Having a portion of your body become permanently paralyzed is devastating. It limits your independence, your employment opportunities, and your ability to participate in the activities you once loved. It also can shorten your life expectancy.
Permanent paralysis is usually the result of a traumatic injury, often a car accident, motorcycle crash, fall, assault, or a construction site accident. In many cases, the person suffering the injury and the resulting lifelong paralysis was in no way at fault for the accident, which was caused by a negligent driver, premises owner, or some other party.
If you or a loved one has paralysis after an accident or incident in Dallas, Texas, the lawyers at the Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert may be able to help you recover fair compensation. We can help your family fight for maximum results while also tending to your physical and emotional needs. Call (214) 200-4878 today for your free consultation.
Why Choose Us?
- We commit to providing personal attention to each case. Our Dallas paralysis injury lawyers take the time to care for clients on a personal level, dedicating the quality time it takes for exceptional results and optimal client satisfaction.
- We have a trial-tested attorney as our founder. Attorney Aaron A. Herbert has served on more than 50 jury trials for his personal injury clients. He is more than capable of going to trial during your paralysis injury case, if necessary, for maximum compensation.
- Our Dallas injury attorneys only charge our clients for successful cases. You will only pay attorney’s fees at our law firm if your paralysis injury lawyer obtains compensation on your behalf. Otherwise, you will not owe us a penny for our services.
Paralysis Caused by Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord is the pathway that connects the brain with the rest of the body. It is a bundle of nerves, protected by a column of hard vertebrae in your neck and back, which conducts signals from the brain throughout the body, and from all parts of your body back to your brain.
Any trauma to the neck or back can potentially damage the spinal cord, which may cut off the pathway of nerve signals between brain and body. If your neck or back is injured, the spinal cord may also be damaged. This means the brain may no longer be able to transmit signals to the muscles, resulting in paralysis below the point of injury. The higher the injury to your spinal cord, the more extensive the paralysis will be. If the spinal cord injury is in your neck, it will frequently cause tetraplegia (quadriplegia)—paralysis of all four limbs and often the diaphragm as well, necessitating the use of a ventilator to enable you to breathe.
On the other hand, if it occurs in your mid to lower back, you will retain the use of your arms and probably be spared the respiratory problems, but will lose the use of your legs. In either case, you can expect to be confined to a wheelchair for life.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Car crashes, falls, motorcycle accidents, and workplace accidents are all common causes of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Any severe blow to the head can cause the brain to tear or bruise as it pounds against the skull, resulting in damage to blood vessels and nerves or a buildup of pressure from a collection of fluid within the skull, pressing on the brain. Brain injury can lead to paralysis if an area of the brain that controls certain muscles is damaged.
Paralysis occurs on the opposite side of the body from the damaged area of the brain: damage to the right side of the brain can potentially cause paralysis of the left side of the body, while damage to the left side of the brain can paralyze the right side.
Types of Paralysis
Physicians have different names for the various types and levels of paralysis. The type of paralysis can make an enormous difference in the patient’s symptoms and prognosis. Paralysis can be complete or partial, temporary or permanent, and spastic or flaccid. The type depends on the accident, the location of the injury and many other factors specific to the patient.
- Monoplegia. Only one arm or leg is paralyzed.
- Diplegia. The same area on both sides of the body is paralyzed.
- Hemiplegia. One side of your body is paralyzed.
- Paraplegia. Both legs are paralyzed.
- Quadriplegia. Both arms and legs are paralyzed.
Other types of paralysis also exist in the form of less common syndromes, such as Brown-Séquard syndrome. This describes weakness or paralysis on one side of the body and loss of sensation on the other. The location and severity of your injury can determine what type of paralysis you experience as an accident victim, as well as your prognosis for recovery.
Common Causes of Paralysis
Understanding the most common causes of paralysis could help you learn your rights as a victim with this type of disability. After a preventable accident such as a car crash, for example, you may have the right to go up against the driver that caused your crash in pursuit of damages. Our attorneys at the Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert have enough experience with these injury claim types to help victims identify the causes of their catastrophic injuries. We know what accidents cause paralysis most often in Dallas.
- Brain injuries
- Spine injuries
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Falls
- Diving accidents
- Sports accidents
- Acts of violence (e.g. gunshots)
- Strokes
- Nerve injuries or trauma
- Cerebral palsy
- Multiple sclerosis
Our attorneys can help victims of all types of accidents living with paralysis in Dallas. We have experience assisting clients with many types of injury claims, including those listed above. If you are curious whether we are the right attorneys to take your claim, contact us for a free discussion of the unique circumstances of your recent accident and catastrophic injury. We will listen to your story, offer legal advice and let you know if we believe you could be eligible for financial compensation.
Obtaining Compensation for a Catastrophic Injury
Fortunately, our legal system allows you, as a victim of a catastrophic injury such as permanent paralysis, to recover monetary damages from the party who was responsible for your injury. Nothing will give you your old life back, but getting a good lawyer and making the wrongdoer pay up will accomplish several things:
- It can provide you with the money to get the medical treatment you need.
- It can provide you with the means to support yourself and your family when you can’t work.
- It can give you the means to adapt your home, and perhaps your vehicle, to accommodate your physical disability.
- It can give you peace of mind, knowing that you have enough money to handle your financial obligations and obtain the services and treatment you need.
- It will hold the wrongdoer accountable for the damage to your quality of life and possible deter the wrongful behavior in the future.
- It will give you a sense that there is some degree of justice in the world.
A successful catastrophic injury claim in Texas could provide compensation for lifetime medical expenses, such as live-in care, surgeries, mobility-assistive devices, medications, therapies and rehabilitation. It could also pay you for past and future lost wages, lost capacity to earn, loss of consortium, loss of household services, lost quality or enjoyment of life, mental anguish, physical pain and suffering, and several other damages. The final value of your claim will depend on the factors unique to your case. Clients with paralysis are often eligible for significant compensation.
The Right Lawyer for Your Case when You’ve Been Paralyzed
Paralysis liability claims can be labor intensive, time consuming, and demanding. They require a personal injury attorney with years of experience and a record of success in resolving high value cases, both in and out of the courtroom. To ensure that you are receiving the best quality legal representation, look for an attorney who has been qualified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization as a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Specialist.
Free Case Consultation
If you’re like most people who have recently suffered severe, life-changing injury, you probably have many questions and concerns for your future. At the Aaron Herbert Law Firm, we offer a free consultation in which we will answer your questions and advise you of your legal options, explaining how we can assist you after a paralyzing event caused by another’s negligence.
Aaron Herbert is a Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Attorney with 14 years of experience and the highest possible rating from AVVO—10 out of ten. He has obtained settlements and verdicts for clients in these high value cases.
Call today to schedule your appointment without obligation. You will have no out-of-pocket costs, and you will incur no attorney fees, court, or legal expenses unless you recover.