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What is paraplegia?

Paraplegia is the paralysis of the lower part of the body, commonly affecting both legs and often the internal organs below the waist. Oftentimes, it is a permanent condition, resulting in the patient being confined to a wheelchair.

What is the cause?

Most frequently, paraplegia is caused by an injury that either completely severs the spinal cord or damages some of the nervous tissue in the cord. Such damage could result from broken vertebrae that press against the spinal cord.

How did it happen?

One of the most common reasons for paraplegia is a motor vehicle accident. However, other causes include accidents such as a catastrophic fall, an act of violence such as a gunshot wound, a sports injury or medical malpractice.

Where did it happen?

If an injury at work leads to paraplegia, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation. If the paraplegia was the result of an accident, you may consider a personal injury lawsuit to be compensated for medical and other related expenses. Sometimes more than one attorney is needed. What we do is provide an analysis of your situation and then tell you who we would hire if were in your shoes. The type of accident, your location and any special concerns you have influences who we recommend. Sometimes you need more than one law firm.

If I meet with a lawyer, what should I bring or tell them?

First, it is important to note that initial consultations are free. You should never have to pay an attorney before you even hire them. What the attorney will want to know initially is whatever you can tell them about the incident that led to paraplegia in order to assess whether you have a case. Documents that will be helpful include a police report and medical records as well as any documentation regarding the incident. In accident cases it is often very important to have the site where the injury occurred inspected as soon as possible. Every firm we recommend employs private investigators to do this work. In some cases they hire structural engineers to actually re-create what happened.

Now what?

If you or a loved one has become a paraplegic as the result of a job injury or someone else's negligence, you have a lifetime of medical care and lost wages to worry about. It's important to find an attorney that has experience with these types of cases. While numerous lawyers want to handle these cases, the reality is that only a handful are qualified to do so.

You get one shot at succeeding in most lawsuits. You are best served by getting with a law firm that increases your chance of success. We aren’t the firm to represent you, but we will help you figure out which firms you should consider hiring. If you would like our help, please contact us. It’s fast, free and confidential.