Paralysis is the loss of feeling or muscle function in the part of a body. This condition can have a dramatic impact on your quality of life. In some cases, it can affect your ability to move and could even prevent you from working. The loss of use of a body part can also lead to additional health risks, including blood clots and skin damage.
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If you are paralyzed in an accident caused by the negligence of another, a compassionate personal injury lawyer can discuss your legal options. Your Louisville paralysis injury lawyer can carefully evaluate your injury and advise you on how to proceed through the complex legal system.
Medical professionals categorize paralysis injuries based on the part of the body that is affected. Understanding these categories will benefit a Louisville paralysis injury attorney when analyzing your claim. The four types of paralysis are monoplegia, hemiplegia, paraplegia, and quadriplegia.
Monoplegia is paralysis affecting a single body part, typically, an arm or a leg. Monoplegia is fairly uncommon, and rarely is the result of an injury. This form of paralysis can occur through a pinched or damaged nerve in the affected limb.
Another uncommon type of paralysis is hemiplegia. Hemiplegia affects the arm and leg on just one side of the body. Like monoplegia, this type of paralysis is also usually related to conditions like cerebral palsy. However, injuries to the brain and spinal cord can also lead to hemiplegia.
Paraplegia is a devastating type of paralysis resulting in the loss of feeling below the waist. A common type of paralysis, paraplegia often stems from injuries to the spine. Paraplegia can leave an injured person not only unable to walk, but unable to control any bodily functions below the waist.
Quadriplegia is the most severe category of paralysis. It earns its name as it affects all four quadrants of the body. Quadriplegia usually is the result of a neck injury and can lead to temporary or permanent loss of feeling below the neck.
In some instances, the injured person is to blame for their paralysis. Historically, state law prevented an injured victim from bringing a personal injury claim if they were partially at fault for causing their injury. Over time, these jurisdictions loosened those restrictions by adopting differing theories on comparative fault. In Louisville, the legal theory that applies is known as pure comparative negligence or pure comparative fault.
Pure comparative fault takes into account the responsibility of all parties involved in an accident and determines how much the negligent party must pay the injured party. This liberal standard never prevents an injured party from seeking monetary compensation against the party that was responsible for the accident, even if the injured party was primarily responsible. However, the standard does impact the amount of compensation the injured party could receive. When a jury makes a determination in a paralysis injury lawsuit, they must assign each party with a percentage of fault for the accident. The jury will then reduce the injured party’s damages by their percentage of fault.
If another person is responsible for your paralysis injury, you are entitled to pursue monetary compensation. This is true even if you were partially to blame for the accident.
A Louisville paralysis injury lawyer will work tirelessly on your behalf to help maximize your financial compensation. To get started with the process, set up a free consultation immediately.
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