An accident leading to a paralysis injury can change your life in the blink of an eye. Additionally, these injuries can have devastating consequences on everyone close to you.
If you sustained a paralysis injury because of another person’s negligence, you could be eligible to collect compensation. Call a Houma and Terrebonne Parish paralysis injury lawyer for questions and to schedule a meeting time. A catastrophic injury attorney could fight to get you the justice you deserve.
The Different Types of Paralysis Injuries
There are many forms of paralysis a person can suffer, depending on where their injuries occur. Additionally, paralysis injuries can be complete or incomplete, meaning there may be some ability to control movement, or they may lose all sensation. The four primary categories of paralysis injuries include:
Monoplegia
Monoplegia is paralysis occurring in one body area and usually involves one limb. These injuries occur after an accident that causes trauma or damage to the spinal cord, surrounding nerves, or the brain. People suffering from Monoplegia cannot control movement or feel sensations in the limb.
Hemiplegia
Hemiplegia affects two limbs on one side of the body and usually involves one arm and one leg. Individuals typically suffer from Hemiplegia after an incomplete spinal cord or brain injury.
Paraplegia
Paraplegia refers to paralysis below the waist. It often affects both legs and the hips. Injuries that damage spinal cord nerves are some common causes of Paraplegia.
Quadriplegia
Quadriplegia is paralysis below the neck, including all four limbs and the torso. Severe trauma to the spinal cord, surrounding nerves, or the brain often leads to these paralysis injuries.
A skilled attorney in Houma and Terrebonne Parish could answer questions on the differences and potential settlement amounts for each of these paralysis injuries.
Recoverable Damages After a Paralysis Injury
Paralysis injuries are among the most severe and life-altering a person can sustain. Therefore, settlement amounts are typically extensive and could cover the following:
- The total cost of current and future healthcare and ongoing medical treatment
- Loss of salary and future earning potential and benefits
- Home updates and renovations
- Around-the-clock care
- Pain and suffering
- Losing the enjoyment of life
The impact of paralysis injuries on a victim and their family is significant, and the court will consider this factor when calculating damages. A knowledgeable lawyer in Houma and Terrebonne Parish could explain damages for these injuries during a private consultation.
The Comparative Fault Statute
Paralysis injuries are often catastrophic, causing disabilities and requiring ongoing, costly medical care. Therefore, in many cases, a defendant and their insurance company will also assert that the plaintiff or other third parties share liability.
Under the Louisiana Civil Code § 2323, if the court finds the injured party is partly at fault, they will subtract that portion from a plaintiff’s settlement. If a judge finds that other third parties not mentioned in a lawsuit share fault, they will deduct that portion from an award amount.
However, if a plaintiff wants to collect compensation from a third party not already on the lawsuit, they will have an additional civil claim against that person. A Paralysis injury lawyer in Terrebonne Parish and Houma could work to collect evidence that proves an injured person did not contribute to their harm.
Schedule a Consultation with an Experienced Paralysis Injury Attorney in Houma and Terrebonne Parish
Whether a paralysis injury is complete or incomplete or affects one limb or the entire body, it will impact nearly every aspect of your life. However, if a person’s carelessness causes your accident, you have every right to expect them to pay the financial damages.
A settlement can help you get the quality of healthcare you need and deserve and other living expenses while you focus on healing and recovery. Call a Houma and Terrebonne Parish paralysis injury lawyer today for help with a case.
