Denver Paralysis Injury Lawyer
Paralysis injuries have a profound impact on people because, in addition to the physical pain and trauma associated with the injury, people become dependent on others. Some people will regain enough functioning to handle daily needs, but others may always need help from a caregiver. These injuries are notorious for being emotionally and financially overwhelming.
When someone else’s negligence led to your paralysis, you have the right to file suit for your economic and noneconomic damages with counsel from an experienced catastrophic injury attorney. Economic damages repay you for financial expenses. Medical bills, lost wages, a loss of earning capacity, and costs for a caregiver are all examples of economic damages. Noneconomic damages include things like pain and suffering and emotional trauma. To learn what type of damages may be available, talk to a Denver paralysis injury lawyer.
Causes of Paralysis
Paralysis can be the result of injury, illness, or organic conditions. Stroke is the leading organic cause of paralysis, and spinal cord injuries, broken necks, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can lead to paralysis as well.
When an accident directly damages the spine or leads to a TBI, resulting in the loss of muscle function in part of the body, the cause of paralysis is easy to prove, but an accident can cause paralysis even without a direct head or spine injury. For example, people may experience significant injuries in an accident, which can lead to a stroke. A paralysis injury lawyer in Denver could help demonstrate why those injuries caused the stroke, helping the injured person recover damages.
Defining Paralysis
Paralysis refers to loss of muscle function or sensation in part of the body caused by damage in the nerve pathway between that part of the body and the brain. There are also degrees of paralysis, meaning a person may have some muscle function or feeling but not full range of motion.
Damage to the spine is the most common external cause of paralysis. When the spine is damaged but not severed, recovery may be possible. At this time, a severed spine means that the prognosis is lifelong paralysis, though medical advances could change that prognosis.
When paralysis is a result of a stroke or other brain damage, physical therapy, time, and medical treatments could result in a full or partial recovery, but the outcome is uncertain, and it may take months or even years to see substantial progress. A Denver paralysis injury attorney could try to maximize damages to prepare for worst-case scenarios or expensive medical treatments.
Degrees of Paralysis
Paralysis is a broad diagnosis that can refer to anything from total loss of movement and sensation from the neck down to partial loss of movement or sensation in an isolated area. The greater the degree of loss and the more of the body involved, the more disruptive it will be to the injured person’s life and the more expensive medical treatment and care are likely to be.
Doctors use various terms to describe the location of the paralysis. In very general terms of severity, monoplegia is paralysis of a single limb; diplegia is paralysis of the same region of both sides of the body; hemiplegia involves paralysis or one side of the body; paraplegia impacts the legs and lower body; and quadriplegia includes all four limbs and the torso. They may also use terms like spastic or flaccid and total or partial to describe how paralysis impacts the muscles. A person with spastic partial paralysis may have a better chance of recovery than a person with total flaccid paralysis. A paralysis injury attorney in Denver could work to ensure insurance companies do not overstate an injured person’s chances of recovery and deny the benefits they need.
Talk to a Paralysis Injury Attorney in Denver
Dealing with paralysis can be extremely challenging for injured people and their families. It abruptly changes the quality of life for everyone in the family and creates financial stressors when the injured person cannot return to work. The impact on mental health can be severe, including suicidal ideations, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
A Denver paralysis injury lawyer cannot fix your physical condition, but they could fight to ensure you have substantial funds to get the help you need to live as well as possible. Schedule a consultation to learn more.
