Spinal cord injuries can permanently change a person’s life, causing total or partial paralysis. When an accident causes a spinal cord injury, the victim may need to undergo surgery, rehabilitation, and ongoing therapy. Coping with paralysis can be emotionally, physically, and financially difficult, resulting in millions of dollars in medical expenses.
If you have suffered paralysis from an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. When you’ve experienced a catastrophic injury, the last thing you and your loved ones need is to be concerned about paying your medical bills and other expenses. The Garden City, New York, attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC are prepared to help you navigate the claims process while pursuing the most compensation possible.
Types of Paralysis Injuries
Paralysis can be unpredictable and can happen to anyone. It requires long-term medical care, adaptive equipment, therapeutic services, and other damages. The specific symptoms a person will experience depend on multiple factors, including the location of the spinal cord injury and its severity.
Generally, a person with a spinal cord injury will lose function at and below the location of the spinal cord injury. The experienced attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC represent clients in recovering compensation for a wide range of paralysis injuries, including the following:
- Monoplegia: paralysis of a single limb
- Hemiplegia: paralysis of one side of the body
- Paraplegia: paralysis from the waist down, affecting the legs
- Quadriplegia: paralysis of the whole body below the shoulders
Causes of Paralysis and Spinal Cord Injuries
The Reeves Foundation reports that over one million Americans live with spinal cord injury paralysis. Paralysis leads to the loss of control over muscles and bodily systems caused by a traumatic injury to the spinal cord. Nearly any type of serious accident can cause a victim’s spine to become injured. Our New York-based attorneys take paralysis cases arising from negligence, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Truck accidents
- Car accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Birth injuries
- Pedestrian accidents
- Construction accidents
- Sports-related injuries
- Injuries caused by violent crime
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Swimming or diving accidents
Treatment for Paralysis
While rehabilitation can help a patient with paralysis recover function and manage their symptoms, there is currently no cure for spinal cord damage. When the area around a person’s spinal cord becomes damaged and bruised, the body cannot repair the damage independently. Important forms of therapy can improve a person’s function and make their lives more manageable.
As the medical community learns more about spinal cord injuries and paralysis, more rehabilitation services have become available. The goal of rehabilitation and therapy is to help paralyzed individuals enjoy a better quality of life. Commonly used medical devices and technology used to treat paralysis include the following:
- Adaptive equipment for driving
- Orthotic devices, including braces
- Voice-activated technology for phones and computers
- Assistive equipment, such as scooters, wheelchairs, and scooters
- Adaptive household equipment, such as chair elevators for staircases
Proving Liability in Paralysis Cases
Paralysis can be caused by a serious accident. When another person or company’s negligence or recklessness causes a victim’s paralysis, the victim can pursue compensation through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. Under New York law, victims who become injured can recover damages through a personal injury lawsuit when they can prove the following four elements:
- The at-fault party owed the victim a duty of reasonable care
- The at-fault party breached his or her duty (negligence)
- The negligent action or inaction caused the accident that resulted in paralysis
- The victim has incurred damages due to paralysis
Auto accidents are one of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries. Suppose an intoxicated driver negligently swerved into your lane, causing an accident that resulted in you becoming paralyzed. In that case, the driver breached his or her duty of care to drive safely. The driver’s negligence caused the accident that resulted in your injuries. In this case, the at-fault driver would be legally responsible for compensating you for your injuries through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
If you have questions about whether you have a valid claim for compensation, the attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC are here to help. We will carefully review the facts of your case and help you determine which party or parties are liable for your damages.
Damages Available in Paralysis Claims in New York
Dell & Dean, PLLC has extensive experience handling catastrophic personal injury cases. We regularly work with experts, including economic and medical experts, to carefully calculate the full amount of compensation our clients need for the ongoing expenses caused by paralysis. Under New York personal injury law, plaintiffs can recover damages for their past, current, and continuing expenses caused by their injuries, including:
- Lost income
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Medical expenses
- Mobility aids and other in-home modifications
- Therapy and rehabilitation expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
As your attorney, we will consider your immediate financial needs and the long-term expenses you’ll face. Paralysis is among the most expensive medical conditions to treat over a person’s lifetime.
The total cost of living with paralysis can range from $1 million to over $4 million over a person’s lifetime, depending on his or her age when injured and the severity of the injury. Whether you became paralyzed by a drunk driver or were injured at a job site, our goal is to help you obtain the most favorable outcome by negotiating a favorable settlement or securing a courtroom verdict in your favor.
Contact a Paralysis Accident Attorney in Long Island & New York
As the victim of a personal injury accident, you have a limited amount of time to file a claim for compensation for your injuries. Dell & Dean, PLLC has a long track record and has successfully helped clients with paralysis injuries. We will work diligently to help you recover the compensation you need to provide for yourself and your family. By contacting Dell & Dean, PLLC, you’re taking the first step to securing the financial support you need to secure your future.
Dell & Dean, PLLC handles claims throughout Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island as well as the boroughs of New York City, and the surrounding areas.
