptoms depends on the location and intensity of the injury. Some paraplegic individuals experience minor immobilization, tingling, or lessened sensations in the legs, while others experience total, irreversible loss of movement and feeling from the waist down.
Tetraplegia, which is also referred to as quadriplegia, is defined as total or complete loss of mobility and/or sensation in all four limbs and the torso. The degree of paralysis and degree of loss of sensation may be subject to the nature, location, severity and time since the trauma. In some cases, immediate intensive treatment and/or extensive rehabilitative therapy has demonstrated success in regaining ranges of sensation and motility. In other cases, individuals may experience tetraplegia so severe that it causes difficulty in breathing independently.
For an SCI to result in tetraplegia, the injury sustained to the spine must occur above the first thoracic vertebra, or in the range of cervical sections of the spine identified as C1-C8. Generally, the higher the location of the injury to the spine, the more absolute the paralytic symptoms.
Most doctors use the word tetraplegia to describe the condition, while paraplegia continues to be more popular with patients. The terms are understood as interchangeable in everyday use.
The distinctions (or “grades”) of paraplegia and quadriplegia can be somewhat complex, due to the range of ways that the human body reacts to damage to the spinal column. The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) developed an Impairment Scale (AIS) to categorize the severity of a person’s neurological impairment following spinal cord injury.
If you or a loved one have become paralyzed in an accident due to the negligence of another party, call our paralysis injury lawyers today for a FREE CONSULTATION.
Your paralysis injury attorney at Thompson Law has extensive experience with many cases involving wrecks, mishaps, and disasters that can result in tragic consequences including paralysis.
Automobile collisions (31.5%) and catastrophic falls (25.3%) were the most common causes of SCI resulting in paralysis in the United States, according to a 2005-2011 study. Other major causes of SCI include: gunshot wounds (10.4%), motorcycle crashes (6.8%), diving accidents (4.7%), and surgical or medical complications (4.3%).
Though by no means a complete list, some of the more common incident types that appear in SCI personal injury cases are the following:
If you or a loved one are the victim of a paralysis injury accident, call our personal injury attorneys today for a FREE CASE EVALUATION.
We provide paralysis injury victims with dedicated and tenacious legal representation, ensuring that you get fair value for your claim. Our Dallas paralysis injury attorneys will build a strong case with supporting evidence so that you recover the money that you deserve.
Frustratingly, the difficulties of living with a paralytic injury and SCI are not limited to the condition alone. The intricate nature of these injuries means that paralyzed individuals frequently suffer complex complications and additional illnesses related to their paralysis. Approximately 30% of individuals with SCI are re-hospitalized at least once a year. Duration of hospital stay can vary, but averages at about 22 days.
The most recent reporting shows the average cost of a day spent in the hospital in Texas is about $2,300, and this does not account for major or specialized procedures or additional associated institutional costs, such as ambulance fees. This means that even before necessary treatments are considered, paralytic injury and SCI patients are at high risk for re-hospitalization bills over $50,000 for just one incident, in just one year.
More information by the numbers can be found here. If you or a loved one has suffered a paralysis injury accident due to the negligence of another party, call our paralysis injury attorneys today for a FREE CONSULTATION.
The lifetime cost to a paralyzed individual, and to their support network of family, friends, and caretakers, is arguably incalculable due to the far-reaching consequences paralysis has on an individual’s ability to live a normal life. Estimates at lifetime costs, which vary widely based on the age at which the injury was sustained and the severity of the trauma, range between $1,113,990 and $4,724,181. These figures only consider healthcare and life costs, not indirect costs such as consideration of lost wages, productivity, and other unquantifiable benefits.
In addition to the hardships that paralytic injury and SCI cause to the individual affected, his or her support network of family and friends is also impacted. Family members often serve as primary caregivers for paraplegic and tetraplegic individuals.
There are more than 50 million people providing this type of relational caregiving service each year. The estimated value of this group’s labor is $306 billion annually, and if that number is not astounding enough, it should also be noted that that figure is more than twice as much as the valuation of hospice care and nursing home care combined.
When a Thompson Law paralysis injury attorney fights for your deserved personal injury compensation, the funds received at settlement can help cover the monumental financial, personal, and emotional costs associated with:
Adjusting to life with a disability is not only a physical and financial burden, but also presents an array of practical and emotional challenges. Paralyzed individuals frequently have to make adjustments and allocate significantly more time and energy to navigating their lives than able-bodied individuals. The following list of activities, which is by no means comprehensive, illustrates some of the burdens of adapting to life with a paralytic condition:
Have you or your loved one suffered paralytic injuries in a motor vehicle crash or another catastrophic event? The first action item is, of course, to pursue medical care immediately. Obtaining quality medical treatment and carefully following all treatment plans is essential to the best physical outcome.
The next part of the journey is to consult with your Thompson Law paralysis injury attorney about what your rights to compensation and reparation may be. Pursuing justice for the victims of accidents that result in injury and loss, especially as devastating as paralysis, is meaningful work to the tenacious team at Thompson Law.
Your paralysis injury attorney will guide the process of opening claims, investigating your case, submitting demands, negotiating a settlement, and taking any other legal actions or finalization requirements that result from the settlement. Thompson Law has a robust in-house litigation team that is fully prepared to take your case to trial if that becomes necessary.
At Thompson Law, we have a formidable track record of success in cases related to spinal cord trauma and paralytic injuries. Cases involving these types of dire injuries require extensive research and precise care. Your circumstances will be carefully investigated by our experienced paralysis injury lawyers, who will provide you with expert guidance for your pursuit of medical care, and strategic options for claims and litigation that may win you the compensation you deserve.
Call today for a FREE CONSULTATION. Let us right the wrongs you suffered, so you can focus on healing.
Thompson Law receives an attorney fee and you pay no legal fees as our client unless we pay you. Thompson Law has 350 years of combined experience in legal representation and has won over $1.8 billion dollars in cash settlements for our clients. We master the art of managing client cases with empathy, compassion, respect and, of course, prodigious skill. Contact us today for a free, risk-free consultation to discuss your accident and your options.
State law limits the time you have to file a claim after an auto accident. If you have been injured in an accident, call now to get the help you need.
