Quadriplegia Accident Cases: Lawsuits Over Paralysis
The legal team here at Chanfrau & Chanfrau is committed to injury victims and their loved ones throughout the Central Florida area. Our legal assistance is especially important in spinal cord injury lawsuits following major accidents because these sorts of incidents can change people's lives forever. Paralysis may occur, meaning major challenges ahead, especially if the spinal cord damage results in quadriplegia.
About Quadriplegia
Also known as tetraplegia, quadriplegia refers to instances in which a person loses control and sensation in all of the extremities. This means the total loss of use of the legs and very limited ability to use the arms if at all. This is the most serious form of spinal cord injury that can occur, and it is the result of a severe injury of the neck.
Types of Quadriplegia
The higher up on the neck that the injury occurs, the more serious the case of quadriplegia. These injuries occur in the neck area and affect the topmost vertebrae, also known as the cervical spine. The numbers are assigned to the various cervical vertebrae, C1 through C8.
If a person suffers a C8 injury, he or she may still be able to use the arms to some very limited degree. A C1 injury refers to damage to the topmost vertebrae, and leads to the most severe kinds of injuries including total paralysis of the body and the need for a respirator in order to breathe.
No matter which vertebrae is damaged, all of these injuries need to be taken seriously given the major changes and challenges that a person will face as a result of the severe spinal cord damage.
Common Causes of Quadriplegia
Some of the most common causes of quadriplegia include:
- Serious auto accidents
- Major falls
- Severe assaults or attacks
- Construction or industrial accidents
- Surgical mistakes, particularly in the neck area
- Sports injuries
Changes to Your Life If You Become a Quadriplegic
If an accident renders you quadriplegic, your life will be dramatically altered. For one, you will be confined to a wheelchair and will need the assistance of a loved one to accomplish many simple tasks, including bathing, dressing yourself, and eating meals. For C1-C5 injuries, it's common for a breathing machine to be required since the injury victim will no longer be able to draw breath or exhale on his or her own. Medical monitoring and attention are crucial in order to ensure wellness.
Your career path and other plans that people take for granted will be severely altered as well, meaning major changes to your life and your lifestyle that were totally unexpected.
How Our Team of Attorneys Can Help You and Your Loved Ones
Our lawyers will fight diligently for you and your legal rights if the incident that rendered you paralyzed was the result of negligence on the part of another person or party. We will help hold that negligent party accountable for his or her actions. We will seek damages to cover your medical expenses and lost wages and to address the challenges that you will face going forward. You should not have to bear this burden alone if the accident was not your fault.
Schedule a Consultation with Chanfrau & Chanfrau
For more information about all of your legal options following a catastrophic injury that renders you paralyzed, it's important that you contact the lawyers of our personal injury law firm today. The team at Chanfrau & Chanfrau is here for you.