Top-Ranked Paralysis Injury Lawyers in Virginia
Our Paralysis Attorneys Get Results for Injured Workers and Auto Accident Victims with Quadriplegia, Paraplegia, Monoplegia, and Hemiplegia
No severe medical impairment strikes as much fear as paralysis injuries.
Having mental awareness but lacking independence and mobility is something no one wants to have to deal with.
But this is precisely what paralysis injury victims experience.
Indeed, the physical challenges of being paralyzed are just part of the hardships. A paralysis injury often leads to depression and financial ruin for victims and their families as they try to pay for home health care, assisted living facilities, and home and vehicle modifications to increase quality of life.
That’s where we come in.
Our Virginia paralysis lawyers have obtained millions of dollars for individuals paralyzed in work accidents, falls, and car crashes.
And with offices throughout Virginia and Maryland, we can help you.
Call us at (804) 251-1620 or (757) 810-5614 to start. See why others name us some of Virginia’s best spinal cord injury attorneys.
What is Paralysis?
Paralysis is the loss of voluntary movement (motor function) or feeling (sensory loss) in part of the body due to an injury or disease affecting the nervous system.
This catastrophic injury, known as a spinal cord lesion, results in transient (temporary) or permanent paralysis.
What Injuries and Conditions Cause Paralysis?
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affecting the brainstem, spinal cord injury, or a medical condition affecting the nervous system may lead to paralysis.
Examples of paralysis-causing incidents and conditions include the following:
- Motor vehicle accidents (car crashes, truck accidents, motorcycle wrecks, bus accidents, etc.)
- Construction accidents (electrocution, crane turnovers, forklift crashes, etc.)
- Falls from heights
- Slip and falls
- Violence (including workplace assaults)
- Recreational and sports injuries
- Railroad accidents
- Birth injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Spina bifida
- Multiple sclerosis
- Brain tumors
- Stroke (cerebrovascular accident)
What are the Types of Paralysis?
The type of paralysis suffered matters in personal injury lawsuits and workers compensation claims because it affects life expectancy and future medical costs.
Paralysis comes in many forms:
- Locked-in syndrome
- Quadriplegia
- Paraplegia
- Hemiplegia
- Diplegia
- Monoplegia
What is Locked-In Syndrome?
Locked-in syndrome, or pseudo coma, occurs when you suffer complete paralysis of the voluntary muscles in the body except for eye movements.
This condition is quadriplegia, with an inability to talk.
What is Quadriplegia?
Quadriplegia, or tetraplegia, is the most severe form of paralysis, referring to paralysis or weakness of all four extremities (both arms and legs).
Quadriplegics also have trouble with specific body organs from paralysis of the trunk and pelvis.
Quadriplegia results from a lesion in the cervical spine.
What is Paraplegia?
Paraplegia is paralysis of both legs. It results from injury to the spinal canal’s sacral, lumbar, or thoracic regions.
People with paraplegia have control of their arms and hands.
What is Hemiplegia?
Hemiplegia, or unilateral paresis, is the complete paralysis of half of your body.
For example, hemiplegics may have paralysis of the right arm and leg but not the left arm and leg.
Having hemiplegia may result in problems with the healthier side of your body because it affects balance, leading to overuse of healthy limbs.
What is Diplegia?
While hemiplegia refers to paralysis of both limbs on the same side of the body, diplegia refers to paralysis affecting symmetrical body parts.
For example, a person with diplegia may have paralysis of both hands.
What is Monoplegia?
Monoplegia is the paralysis of a single limb, such as one arm or leg.
If you have monoplegia, you may develop paraplegia or quadriplegia because the lesion or medical condition causing monoplegia may spread.
What is the Medical Treatment for Paralysis?
The treatment for paralysis depends on the location of the spinal cord lesion and the extent of the paralysis.
You may require emergency medical treatment, including surgery, to immobilize the spine, decompress and relieve pressure in the spinal canal, and stop infection.
Once your injury stabilizes, you move to the rehabilitation phase.
Rehabilitation After a Paralysis Injury
The rehabilitation process for persons living with quadriplegia or paraplegia is lengthy.
It includes:
- Physical therapy to avoid complications, prevent skin breakdown, keep mobility and flexibility, and teach family members or home health providers how to help you.
- Respiratory therapy to keep the lungs clear
- Occupational therapy to decide if you are capable of any level of self-care
- One or more stays in a rehabilitation hospital
- And more
What is the Cost of Living with Paralysis?
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) reports the lifetime costs of living with paralysis range from $1,000,000 to $6,000,000, depending on other factors.
In a case that our paralysis lawyers recently negotiated a settlement for, the projected lifetime medical costs for a person with paraplegia requiring home health care exceeded $8,000,000.
What are Complications of Paralysis?
Prolonged immobility from paralysis may cause many complications, including the following:
- Bed sores (pressure ulcers): Many people with paralysis must constantly battle bed sores due to problems changing positions independently.
- Blood Clots
- Coronary heart disease from weight gains due to an inability to exercise
- Depression
- Edema (swelling)
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs), particularly if you have a neurogenic bladder
In addition, many people living with a type of paralysis will develop comorbid conditions like diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, and obesity.
Can I Return to Work with Paralysis?
You will have permanent restrictions if your paralysis is permanent.
People with paraplegia, hemiplegia, diplegia, and monoplegia may be able to return to some form of sedentary work depending on the body parts affected and the employer’s tolerance for using a wheelchair, walking device, or orthosis.
People with locked-in syndrome or quadriplegia, however, will be permanently disabled from all work.
What are the Legal Options for People Living with Paralysis?
Where your paralysis injury occurred and who caused the incident leading to it drives your legal remedies.
Our paralysis lawyers help with these legal options:
- Personal injury lawsuits: The person, business, or government entity causing the incident leading to paralysis must for your damages. Therefore, you may bring a personal injury lawsuit (a civil action) against the defendant under various tort law theories (negligence, strict liability, product liability, intentional torts, etc.). Our attorneys build cases against other drivers, surgeons, and machine manufacturers whose acts result in paralysis injuries.
- Workers compensation: You may recover workers compensation benefits like lifetime medical, temporary total disability (TTD), permanent partial disability (PPD) for the loss of use of the body part, or a lump sum settlement if an occupational injury results in paralysis. These benefits are payable regardless of fault.
- Social Security disability: You may qualify for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits if you cannot return to work after your paralysis injury.
What Personal Injury Damages Are Available for Persons Living with Paralysis Injuries?
Paralysis complicates your life and the lives of friends and family members you rely on.
Our dedicated team of paralysis injury attorneys is here to guide you through the process, helping you recover the financial resources necessary for the best quality of life possible.
For example, we build the evidence to help you get compensation for:
- Assisted living facilities
- Diminished or lost earning ability
- Future medical care
- Home health care
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Loss of quality of life
- Lost pass wages
- Mobility aids such as canes, walkers, crutches, and scooters
- Past medical bills
- Physical pain and suffering
- Wheelchairs
- Wound care
And we will help you structure the settlement to stretch every dollar.
What is the Average Settlement for Paralysis Injury Claims?
Multiple factors affect the settlement value of a paralysis claim.
These factors include available insurance coverage, personal injury damages you can recover (workers’ compensation does not pay for pain and suffering), and potential liability defenses.
In our experience, the average workers comp settlement for paralysis is $1,550,000. This amount is in addition to hundreds of thousands of dollars (or millions) paid in benefits before the claim was settled.
For example, our data shows that the average workers’ compensation claim cost for paralysis injuries is $1,800,000 to $4,200,000.
Paralysis settlements and verdicts for personal injury lawsuits in civil court are even higher.
How Our Virginia Paralysis Lawyers Can Help You
Our attorneys have one goal: to maximize the financial recovery for persons living with catastrophic injuries.
We offer the following if you hire us as your paralysis attorney:
- Experience resolving hundreds of cases through trial and settlement and protecting these results when appealed
- Nationally recognized attorneys (Best Law Firms in America, Super Lawyers Rising Star, Top 100 High Stakes Litigators in America, National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40, Top 10 Truck Accident Lawyer in Richmond by Trust Analytica, Best Car Accident Lawyers in Newport News by Expertise.com)
- A skilled team to answer your questions throughout the trial process
- There is no fee unless you win or settle your case.
- And much more
Experienced Virginia Paralysis Lawyers Ready to Help You and Your Family Throughout this Challenging Time
Having successfully resolved many legal claims for persons paralyzed due to someone else’s negligence or an industrial accident, our Virginia paralysis lawyers have built a network of experts to help you and your family win.
Contact us today if a spinal cord injury has left you paralyzed. We want to use our skills and resources to help you win.
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