The number one cause of paralysis injuries depends on the type of injury. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of traumatic spinal cord injuries, which can result in paralysis. Paralysis can also develop from medical conditions, including stroke, without an accident.
If another party caused an accident that resulted in paralysis, a lawyer can investigate what happened, preserve evidence, and pursue compensation for your treatment and long-term care needs. Talk with a West Hollywood spinal cord injury lawyer about your legal options.
Why Are Vehicle Crashes a Leading Cause of Paralysis Injuries?
Vehicle crashes are a leading cause of paralysis injuries because the impact can damage the spinal cord, disrupting signals that control movement. A car, truck, or motorcycle collision can fracture or dislocate vertebrae and compress or injure the cord.
Not every spinal cord injury causes permanent paralysis. The effects depend on the location and severity of the damage. Medical evaluation is necessary to identify the injury and determine treatment options, and an initial diagnosis may not establish the full extent of recovery.
What Other Accidents Can Cause Paralysis Injuries?
Other accidents that can cause paralysis injuries include falls, diving accidents, sports collisions, and workplace incidents. Acts of violence can also damage the spinal cord or brain and cause a loss of movement.
Falls are another common cause of traumatic spinal cord injuries. A fall from a ladder, for example, can damage the spine, while a severe head injury can affect the parts of the brain that control movement. The medical diagnosis helps establish which structures were injured.
The most common causes of paralysis also include conditions unrelated to accidents. Stroke can cause paralysis by damaging the brain. Identifying the medical cause is necessary for treatment, but it does not determine legal responsibility.
How Can a Spinal Cord Injury Affect Your Movement?
A spinal cord injury can affect movement by interrupting messages between the brain and body, causing weakness or paralysis below the injury. The location and severity of the damage determine which functions are affected.
Doctors use several terms to describe these injuries:
- Paraplegia: Paralysis affecting the legs and potentially part of the trunk.
- Tetraplegia or quadriplegia: Paralysis affecting the arms, hands, trunk, and legs to varying degrees.
- Complete injury: No motor or sensory function remains in the lowest sacral segments of the spinal cord.
- Incomplete injury: Some motor or sensory function remains below the injury, including in the lowest sacral segments.
A complete injury does not necessarily mean the spinal cord has been physically severed. Your medical team can explain your diagnosis and how it affects treatment and rehabilitation.
What Should You Do After an Accident That May Have Caused a Paralysis Injury?
After an accident that may have caused paralysis, call 911 and seek emergency medical care. Keep the injured person still, and do not move them unless necessary to save their life. Follow the emergency dispatcher’s instructions.
Once emergency care is underway, you or someone helping you can preserve available information:
- Keep medical records, bills, discharge instructions, and referrals.
- Save photographs, witness contact information, and accident reports.
- Retain messages or other communications about the incident.
- Keep damaged equipment or personal items that may help show what happened.
Your treatment takes priority over collecting evidence. You can contact Omega Law Group Accident & Injury Attorneys while you’re receiving care so we can begin investigating and requesting records on your behalf.
When Might You Have a Legal Claim for a Paralysis Injury?
You may have a legal claim for a paralysis injury if another party’s wrongful conduct caused your injury and losses. In a negligence claim, you generally must establish a duty of care, a breach of that duty, causation, and damages.
For example, a driver who runs a red light and causes a collision may be responsible for resulting injuries. A fall caused by an unsafe property condition requires evidence of the hazard and the responsible party’s legal duties. Paralysis alone does not prove fault.
Determining what caused a paralysis injury is part of our case review at Omega Law Group. We review medical records, crash reports, witness accounts, photographs, and other evidence to assess both the cause of the injury and who may be liable.
Have you been involved
in an accident?
(310) 526-8383 What Losses Can a Paralysis Injury Claim Address?
A paralysis injury claim can address medical expenses, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other losses caused by the injury. It may also cover future care costs and reduced earning capacity, if supported by evidence.
Depending on your needs, compensation may cover:
- Emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, and rehabilitation.
- In-home assistance and ongoing medical care.
- Wheelchairs, assistive devices, and necessary home or vehicle modifications.
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity.
- Physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Evaluating future needs is part of preparing your claim with Omega Law Group. We work with qualified medical and financial professionals to document expected care costs and lost wages. We should assess a settlement against those future needs, as well as expenses already incurred.
How Does Omega Law Group Approach Paralysis Injury Claims?
Omega Law Group approaches paralysis injury claims by investigating responsibility, documenting the injury’s effects, and evaluating current and future losses. We explain the available legal options and handle insurance communications so you can focus on treatment.
Founded in 2016,Omega Law Group has more than 20 experienced attorneys serving personal injury clients. We provide individualized attention and give clients personal cellphone numbers so they can reach us directly with questions.
Our work also includes identifying filing deadlines and preserving evidence before it becomes unavailable. You don’t need to wait for a final prognosis to ask us to review your potential claim.
Speak With Us About Your Paralysis Injury
A consultation can help you understand whether the evidence supports a claim and what steps to take next. We can review your information, discuss responsibility for the accident, and explain how your ongoing care needs may affect the compensation you seek.
Contact Omega Law Group for a free consultation. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, offer assistance in Spanish, and are available 24/7 to receive your call.
