Summary:
- Spinal cord injuries from car accidents can cause paralysis because they affect the brain’s ability to send signals to the rest of the body
- Paralysis from car accidents can impact someone long-term by affecting their ability to walk, drive a car, and work
- Victims of car accidents should seek immediate medical attention to help with paralysis effects
- Living with permanent paralysis can involve adjusting to using mobility aids and receiving help from others to get around
Car accident victims can sustain significant physical injuries from blunt-force trauma during a collision, such as shoulder, facial, internal, and spinal cord injuries. Those who suffer spinal cord injuries can experience paralysis, which is the temporary or permanent loss of muscle function in part of someone’s body.
Spinal cord injuries from car accidents can affect the brain’s ability to send signals throughout the body, meaning body parts like the legs and arms may not be able to move. This can affect someone’s ability to move and use body parts. Victims of car accidents can hold at-fault parties who cause car accidents accountable for damages that result from paralysis.
How Can a Car Accident Cause Paralysis?
Those who suffer severe bodily harm from car accidents can sustain severe injuries that affect their health long-term. One such injury that can majorly affect someone’s life is a spinal cord injury, which results from bodily harm damaging the spinal nerves or vertebrae. This type of car accident injury can result in paralysis, one of the most impactful effects someone can suffer.
Paralysis is when someone suffers from temporary or permanent loss of function in a body part. Spinal cord injuries from car accidents can cause paralysis because it can disrupt the brain’s ability to send signals to the rest of the body. It can cause a loss of sensation and interrupt vital bodily functions, paralyzing the arms or legs of a car accident victim.
The Long-Term Effects of Paralysis from Car Accidents
The long-term effect of this car accident injury can alter someone’s life and reduce quality of life. Loss of movement in a body part can affect the way someone has to live their life. For example, a car accident victim who cannot walk will not be able to work, drive their car, or enjoy physical activities. This can affect their mental health because of the restrictions on what they can do.
The inability to use a body part can also lead to infections due to a person’s inability to move and loss of sensation. Infections may set in without a car accident victim realizing it because they may not be able to feel the symptoms.
Seeking Medical Attention After Suffering Paralysis from a Car Accident
After a car accident that may cause paralysis, victims should seek medical attention. Going to the hospital is vital for help in healing a spinal cord injury before health complications make living with the injury even harder. They can use diagnostic testing and physical examinations to identify what injuries a car accident victim suffered and whether paralysis may occur.
If you do suffer from paralysis, they can also suggest medical treatments to help with health complications caused by paralysis. They can also help provide equipment that can help you live with paralysis.
Living With Permanent Paralysis After a Severe Car Accident
Paralysis from a car accident can either be temporary or permanent. Those who experience permanent paralysis after a car accident can experience significant disruptions in their life. They may not be able to walk again and will need constant assistance to get around and handle necessary facets of their life.
Permanently paralyzed car accident victims will need to learn to use mobility aids, such as stand assist rails, wheelchairs, and walking canes. They may also need to learn to rely on others to look after them, as they may not be able to drive or reach for and grip objects.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Car Accident Claim
At The Russo Firm, our car accident attorneys can help those who suffer paralysis from spinal cord injuries recover compensation for car accident damages. We understand from working with other clients who suffered paralysis how it can affect someone’s life and wish to help you recover financially from the traumatic accident.
Our car accident lawyers can use their experience handling car accident claims in the past to advise you on the best path for recovering fair compensatory damages. Contact us for a free car accident case evaluation at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Paralysis from Car Accidents
What Type of Car Accidents Most Commonly Cause Paralysis?
The type of car accident most likely to cause paralysis are the ones that can expose a car accident victim’s spinal cord to significant impact. A rear-end accident can cause paralysis because a direct impact on the back of the car can cause a victim to shake violently. This is called whiplash and can cause a spinal cord injury that results in paralysis.
What Damages Can You Experience Due to Paralysis from a Car Accident?
Paralysis is one of the most financially damaging effects of suffering a car accident. Victims may not be able to work for months or be able to return to work at all. This can make it harder for people to pay for the financial fallout of their car accident.
Victims of car accidents can file car accident claims with at-fault parties to pursue compensation for damages. These can include economic damages that reflect the financial fallout of paralysis. Victims can also pursue non-economic damages for intangible costs relating to mental health and quality of life effects.
The following are some damages those who suffer paralysis can pursue in a car accident claim:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish
- Loss of parental services
Why Should You Hire a Car Accident Lawyer After Suffering Paralysis?
People who suffer paralysis from car accidents can file civil claims with at-fault parties and their insurance companies to hold reckless drivers accountable for causing damages. Hiring a car accident lawyer can help with this process, as they will know what steps to take to put them in the best position to recover fair compensation for damages.
An experienced car accident attorney can help calculate damages, assess liability, explain car accident laws, gather evidence, and negotiate a settlement. A car accident victim who suffered paralysis will have their best chance at recovering fair compensatory damages with the help of an experienced car accident lawyer.
