Seattle Accident Lawyers Representing Victims of Paralysis Injury

Compensation for Catastrophic and Life-Altering Injuries from Accidents

Washington Car Accidents Lawyers Helping Victims of Paralysis

Auto accidents in Washington are a daily occurrence, and the majority of them lead to at least one injury for someone who was involved. While many of these injuries are minor and will ultimately be overcome by those who have been harmed with the help of a Seattle car accident lawyer, other injuries are more severe.

Perhaps the most severe type of injury that can occur as a result of an auto accident is paralysis. Below you’ll find information regarding some different types of paralysis, the types of damages that can be sought if someone files a claim for personal injury as a result of a Washington auto accident and finally how you should proceed if you or someone you love has been harmed in an auto accident in Washington.

Types of Paralysis That Can Result from an Auto Accident

While the different types of paralysis can occur in almost any setting, auto accidents are one of the leading causes of injury in the United States every year. While there are no hard-and-fast statistics available, estimates indicate that tens of thousands of people suffer from some sort of paralysis every year as a result of auto accidents in the United States. Below are some brief examples of different types of paralysis:

• Paraplegia – Paraplegia describes the condition in which the patient suffers from an inability to move the lower limbs on the body. This condition is usually the result of an injury to the spinal cord above the first thoracic vertebra in the spinal cord.
• Quadriplegia – Quadriplegia is a condition whereby the patient loses the ability to move all four limbs. This condition is usually the result of an injury that occurs below the first thoracic vertebra in the spinal cord.
• Partial paralysis – There are situations in which a person can lose the ability to move one side of the body or a portion of it, and this can be the result of an injury to the spinal cord or the brain.
• Temporary paralysis – Some spinal cord injuries can heal over time and the patient can ultimately regain movement in the limbs that were paralyzed at one time.
• Permanent paralysis – Permanent paralysis is a condition whereby the damage to the patient’s spinal cord is so severe that there is no chance for that patient to ever regain movement in the limbs that was lost as a result of the original injury.

Basically, paralysis is a difficult condition to deal with in any circumstance, and anyone who suffers from it either temporarily or permanently must handle a difficult challenge on a daily basis.

Damages Compensation for a Paralysis Injury

As stated above, paralysis is never a minor injury. Regardless of the type of paralysis, the duration of the paralysis or anything else, those who have this condition inflicted upon them because of the negligence of someone else generally has the legal right to bring a legal claim or against those who caused this result.

Washington provides for the award of damages to plaintiff’s who bring a successful personal injury lawsuit against someone who caused the paralysis, and below are a few examples of these types of damages that may be awarded in a WA car accident paralysis lawsuit:

• Immediate medical costs – An injury to the spinal cord is always serious, and it almost always requires intense medical care and steps taken to minimize the damage that’s already been done. As such, the expense involved with caring for the spinal cord can be exorbitantly expensive, and a successful plaintiff can usually recover compensation for these costs.
• Ongoing medical care – Paralysis is a condition that requires not only immediate care, but potentially long-term physical rehabilitation in order to help the patient regain some form of dignity in his or her daily life.
• Lost income – Many victims of paralysis are unable to return to work, particularly if their work was physical in nature. Successful plaintiffs can be compensated for lost income that would extend until the time he or she would have likely retired.
• Pain and suffering – Pain and suffering is the least tangible form of damages for personal injury in Washington, and they are generally provided to compensate the successful plaintiff for the struggles he or she faces with the radical changes forced by a paralysis injury.

Every case is different, and every case could warrant seeking different forms of damages. In order to make sure that you seek everything that the law allows, you should seek the advice of a Seattle car accident lawyer.

Specifically, if you have been injured in an auto accident in Washington that you do not believe was your fault and suffer from paralysis as a result, you need to contact the Washington car accident lawyers at the law firm of Phillips Webster today to schedule a free initial consultation.