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Dealing with a paralysis injury can be an extremely difficult experience in a variety of contexts. It can change your life in many ways and present you with problems that you have never experienced before. If you are considering fighting for compensation, you might feel overwhelmed by the path in front of you.
If you suffered a paralyzing injury due to the negligence of another person, a Cicero paralysis injury lawyer could help you navigate the complex legal process in front of you. With the help of a competent catastrophic injury attorney, you could focus on dealing with your day-to-day life and rest easy knowing that an experienced professional is fighting on your behalf for fair compensation.
Paralysis can be loosely defined as the involuntary loss of control over extremities. Such injuries typically fall under the category of either paraplegia, which is paralysis from the waist down, or quadriplegia—paralysis from the neck down.
Common causes of paralysis include motor vehicle accidents, sports-related impacts, and medical mistakes, but any severe back, neck, or spinal cord injury has the potential to create paralysis in the victim. In many cases, paralysis is permanent. Either way, a Cicero paralysis injury attorney could help an injury victim catalog all their damages and losses and work to recover for them through civil means.
When it comes to personal injury cases involving paralysis, Illinois follows standard fault rules for legal negligence. In brief, injured individuals looking to recover compensation must prove that the other party was legally negligent and therefore responsible for their damages.
In cases where the court rules that the plaintiff was partly at fault for the accident that injured them, the “modified comparative negligence” rule may apply. This rule establishes that the paralyzed individual cannot be found more at fault than the other party if they are to receive compensation.
If the plaintiff bears some—but less than 51 percent—of the total fault, 735 ILCS §5/2-1116 modifies compensation based on fault. For example, if the courts find that the paralyzed individual was 25 percent responsible, they would only be eligible to receive compensation for 75 percent of their total damages.
Often, defendants argue for partial fault to minimize the damages they are liable for, which is just one reason why it can be important to approach such cases with the help of a knowledgeable paralysis injury lawyer in Cicero. Without this benefit, victims are at risk of losing their right to compensation.
Individuals who are suffering from paralysis due to the negligence of another person must follow 735 ILCS §5/13-202, which states that injured individuals must file their lawsuit within two years of the injury or pursue a settlement out of court. The only exception to this rule applies to individuals who discover their injury later than the date they were injured. In this case, these individuals must prove to the courts that they could not have reasonably discovered their injury earlier than they did.
If you are suffering from a paralysis injury and want to move forward with a lawsuit, it may be important that you connect with an attorney as soon as possible. With a Cicero paralysis injury lawyer by your side, you could have the help of a vehement and compassionate professional fighting to get you the compensation you deserve. Call today to find out more or to schedule a consultation.