Car Accidents and Paralysis
Even if we buckle up, drive defensively, and follow the rules of the road, auto accidents can still happen. When they do, the collision can result in severe injuries. In some cases, these injuries can result in the loss of use of some or all of a person’s extremities.
If you or someone that you love is involved in a catastrophic auto accident that results in paralysis, the Brooklyn, NY personal injury lawyers of Zucker & Regev can help. We’d like to briefly consider these kinds of auto crashes and what legal options may be available to survivors and their loved ones.
Neck and Spinal Cord Injuries During Auto Crashes
Injuries to the spine during auto accidents can take a number of different forms. In severe spinal cord injuries, you may experience partial or total paralysis in varying degrees.
If you’ve suffered a severe spinal cord injury to the lower back, you’ll likely experience paraplegia. If you suffer a severe spinal cord injury to the neck, you’ll likely experience quadriplegia. Our Brooklyn injury attorneys want to discuss each of these types of injuries individually since they have different consequences and impacts on people’s lives.
Paraplegia Following a Car Accident
Paraplegia refers to the loss of the use of one’s lower extremities. When the spinal cord injury affects the lower back, the nerves are severed below the waist. The higher up on the lower back, the more of a person’s lower body is affected.
Paraplegics will rely on a wheelchair to get around for their rest of their lives. While you will still have full use of your arms, you may need to make a career change and alter many aspects of your daily life simply to function.
Quadriplegia Following a Car Accident
More serious than paraplegia, quadriplegia involves spinal cord injuries in the neck/cervical spine. A quadriplegic has lost the use of all of their limbs, rendering them paralyzed from the neck down.
Quadriplegics will need constant assistance and medical attention 24/7. Not only will they be wheelchair bound, but all tasks will require another person’s help, from eating and meal preparation to proper hygiene. For some quadriplegics, an artificial respirator may be necessary simply to breathe in and out.
Partial Paralysis After a Car Accident
Sometimes a spinal cord injury during a car crash does not result in paraplegia or quadriplegia but other forms of paralysis. A spinal cord injury could lead to reduced use and sensation of a limb. Nerve damage from a crash can similarly lead to partial loss of the use of a limb.
The changes to one’s life in these cases are not as severe as the ones outlined above. Regardless, these injuries and the interruptions they present to one’s life, livelihood, and sense of well-being must be taken seriously.
Legal Damages Following a Catastrophic Car Crash
Our Brooklyn injury accident attorneys will seek legal damages against the negligent motorist or party that caused your crash. Compensatory damages will cover material losses associated with the injury, such as medical expenses, lost wages from your career, and the emotional pain and suffering. Punitive damages may be sought in order to punish the negligent party if the nature of the collision was particularly unacceptable.
Speak with Our Auto Accident Lawyers
For more information about your legal options following a catastrophic spinal injury during a collision, be sure to contact our team of injury accident attorneys. The team at Zucker & Regev can be reached by phone at (718) 624-1211.