Can paralysis be cured? Technically, there is no means by which permanent paralysis be cured. However, paralyzed individuals may be able to regain feeling in their extremities and some or all muscle control with the treatment of the underlying cause of the paralysis if they have temporary paralysis.
If you or your loved one has become paralyzed, know what treatments are available to you and what to do if someone else is responsible for the paralysis.
Possible Paralysis Causes
Paralysis occurs when you lose muscle control in part or all of your body. Paralysis varies in location, severity, time of paralysis, and type of paralysis. Paralysis can result from medical conditions such as Bell’s palsy, and stroke remains the leading cause of paralysis. The second leading cause of stroke is spinal cord injury, which can happen at any time in any number of circumstances.
Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries are:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Sporting accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Trip and fall accidents
- Workplace accidents
In many instances, these causes of paralysis can be the fault of somebody other than the victim. Therefore, if you or a loved one has suffered a paralyzing injury due to somebody else’s negligence, you could be entitled to compensation for your losses.
A Paralysis Injury Attorney Can Help You Pursue Compensation
Some instances where another party may be at fault for your paralysis include:
- An employer who employs unqualified construction workers, leading to an accident that causes your paralysis
- A drunk motorist, or one who engaged in other forms of dangerous driving and caused your paralysis through a collision
- A business owner who failed to de-ice their walkway or clean up a spill promptly, leading to a slip and fall accident resulting in paralysis
There are countless other scenarios in which someone else may owe you compensation for you or your loved one’s paralysis. Take your case to specialized paralysis injury lawyers for an evaluation. One way they can help you tremendously is establishing liability and calculating the economic and non-economic damages you should receive from the responsible party or parties. However, there are many things that attorneys can do for your case. A lawyer can assist you by:
- Helping you identify the liable party in your case
- Initiating legal action to fall within any relevant statutes of limitation
- Collecting and archiving all pertinent evidence of the defendant’s negligence
- Speaking with medical professionals and obtaining documentation of your injuries
- Handling all legal responsibilities required to complete your case
A lawyer can take care of the legal duties of obtaining any compensation you are entitled to, allowing you to focus on recovery.
How Missing the Filing Deadline Could Destroy Your Right to Compensation
If someone else’s carelessness caused the accident that paralyzed you, it could be possible to pursue a claim for money damages for your losses from that person or company. The problem is that sometimes, people wait too long to take legal action. Florida law only lets you file a lawsuit within four years of an accident per Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a).
If you got paralyzed because of medical malpractice, like a failure to diagnose, a misdiagnosis, or a sub-standard operation on your head, neck, or back, you only have two years to file your medical malpractice lawsuit, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(b).
Whatever the deadline, if you do not file in time, Florida law will forever bar you from seeking compensation for your losses and injuries. Negotiating with the insurer does not count as filing a lawsuit.
Possible Damages for a Personal Injury Claim
If you obtain a settlement or favorable judgment, you could receive compensation covering:
- Direct medical costs in the wake of the injury
- Long-term rehabilitation for your paralysis
- Psychological therapy to help you cope
- Lost wages or diminished earning capacity because of your injuries
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
Each paralysis negligence claim is different, but you could collect these and additional compensation if your case is successful.
Things That Could Affect The Amount Of Money Damages You Could Recover
The amount of compensation you might be able to pursue and collect will depend on several factors. Some of these things are not within your control, and some do not happen until after the accident. For example:
- If the judge attributes some of the fault to you, that will reduce the jury verdict amount. For example, let us say that you have damages of $250,000, and the judge says that you were 20 percent at fault. Your portion of the negligence will reduce the jury award by 20 percent, which is $50,000. So your reduced recovery will be $200,000.
- If the at-fault party only carries the minimum amount of liability insurance, it might not cover your injury claim. Therefore, we might need to look for other sources of funds, like your underinsured motorist coverage if applicable, the defendant’s other insurance policies like an umbrella liability policy, or their personal assets.
- The extent of your injuries and how well you recuperated will affect the amount of compensation you can pursue. Sometimes, for example, a person experiences temporary paralysis for a few days until the swelling and pressure on the spinal cord subside, and the paralysis goes away. A person with permanent paralysis, on the other hand, will likely qualify for a higher amount of money damages.
- The severity of your injuries is another factor in determining compensation. By way of example, a person paralyzed “from the neck down” will be able to go after a higher award for damages than a person with a foot drop in one leg.
Depending on the facts of your situation, there might be other things that can increase or decrease your financial recovery.
Lawyers At Our Law Firm Work on a Contingency-Fee Basis
Lawyers handle personal injury cases on a contingency-fee basis. With this fee arrangement, the client does not pay any money at the beginning of or during the case. The attorney will get paid at the end, and then, only if you win. The personal injury attorney receives a portion of the settlement proceeds or jury award, at a percentage the lawyer and client agreed to at the beginning of the matter.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Today
We go the extra mile for our clients. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today for a free consultation regarding your case.
