One of the most devastating injuries an individual can suffer in a Las Vegas car accident is paralysis. In car accidents, the spinal cord can get torn, crushed, or dislocated as the body impacts the vehicle’s interior or another object. Some accident victims are paralyzed when their skull is punctured or fractured. The impact of a collision can force the brain to slam against the head, causing interruption of all or some communication between the brain and the rest of the body.
If you are paralyzed after a car accident in Las Vegas, there is a chance you will spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair and require assistance for the everyday tasks of daily living. Although a few individuals recover, most cannot work again or must find employment in a different profession.
What Is Paralysis?
Paralysis refers to losing the ability to move some or all of your body. It is often a symptom of either damage to the spine or damage to the brain.
Common issues associated with paralysis include kidney dysfunction, digestive problems, and chronic pain. Those affected by paralysis often become depressed and require psychological or psychiatric support.
Even in a low-impact collision, you may be vulnerable to paralysis.
Symptoms Of Paralysis
While the inability to move body parts and lack of sensation are signs of paralysis after a car accident, other common symptoms of paralysis include breathing issues, coordination difficulties, memory loss, and numbness.
Catastrophic injuries such as paralysis often affect the bladder, bowel, and sexual functions. Patients with respiratory issues may spend significant time on a ventilator to continue breathing.
After an accident, the presence of these symptoms always requires an immediate trip to the nearest emergency room or trauma center. Paralysis may be temporary or permanent, depending on the specific injury.
Types Of Paralysis Linked To Car Accidents
Monoplegia
Monoplegia is a type of paralysis that affects only one limb. You may lose your ability to move or experience sensations in an arm or leg. In auto accidents, monoplegia is often due to nerve damage somewhere above the paralyzed limb.
Hemiplegia
Hemiplegia refers to paralysis of one side of the body. If you suffer a traumatic brain injury to one side of your brain during an accident, you may lose control over the opposite side of your body. Your odds of developing hemiplegia may increase even if you suffer a stroke during or after a car accident.
Diplegia
Diplegia arises when you lose control and sensation in both arms or legs. Diplegia is almost always due to spinal cord damage, but you may develop it after a traumatic brain injury.
Paraplegia
Paraplegia refers to paralysis of the lower half of your body. In addition to being unable to control your legs, paraplegia may cause you to lose bowel and bladder control and function. With paraplegia, you may have to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair.
Quadriplegia
Quadriplegia involves paralysis of most of your body, including both arms and legs. You may nick or sever your spinal cord in a devastating car accident. If that happens, your likelihood of regaining sensation and control below the spinal cord injury will likely be minimal.
Paralysis Is A Catastrophic Injury
Paralysis resulting from a car accident is considered a catastrophic injury.
Catastrophic injuries result in long-term or permanent disability, impairment, or disfigurement. These injuries can profoundly impact a person’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being.
The costs of caring for a person with a catastrophic injury are enormous, often running into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Those injured can no longer live independently and may require constant skilled care in a nursing home or medical facility.
Pacific West Injury Law – The Significance Of Our Las Vegas Catastrophic Injury Lawyers In Securing A Fair And Just Compensation
At Pacific West Injury Law, our lawyers handle claims involving life-altering injuries. Our Las Vegas catastrophic injury lawyers have the expertise, resources, and dedication to help victims recover the compensation they deserve. These lawyers understand the medical and legal complexities of catastrophic injury cases and can use their experience to build a strong legal case. Building a solid legal case for a catastrophic injury like paralysis requires a thorough understanding of the law, the facts, and the medical evidence.
Based on your injuries, prognosis, and additional long-term care needs that may include mobility equipment such as wheelchairs and braces, physiotherapy to help you maintain as much strength and muscle mass as possible, occupational therapy to help adapt your home. Hence, everyday tasks like dressing and cooking are more manageable. With medications to relieve problems such as pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms, our attorneys will determine a fair settlement amount. They will work hard to negotiate one that will care for you now and in the future. Experts, such as doctors, life care planners, and economists, can provide documentation of the costs of your living expenses and medical care.
A Las Vegas catastrophic injury attorney at our personal injury law firm works tirelessly to obtain justice for clients, often going up against large insurance companies and corporations.
Did you suffer a paralysis injury because of someone else’s negligence in Las Vegas, Henderson, or North Las Vegas?
Pacific West Injury Law is committed to helping victims get the compensation they need to move forward following a serious car accident. Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation initial case review.