Paralysis After a Car Accident in Los Angeles

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of unintentional injuries and deaths in California. One of the most serious injuries connected to Los Angeles automobile accidents is a spinal cord injury. Paralysis can have various causes such including damage to the spine resulting in the permanent loss of feeling and function in the affected area. Lawyers for personal injury lawsuits explain that crash victims who receive this diagnosis have legal rights.

What Is Paralysis?

Paralysis is a medical condition caused by damage to the spinal cord. Since the spine is responsible for carrying messages from the brain to the rest of the body, injuries to this area can result in an irreversible loss of this connection. The outcome is a loss of the ability to feel sensation and use motor function in the area below the point of injury.

Types of Paralysis From a Car Accident

The mechanics of an automobile accident can injure a victim’s spinal cord in one or multiple ways. Blunt-force trauma to the spine can cause vertebral fractures or nerve damage, for example, while penetrating injuries may sever the spine.

Types of paralysis that can arise due to a car crash in Los Angeles include:

• Paraplegia: loss of feeling and function from the waist down
• Hemiplegia: paralysis on one side of the body
• Monoplegia: paralysis of a single limb
• Quadriplegia or tetraplegia: paralysis of all four limbs and the trunk of the body
• Incomplete paralysis: the victim still retains some sensation or movement in the affected area 
• Complete paralysis: permanent damage due to a severe spinal cord injury

The location and severity of the injury along the spinal cord, as well as how quickly the crash victim receives treatment, can determine his or her health outcome.

Symptoms of Paralysis

In the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident in Los Angeles, a victim may immediately notice the signs of a spinal cord injury or discover the injury later. In some cases, the victim’s back or spine is moderately injured in the impact, but then the injury is exacerbated as the victim tries to move away from the crash scene.

It is critical for car accident victims to call 911 and request paramedics if they believe they have suffered a spinal cord injury. EMTs can immobilize the neck and spine to prevent further injury. This may allow the victim to avoid complete or permanent paralysis. 

Symptoms of paralysis after a car crash can include severe back or neck pain, numbness or tingling sensations, muscle weakness, loss of movement or sensation anywhere in the body, trouble breathing, and loss of bladder or bowel control.

The Lifelong Impact of Paralysis on a Car Accident Victim

Paralysis is a catastrophic type of injury that can occur due to a negligent, careless or reckless motor vehicle driver in Los Angeles. It can have a lifelong effect on the victim in more ways than one:

• Long-term or ongoing medical care
• Expensive surgeries and other treatments
• Physical therapy or rehabilitation appointments
• Permanent disability
• Necessary home or vehicle modifications 
• Lost ability to earn a living
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional damage or lost quality of life 
• Increased morbidity rate/premature death

The severity of a condition such as paralysis means that a related personal injury case may have a high value. It is important to discuss how much your case might be worth with a spinal cord injury attorney in Los Angeles before accepting a fast settlement from an insurance company. An attorney will make sure you don’t settle for less than you need and deserve.