Brooklyn Paralysis Injury

Paralysis is the inability to voluntarily move a body part such as a leg or arm. Paralysis makes life extremely challenging because it affects almost every part of a person's life. Your mobility is limited necessitating the dependence on others for tasks you were at one time able to complete yourself. Or it requires the use of assistive technology such as a motorized chair or occupational therapy. It also can have a negative impact on how you interact with your friends and family members and your ability to perform at work. Accidents that result in paralysis include any accidents where your spinal cord is damaged such as auto accidents, slip and fall accidents, or bicycle accident, or construction accidents. If you are in need of a Brooklyn personal injury lawyer because you are suffering from an injury that left you paralyzed it is critical that you contact an experienced Brooklyn personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. You have a right to be compensated for your injuries including compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering and loss of income.

While paralysis can occur suddenly following a traumatic injury to the spinal cord, in some cases paralysis may not occur until days or even weeks following the injury. Signs that you may have damage to your spinal cord that may lead to paralysis include:

• Acute back pain
• Pressure in the back, head or neck
• Weakness in any part of your body
• Lack of coordination
• Tingling in your hands, fingers, feet or toes
• Numbness or loss of sensation in your hands, fingers, feet or toes
• Incontinence
• Difficulty walking
• Impaired breathing
• Twisted neck or back
• Muscle spasms

All paralysis injuries occur due to some trauma to the spine. The spinal column consists of large bundles of nerves that run through the spine to the brain. These nerves are responsible for the functioning of the body and make up part of the body's central nervous system. These structures are delicate, and where the injury occurs will determine where the paralysis occurs.

There are various types of paralysis:

• Quadriplegia: paralysis of all four extremities
• Paraplegia: paralysis of the legs
• Hemiplegia: paralysis of a single side of the body
• Monoplegia: paralysis of a single limb
• Diplegia: paralysis of the same body part on both sides (both legs, or both arms)

Many injuries that result in paralysis occur due to an accident such as a car accident or construction accident where the spinal cord is crushed or severed. In other cases paralysis is caused by medical malpractice. Some types of malpractice commonly seen in relation to these injuries include:

• Incorrect positioning of the patient during surgery
• Failure to immobilize the spine after an accident
• Failure to monitor spine during surgery
• Chiropractic malpractice
• Intubation errors

For example, a patient visited her doctor complaining of localized tenderness in her neck, fever, chills, and weight loss. The doctor diagnosed her with having the flu and sent her home to rest. It was later determined that the patient had a spinal infection. Because the infection was not diagnosed and there for went untreated for so long, the patient ended up permanently paralyzed. She successfully sued her doctor in a medical malpractice claim.

Suffering an injury that results in paralysis is not only physically devastating, it can also have catastrophic effects on your financial well-being. Treatment of a spinal injury is costly. If your paralysis is permanent, you may also need physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, counseling, and assistive technology. In addition, you may need to modify your home to make it accessible. The medical bills and other expenses associated with your treatment and therapy are expenses that you should not have to pay. The person who was responsible for your injuries should have to pay these bills.

Through a personal injury lawsuit you can demand that the negligent person pay for your past and future medical bills, including emergency room bills, bills for your hospital stay, surgical bills, your expenses for physical and occupational therapy, medication, assistive technology and any other bills related to your treatment, recovery and rehabilitation.

In addition, recovering from your injury may necessitate that you miss a significant amount of work. This means that you will miss paychecks, and lose the opportunity for bonuses, promotions and other benefits of your job. You can demand payment for lost wages, missed benefits, and loss of earning capacity.

Depending on where and how your accident took place, there are different rules that will apply. For example, if your accident occurred in your workplace, it may be covered by New York's workers' compensation laws. If your accident occurred on public property, the laws related to filing a claim against a government entity will apply.

Contact the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates today a free evaluation of your case. Our attorneys have years of experience successfully representing clients who have been seriously injured in car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and other types of accidents caused by the negligence of someone else. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.