Can I Sue If a Car Crash Left Me Paralyzed? | IL

 Posted on August 29, 2024 in Car Accident

Car crashes can cause a wide variety of injuries. While some injuries are relatively minor and should improve over time, others leave victims facing life-altering conditions. Catastrophic injuries like spinal cord damage that leads to paralysis may require extensive changes in your daily life. If someone else’s negligence caused your paralysis, you deserve compensation.

How do you know if you qualify? What kinds of compensation can you receive? The skilled lawyers at Newland & Newland, LLP can discuss these questions and provide answers during your free consultation.

Are There Different Levels of Spinal Cord Injuries?

Vertebrae and cartilage enclose the human spinal cord for protection, but it is still incredibly vulnerable. As the brain’s messenger, the spinal cord controls our sense of touch, ability to move, posture, and support. Blunt impacts, cuts, and punctures can temporarily or permanently damage the spinal cord. The effects are usually focused below the injured location. Paraplegics are paralyzed in their legs and lower bodies, with quadriplegics unable to move any of their limbs.

Spinal cord injuries are classified from A to E, with each level having different functionalities and impairments. Victims may have limited motor or sensory functions, or they may be completely paralyzed with no functions. The injury’s location and its severity determine the impairments victims may experience, such as:

• Weakness

• An inability to control bowel or bladder movements

• Heart or lung issues

• Numbness or altered sensations

• Partial or full paralysis

If you are left paralyzed after a car accident, even if only temporarily, there are many adjustments you will need to make. You may need to make your home accessible to accommodate your disability, get a vehicle that allows you to drive without using your feet, change jobs, and ask for help with everyday needs. You may need life-long medical care, and you might not be able to return to work.

When your paralysis results from someone else’s negligence, you may qualify for significant damages. Your legal team from Newland & Newland, LLP will investigate your accident, determine your eligibility, and help you obtain the highest possible settlement amount.

What Damages Can You Receive?

Damages are sums of money that reimburse or compensate you for eligible losses in personal injury cases. You may be able to collect damages for:

• Current and future medical expenses

• Lost wages or diminished earning capacity

• Ongoing care and replacement services

• Property damage

• Home renovations to accommodate your disability

• The purchase of an appropriate vehicle

• Medically necessary equipment, such as wheelchairs

• Pain and suffering

• Loss of consortium

• Mental anguish

Your lawyer will assess all potential damages and use case-specific details to calculate how much you may qualify to receive.

Call Our Dedicated Arlington Heights, IL Catastrophic Injuries Lawyer Today

Realizing that your life may be forever changed because of another driver’s negligence is a traumatic experience, and the last thing you need to worry about is dealing with the many potential complications in your accident claim. At Newland & Newland, LLP, we will handle your claim so you can focus on healing. Call us at 847-797-8000 for your free consultation with one of our experienced Schaumburg, IL personal injury attorneys. We will work diligently to protect your best interests and help you get the compensation you deserve.