If you or someone you love has suffered a paralyzing injury because of someone else’s legal fault, you can seek compensation for the wide-ranging effects your injuries have on your life. Paralysis victims often require expensive medical care, experience debilitating limitations in their personal and professional lives, and need help managing their day-to-day well-being. However, through a personal injury lawsuit, you can seek the compensation you need to cover these costs and live your fullest life possible.
Contact Willcox, Buyck & Williams, P.A. to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Florence or Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Our team will review your case, explain the legal options available to you, and answer any questions you have about recovering the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Types of Paralysis
Victims can suffer from different types of paralysis resulting from various types of injuries, including blunt force trauma and brain injury. The most common types of paralysis include:
- Paraplegia – Paraplegia is a type of paralysis affecting the legs and lower body, often requiring medical mobility devices like wheelchairs.
- Quadriplegia – Also known as tetraplegia, quadriplegia is a type of paralysis affecting all four limbs, and victims require full-time care or assistance.
- Hemiplegia – Hemiplegia is a type of paralysis that only affects one side of the body and can affect the arm or leg.
- Paresis – Paresis is a form of partial paralysis that makes it difficult for victims to control their limbs. Many kinds of injuries can result in this condition, with brain injuries and diseases being the most common.
Accidents Resulting in Paralysis
Paralysis can result from a wide variety of accidents, ranging from car crashes to birth injuries. Some of the most common accidents that cause paralysis include:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents – Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents are among the leading causes of paralyzing injuries because of the prevalence of spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries that result from them. Motorcycle (and bicycle) riders are at particular risk of paralysis because they don’t have the protection of a car’s frame or airbags.
- Slip-and-Fall Accidents – Slipping on a wet surface or falling down poorly-lit stairs can cause spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries that lead to paralysis. All it takes is falling the wrong way one time to cause serious injury that impacts the rest of your life.
- Construction Accidents – Construction workers face many hazards on the job, including falls from heights, being struck by vehicles, being crushed between heavy machinery, and electrocutions. OSHA calls these the “fatal four” because of how frequently they lead to severe or even fatal injuries.
- Sports Injuries – Contact sports like football and hockey can lead to an increased chance of injury resulting in paralysis.
- Medical Negligence – Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals can cause patient paralysis due to medical negligence. This paralysis can result from birth injuries, negligent operations, and even medical misdiagnosis.
- Physical Assaults – Not all paralysis incidents are caused by accidents. If someone physically assaults you, you can seek compensation for the injuries they caused, including paralysis.
Legal Recourse for Injury Victims Suffering from Paralysis
If someone else caused your paralysis injury, you can seek to hold them financially liable through a personal injury lawsuit. However, to do so, you’ll need evidence connecting their actions to your injury. Some of the most common types of evidence used in these cases are:
- Accident Scene Photographs – Photographs of the car accident scene or hazardous property condition that caused your injury can help prove the other party’s liability.
- Security or Traffic Camera Footage – If the incident that caused your injury was captured on security or traffic camera footage, this can be powerful evidence.
- Eyewitness Statements – Eyewitnesses can corroborate your version of events with their statements.
- Expert Witness Testimony – In some cases, attorneys hire expert witnesses to testify on specific aspects of the case. For example, your attorney may hire a crash reconstruction specialist or a medical professional specializing in spinal injuries.
- Medical Records – Your medical records are vital for demonstrating the severity and extent of your injuries.
With the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer, you can seek compensation for the following:
- Medical Expenses – Compensation for your past and future medical expenses, including surgeries, medical treatments, physical therapy, prescription medications, and medical devices
- Lost Wages – Compensation for your past and future lost wages caused by your injuries, including the loss of work-related benefits, such as health insurance and retirement account contributions
- Pain and Suffering – Compensation for the physical pain and emotional suffering you experience because of your injury
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life – Compensation for the impact your injury has on your life, such as if you can no longer participate in activities you once enjoyed
- Disability Accommodations – Compensation for accommodating your disability, such as installing ramps or lifts in your vehicle or home for wheelchair access
- Loss of Consortium – Compensation your spouse can seek for the impact your injury has on your relationship
Seeking Compensation for Long-Term Care
After suffering a paralysis injury, one of the most important things to do is to take steps to make sure you seek the compensation you need for your long-term care. Paralysis injuries are often lifelong, and the medical treatments, physical therapy, and prescription medications can be expensive.
An experienced personal injury attorney can help calculate your future medical expenses based on your prior medical bills. For an accurate calculation, it’s best to first reach your maximum medical improvement, which is the point at which further treatment will not result in additional recovery.
Once you reach this point, you will have a better idea of your long-term care expenses, and the odds of complications arising will be at a minimum.
Contact Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Florence and Myrtle Beach
If you or a loved one has suffered paralyzing injuries in South Carolina, contact Willcox, Buyck & Williams, P.A. for an initial consultation with our experienced personal injury lawyers. We’ll review your case, advise you on the parties that might be liable for what happened, and help you seek the fair compensation you may be entitled to.
With law offices in Florence and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Willcox, Buyck & Williams, P.A. also serves Surfside Beach, Garden City, the Grand Strand, and other communities throughout Florence County, Marion County, Horry County, Darlington County, and Georgetown County.