One of the most catastrophic injuries a person can suffer is paralysis. The permanent or temporary loss of one’s limbs, as well as the sensation associated with the paralyzed parts of the body, can have a major impact on a person’s life. They may lose mobility, the ability to hold down a job, control over bodily functions, and even difficulty breathing. This is why accidents that result in paralysis can often yield a great deal of compensation for the victim, since this can be a truly life altering injury. If you or a loved one have suffered a form of paralysis as a result of the actions or negligence of another person, an experienced personal injury attorney in Mississippi can assist you with your claim and any subsequent lawsuits.

Causes of Paralysis

Your body contains a mass of nerves. These help you feel sensations, control the autonomic system responsible for circulation, respiration, and digestion, and also allow us to move our voluntary muscles. These nerves are connected to our spinal cord, which then leads them to the parts of our brain responsible for the various functions. This is not unlike an electrical system in a house, which leads to the electrical panel and then out to the mainline. However, paralysis can occur when any link in this chain gets damaged or destroyed.

Paralysis is the loss of function and sensation caused by injuries to the nerves or the chords that connect them to the brain. If you suffer an injury to your head or back, you may get temporary or permanent paralysis. If the spinal cord is impinged by a disc or vertebrae, this pressure can cause a loss of sensation and function. If the spinal cord is severely damaged or severed, you may end up with more extensive paralysis, like quadriplegia, which is the loss of the use of all four limbs. Paralysis can also be more localized, with broken bones or severe contusions damaging or destroying the nerves at the site of the impact.

Common causes of injuries that result in paralysis can be car accidents, construction falls, sports injuries, and violent acts. Each of these types of accidents or crimes carries with it the possibility that the victim may be permanently disabled. They may no longer be able to walk, use their hands, or even breathe on their own. Head injuries can also result in paralysis, with a blood clot forming on the brain that damages the areas that control different functions and sensations.

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of paralysis. For example, a whiplash injury in a car accident carries with it the risk of damaging the spinal cord in the neck. Industrial accidents can also result in paralysis, with a worker falling from a ladder or slipping on oil or another viscous liquid in a factory. Many contact sports also carry the risk of paralysis, like diving for a football or colliding with another player in a hockey rink or on a basketball court. 

Assaults and other violent acts can also result in the victim becoming paralyzed. A gunshot to the back or a stabbing in the neck can severely damage the spinal cord. 

Legal Options for Paralysis Victims

If you have been paralyzed in an accident, then you are going to want to seek compensation for your injuries. Even if the paralysis is temporary, you will most likely have had to incur medical costs, missed time at the office, and suffered mental anguish over the loss of the use of your body. Fortunately, Mississippi law provides a number of different ways that you can get compensated for your injuries.

If your paralysis is the result of an on-the-job injury, then you can seek compensation from your employer under workers’ compensation. Mississippi requires all employers to provide medical coverage and other benefits to their employees who are injured while working, even if the injury occurs away from the business premises. You can even receive workers’ compensation if you were at fault for the injury, or if it was caused by a third party, such a coworker. The only caveat is that workers’ compensation only covers employees. If you are an independent contractor, you are not eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. In addition, workers’ compensation does not cover things like pain and suffering, and loss of consortium, so you cannot collect these payments from your employer.

Those paralyzed in other types of accidents can also seek compensation for their injuries. If they were injured in a sports contest, then the team or venue may have to cover the damages suffered by the paralyzed athlete. In the case of an auto accident that results in paralysis, the drivers involved and their respective auto insurance companies may be held liable to compensate you for your injuries. People who slip and fall in stores can bring a lawsuit for paralysis against the store and the mall where the accident occurred. You may even be able to sue a product manufacturer if usage of their defective product  caused your paralysis.

Things become a little trickier when the paralysis was caused by an act of violence, like an assault. Most insurance companies do not cover the violent acts or intentional torts committed by their policyholders. So, unless the person who shot or stabbed you is wealthy, you may have trouble getting compensated beyond what you may receive from your own health insurance and disability policies.

Damages Covered in Paralysis Cases

The types of damages that you can seek compensation for in a case involving paralysis are very broad. You are going to want to be reimbursed for your medical bills and rehabilitation costs. These can be quite significant, especially where there is permanent paralysis. In addition, you will want to be compensated for your lost wages. If the paralysis is temporary, then it may be handled as a short term disability. However, where the paralysis is permanent and debilitating, you may seek compensation for loss of earnings capacity. In many cases where the paralysis victim is unable to return to work, a structured settlement may be created that will provide a permanent income stream to the victim and his or her family.

Paralysis can have other impacts in your life beyond the cost of treatment and the loss of income. You may have pain and suffering as the result of your paralysis. Many paraplegics experience mental anguish as a result of their injuries, requiring treatment by a professional. 

The injury may also make it difficult or impossible for the victim to enjoy sexual relations, necessitating compensation for loss of consortium. You may even be compensated for your diminished quality of life. The only thing to keep in mind is that if your injury was job related, then many of these types of damages won’t be covered by workers’ compensation. Nevertheless, the goal in any lawsuit where the victim was temporarily or permanently paralyzed is to get them the compensation they deserve.

If You or a Loved One have Suffered Paralysis as the Result of an Accident, Our Firm Can Get You the Compensation You Deserve

Paralysis can be a life altering, catastrophic injury requiring assistance for the remainder of your or your loved one’s life. The experienced personal injury attorneys at Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman can help you get the compensation you need for your injuries.