Permanent paralysis is one of the most universally devastating outcomes a traumatic accident can have—especially one caused mostly or entirely by another person’s reckless or careless conduct. While money alone cannot completely erase the harm that this injury can cause, fair financial recovery can still be key to minimizing the negative effects of paralysis and maximizing your quality of life.
Demanding comprehensive compensation after becoming paralyzed through someone else’s negligence is far from a simple process, as any experienced catastrophic injury attorney could tell you. If you want the best chances of achieving the best possible result from your claim, retaining and working closely with a seasoned Elk Grove Village paralysis injury lawyer at The Kryder Law Group could be a virtual necessity.
How Negligence Can Lead to Paralyzing Injuries
When paralysis stems from a traumatic accident, it most commonly involves one of three types of injuries: spinal cord damage, brain damage, or localized nerve damage. The latter two are generally less common and may result in somewhat unique forms of paralysis. For example, nerve damage may lead to paralysis in a single limb or monoplegia. Certain types of brain trauma can cause hemiplegia, which involves the entire left or right side of the body becoming paralyzed.
The most common type of paralyzing injury, though, is spinal cord trauma resulting in the brain being cut off from communicating with parts of the body below the injury site. Damage lower down the spine and closer to the tailbone may cause paraplegia in the feet, legs, or lower torso. Damage near the neck can result in quadriplegia of all four limbs and the whole torso, the most severe form of paralysis of all.
No matter what specific type of injury you sustained or what kind of paralysis it caused you, anyone whose irresponsible or intentional act caused your damage could be liable for your ensuing losses. A skilled Elk Grove Village paralysis injury attorney could help you demand fair payments for medical bills, lost working capacity, physical and psychological suffering, and more.
Possible Obstacles to Effective Civil Recovery
Importantly, Illinois’ restrictions on personal injury lawsuits also apply to claims built around paralysis injuries. For instance, 735 Illinois Compiled Statutes § 5/2-1116 prohibits anyone who holds a majority of the total fault for an accident from recovering for any losses they sustained. It also allows courts to proportionately reduce the compensation available to anyone with a share of “comparative fault” for the incident.
Even if there are no issues with comparative fault in your situation, you still generally only have two years after sustaining a personal injury of any kind to file suit against the responsible party, even if that injury will stay with you for the rest of your life. Once again, assistance from a knowledgeable Elk Grove Village lawyer can be crucial to navigating these roadblocks to recovery and getting every cent you deserve for your paralysis injury.
Consider Working With an Elk Grove Village Paralysis Injury Attorney
No one should lose any amount of bodily function solely because another person acted irresponsibly around them. If you have found yourself in this unfair and unfortunate situation, though, being proactive about pursuing civil restitution could make a huge difference in what your life looks like moving forward.
An Elk Grove Village paralysis injury lawyer at The Kryder Law Group could be the ally you need to obtain the financial compensation you deserve. Call today for a free consultation.