Paralysis Caused by a Car Accident: Exploring Your Options

 Posted on January 08, 2025 in Catastrophic Injuries

Most people never think about how truly incredible our bodies are. Nerve signals are sent throughout the body at lightning speeds, allowing us to talk, walk, and move. Sadly, some people's lives change forever when they suffer a spinal cord injury in a car crash. Paralysis after a car accident may be temporary or permanent. Some people are able to regain partial or full movement while others are left with a loss of function for the rest of their lives.

If you or a loved one were paralyzed because of injuries sustained in a car crash, you may be able to take legal action against the liable party. Financial reimbursement may be available for medical expenses, lost income, and much more. A Cook County, IL personal injury lawyer will fiercely advocate for your right to a remedy after a paralyzing injury, holding the negligent driver accountable for your hardship.

Car Crash Injuries Resulting in Paralysis

Whether an auto accident is caused by a distracted driver, defective vehicle components, lack of trucking company oversight, or another reason, the results are often profound. While some car accident injuries heal quickly and do not leave the crash victim with permanent damage, others have serious, lasting consequences.

Car accidents can lead to:

• Monoplegia – Nerve damage sustained in a car crash can lead to paralysis affecting one limb. The victim may experience loss of movement and sensation in an arm or leg, making it difficult to work, drive, and complete everyday tasks.

• Hemiplegia – Hemiplegia is often caused by traumatic brain injury during a collision and involves paralysis of one side of the body.

• Diplegia – Diplegia results in the loss of motor control and/or sensation in the arms or legs. Brain injuries and spine damage can lead to diplegia.

• Paraplegia – Paralysis of the lower body is called paraplegia. Paraplegics are typically unable to walk and may also lose bowel and bladder control, significantly affecting the victim's quality of life.

• Quadriplegia – Catastrophic car accidents can lead to quadriplegia, or paralysis of both arms and both legs. Often, quadriplegia is the result of a severe cut or severing of the spinal cord.

Compensation for a car crash injury resulting in paralysis should not just be a temporary fix. A comprehensive claim should address how you will carry on for the rest of your life, factoring in whether or not you expect to recover from your paralysis. In cases of lifelong catastrophic injury, our attorneys will do everything in our power to make sure your best interests are protected for the future.

Signs of Paralysis

The symptoms of paralysis are not always immediately obvious. A lack of fine motor control may indicate some degree of paralysis. If you notice a droopy feeling in your face or body, you should look into getting medical attention as soon as possible, even if it does not significantly affect your day-to-day routine.

The process of recovery often entails serious physical therapy and rehabilitation, which you can be compensated for in a comprehensive personal injury claim. If addressed early on, you may be able to make a full recovery from temporary paralysis after a car accident.

Legal Options for Paralysis Sufferers

Paralysis affects nearly every aspect of a person's life. If you were left paralyzed because of a car crash, you may be able to hold the at-fault party accountable through a personal injury claim. Damages in a personal injury claim are categorized as either economic or non-economic, which consist of your real financial losses and emotional losses, respectively. You could be entitled to compensation for:

• Past, current, and future medical expenses including rehabilitative therapy, medication, and hospitalization

• Medical devices and equipment including prosthetics, wheelchairs, and adaptive equipment

• Home modifications needed to accommodate disabilities such as wheelchair ramps

• Loss of income and lost earning capacity

• Diminished quality of life

• Pain and suffering  

Getting the most out of your claim requires a full examination of your condition after a crash. Schwartz Injury Law can help you obtain medical records that detail the full extent of your paralysis and gather expert testimony from medical professionals to show just how deep the damage is.

Negligence in Car Accidents Resulting in Paralysis

To make a successful case for compensation after a paralyzing injury, you must establish that the other driver’s negligence caused the crash. Negligent behaviors constituting fault may include texting while driving, drunk driving, speeding, and other forms of reckless driving.  

Illinois follows the model of comparative negligence in personal injury claims, which means that you can recover damages in proportion to how much you were at fault, as long as you shared less than half of the blame for the crash. For instance, if you were only 10 percent at fault for an accident, the liable party might be responsible for 90 percent of your damages.

Can a Lawyer Reduce My Fault in a Car Accident? 

When you work with Schwartz Injury Law, our personal injury lawyers will do everything in our power to minimize fault in your claim to compensation, making sure that you get the compensation you deserve. Our attorneys can identify driver negligence through a thorough fact-finding process that begins with returning to the scene of the crash.

We may be able to recover footage from traffic cameras that clearly shows how the accident occurred. If footage is not available, we can conduct a crash reconstruction analysis, using all of the available physical evidence to determine fault. Other valuable evidence may include witness statements from the scene of the crash, police reports, and pictures of all vehicles involved in the collision.

Contact a Joliet, IL Paralysis Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one suffered paralysis due to a car accident, contact Schwartz Injury Law for help. Our Kendall County, IL personal injury attorneys advocate fiercely on behalf of our clients. In the past, we have secured numerous victories for our clients, including verdicts in the millions for victims of car accidents. We can help you hold the responsible party accountable and pursue maximum compensation for your injuries. Call our firm at 708-888-2160 today to schedule a free consultation.