Almost 5.4 million people live with some form of paralysis in the United States. Paralysis occurs when a person experiences a loss of voluntary movement. Paralysis consists of a central nervous system disorder that results when a person’s brain is somehow unable to transit message to their muscles, and then those muscles refuse to move. Paralysis can be either temporary or lifelong, and it can be total, involving both arms and legs and resulting in quadriplegia, or partial, involving one limb or one muscle and known as palsy. Paralysis can have devastating physical, emotional, and financial consequences.
Although nothing can restore your body to the state it was in before the onset of your paralysis, a compassionate catastrophic injury attorney could help you seek the compensation you need. Contact a Riverdale paralysis injury lawyer to discuss your rights, case, and legal options.
Some incidences of paralysis are caused by medical conditions, while specific injuries cause others. The most common causes of paralysis are:
Those affected by paralysis often face poverty as a result of their paralysis. Many people who are affected by paralysis are unable to hold onto their jobs. Many people affected by paralysis cannot afford to pay for health insurance, even though they have extensive medical needs. Paralysis is always very costly. The 2019 SCI Data Sheet from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center states that the medical bills during the first year of quadriplegia caused by a spinal cord injury can add up to over $1 million, and the expenses do not stop after the first year. Every year after that can cost a paralysis survivor nearly an additional $200,000 more.
Many paralysis survivors are sent home without the care that they so desperately need because they cannot afford to pay for the extensive, day to day living assistance. The burden of care often falls to their family members. A skilled Riverdale paralysis lawyer may be able to help a survivor obtain the financial compensation that they deserve by bringing forth a claim for damages against the parties responsible for the paralysis.
If another person or entity’s negligence caused an accident, then a paralysis survivor could seek economic damages from the responsible party including medical costs, assisted living, physical therapy, and lost wages. They could also receive pain and suffering damages, and even punitive damages if they can prove extreme negligence or intention on the part of the wrongdoer.
Those who have been injured due to the negligent actions of others must file their claim within the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations refers to the deadline to file a claim in court. In the State of Illinois, the injured party must file a personal injury lawsuit against the wrongdoer within two years of the injury. Since there may be exceptions to the deadline, it is best to seek help from a seasoned paralysis injury lawyer in Riverdale.
A Riverdale paralysis lawyer is well-versed in Illinois personal injury negligence cases. A local lawyer specializing in paralysis law has the expertise and the compassion necessary to review your case to see if you might be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Call today to see how they can help.