One of the most serious injuries a person can sustain in a trucking accident is a spinal cord injury that results in paralysis. Studies have shown that between 45 and 55 percent of all paralysis injuries are sustained in auto accidents. Furthermore, evidence shows that truck accidents involving vehicle rollover and roof crushing pose the highest risk of spinal cord injury and paralysis.
Trucking accidents involving paralysis can be the result of driver negligence, and sometimes other factors such as conditions and auto or truck defects. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries resulting in paralysis in a trucking accident, seeking the help of a legal professional is the best step you can take to preserve, protect and exercise your legal rights.
It goes without saying that the costs, losses and suffering that come with paralysis are astronomical. A trucking accident lawsuit can help individuals and families obtain financial assistance with their medical and lifelong expenses and compensation for their other losses and suffering. Please contact our renowned truck accident attorneys today for a free consultation.
What is paralysis?
Paralysis is one of the most serious consequences of spinal cord injury. When the spinal cord is injured, it can cut off feeling and function to all parts of the body below the site of injury. For example, if the injury occurs to the lower part of the spinal cord, a patient may suffer paralysis in their legs and possibly their lower trunk. If an injury affects the uppermost part of the spinal cord, it can cause paralysis of everything below the head.
In some cases paralysis can be temporary following a serious spinal cord injury. Swelling, pressure, and other conditions can inhibit certain functions and sensations for a brief time, but the paralysis subsides when these conditions subside. However, in more serious cases of spinal cord injury, paralysis can be permanent.
Paraplegia is a type of paralysis that involves the loss of sensation and function in the lower limbs and, possibly, part of the trunk.
Quadriplegia is a type of paralysis that involves the loss of sensation and function to all four limbs and the trunk.
Permanent paralysis is often accompanied by several other challenges including bowel and bladder problems, respiratory complications, and more. Patients with paralysis often require extensive and expensive long-term care. The costs of this care can reach into the millions, putting a patient and their family into financial troubles on top of all the other significant challenges presented by this serious injury.
If you or your loved one sustained paralysis in a trucking accident, you may be able to obtain compensation for all of your expenses, as well as money for you non-material losses and suffering. Please contact us today to learn more about your legal rights and options.