Paralysis from a Chicago spinal cord injury is one of the most life-altering injury consequences, with permanent adverse effects on nearly all aspects of the injury victim’s life. When permanent paralysis is the direct result of someone else’s careless, reckless, or wrongful actions, the responsible party’s negligence leaves them liable for the injury victim’s extensive damages.
If you’ve been paralyzed due to another party’s actions, you have the right to demand financial accountability and a sense of justice. Call or contact Smith LaCien LLP to learn more about your legal rights.
The Chicago law firm of Smith LaCien LLP has a long history of exceptional personal injury results in Chicago through professional excellence and compassionate legal advocacy methods. With our firm on your side, you have the following advantages in your case:
We never charge upfront fees to injury victims. Instead, we offer a free case consultation and contingency-based payment, so you don’t pay for our legal services until after you’ve received your compensation.
Paralysis occurs when an injury to the spinal cord disrupts the brain’s ability to send and receive messages from the body. When the nerves in the spinal cord are severed or destroyed, the brain can no longer communicate below the point of the injury. The most common causes of negligence-related spinal cord injuries with paralysis include the following:
Although no legal process can erase the injury or undo the harm, a successful claim against the at-fault party relieves the extensive financial consequences of paralysis and provides a sense of justice for the injury victim.
A permanent injury with paralysis as the result impacts all aspects of the injury victim’s life. The higher on the spinal column the injury occurred, the more extensive the paralysis. For instance, when the injury occurs low in the lumbar spine, the victim retains movement and sensation in their upper body and suffers paralysis below the point of injury, requiring mobility equipment and adaptive equipment in their home. When an injury occurs high on the cervical spine in the neck, the injury victim suffers tetraplegia, with total dependence on assistive equipment and full-time care.
In addition to the paralysis itself, which may make it impossible to return to work in the prior capacity, or at all, the injury victim may experience the following long-term effects of paralysis:
Autonomic dysreflexia is a life-threatening emergency caused by the body’s reaction to an injury or illness in a paralyzed portion of the body. It includes a sudden, dangerous rise in blood pressure, sweating, paleness, shakiness, anxiety, and headache.
Individuals with paralysis also often experience emotional impacts from their injury, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, mood disorders, and PTSD.
The economic damages associated with paralysis are among the highest of any injury type.
A successful personal injury claim for a preventable paralysis injury requires substantial evidence of the responsible party’s liability. The evidence must demonstrate the following:
An experienced paralysis attorney in Chicago investigates all aspects of the accident or incident, documents compelling evidence of liability, and carefully calculates past and future damages to reach a favorable outcome in a personal injury claim.
If someone else caused your spinal cord injury and paralysis, you don’t have to be left with the financial impacts of the injury as well as the devastating physical and emotional effects. Instead, a successful paralysis personal injury claim in Chicago recovers damages such as the following:
The total financial consequences of a spinal cord injury depend on the height of the injury and the extent of the paralysis, but the lifetime cost for a person who suffers their injury at 25 years old ranges from $1,578,274 to $4,724,181.
Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the victim of a personal injury caused by another party has up to two years from the accident or injury date to file a claim. A court will not hear a case filed beyond the two-year time limit, and insurance companies will not consider a claim filed after the statute of limitations has expired.
An experienced Chicago paralysis attorney can tell you more about the importance of timing your compensation claim so that you know the full extent of your damages before filing, while allowing ample time to investigate and negotiate before the statute of limitations approaches on your case.
A personal injury claim for a severe, life-altering injury requires the most assertive legal representation to achieve the maximum compensation available. Call the tireless legal advocates at Smith LaCien LLP today so we can begin taking prompt action to strategize your financial recovery, allowing you to focus on reaching maximum medical improvement for your injury.
"*" indicates required fields