Causes of Paralysis in San Antonio
Paralysis is usually a symptom of a serious injury, although disease can also result in paralysis. Regardless of the cause, paralysis is a medical condition that limits the use of some of the body’s muscle groups. When someone is paralyzed due to another’s negligence, they can receive compensation from the responsible party. Negligence victims should contact a paralysis injury attorney knowledgeable of the causes of paralysis in San Antonio.
What Is Paralysis?
Paralysis is the umbrella term for muscle loss or impairment. Under the umbrella, doctors identify different types based on the muscle group. For example, monoplegia is paralysis of a limb or specific part of the body. Quadriplegia and Tetraplegia affect all four limbs and sometimes the trunk. Paralysis is also classified by degree. Complete monoplegia indicates the total loss of muscle control and sensation in a limb. Paralysis may be incomplete, meaning there is still some degree of functionality in the affected area.
The type and degree of paralysis depend on the location and extent of the nerve damage. Someone could have flaccid paraplegia, indicating the loss of muscle control of the lower half of the body to the degree that the extremities are unable to move. A spastic paraplegia shares paralysis of the lower body but experiences involuntary movement.
What Are Common Causes of Paralysis?
In San Antonio, strokes are the most common cause of paralysis. Many times, medical conditions cause strokes, but sometimes, traumatic injuries result in them. Car or truck accidents, slips and falls, or brain injuries can all end in complete or partial paralysis. Pedestrian-involved car accidents can leave people paralyzed. If someone you know became paralyzed because of someone else’s negligence, they should contact a lawyer for help in recovering compensation.
What Is Negligence?
When people fail to act or act without regard for others’ safety, they may be guilty of negligence. Legal negligence requires that the injured person establish the following to prove fault:
- Duty of Care: A negligent party has a responsibility to care about the safety of others
- Breach of Duty of Care: The negligent person or entity violated the duty of care through actions or inaction
- Causation: The injured party must show that the breach of duty of care directly caused the accident, resulting in injury
- Damages or Injuries: Victims must show they suffered injuries from the breach
Experienced attorneys use medical records, police reports, and witness statements to build a personal injury case.
What Compensation Is Available?
Paralysis personal injury claims may receive economic and noneconomic compensation.
Economic Compensation
Economic compensation provides financial resources for medical expenses such as hospital stays, rehabilitation services, and medication. It includes current and future medical costs. Injured parties can recover current and future lost wages. Because projecting a lifetime of expenses related to a paralyzing injury is difficult to evaluate, injured persons should contact a dedicated catastrophic injury lawyer for help. They can use financial consultants and medical experts to base their compensation requests.
Noneconomic Compensation
Paralysis is a life-altering event. It is physically traumatic, but it is also psychologically and emotionally taxing. Non-economic compensation allows injured parties to collect financial awards for pain and suffering paralysis that the accident in San Antonio caused. This can include physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional distress. Paralysis impacts not only the victim but also those around them.
Comparative Negligence
Although Texas does not have a cap on economic or non-economic compensation in personal injury cases, comparative fault laws may limit the amount an injured party can receive. Injured individuals can file an injury lawsuit even if they are partially to blame. However, the court reduces their compensation by the percentage of fault they determine.
Seek Help Now for Cases Involving the Causes of Paralysis in San Antonio
Although Texas allows an injured person up to two years after the accident date to file a claim, the sooner you contact a lawyer, the faster the case can move through the system. An attorney can gather critical evidence about the common causes of paralysis in San Antonio before it is lost. Contact a lawyer at Felix Gonzalez Law Firm today.
