Quadriplegia, sometimes known as tetraplegia, is the loss of movement or feeling in all four limbs and the torso. Victims who are involved in high-impact accidents are at an increased risk of sustaining serious injuries to their spinal cord, which can lead to quadriplegia.
If you or someone you know has suffered a quadriplegia injury in a Los Angeles accident you may be entitled to compensation. Contact Citywide Law Group today to find out how we can help you get the money you deserve after an accident.
Our Los Angeles quadriplegia injury attorneys have over 17 years of experience handling complex personal injury claims. We understand that paralysis can greatly affect your life and know how important the settlement or award you receive can be.
This is why we fight aggressively to hold negligent parties responsible for their actions and maximize the compensation our clients receive. We have successfully recovered millions in life-changing compensation for our clients. If you’ve been injured in an accident, we can help you, too. Call us today to request a free consultation and learn more.
What is a Quadriplegic Injury?
Quadriplegia is the term used to describe the loss of the ability to feel or move any part of your body below the injury – your arms, legs, and torso. A quadriplegia injury occurs when your cervical spine, which is located to the top of your spinal column, becomes severed, crushed or strained.
Generally speaking, the higher up on your spinal cord an injury occurs, the more severe the injury. As a result, damage to your cervical spinal column can be particularly traumatic.
The extent of your quadriplegia injury will depend on the part of your cervical spinal column that is damaged. Injuries to the C1 & C2 vertebrae are rare and often fatal. Injuries to the C3 & C4 vertebrae resulting in complete damage can cause complete paralysis or quadriplegia.
These victims may have limited mobility and difficulty taking care of themselves. Victims who suffer injuries to the C5 & C6 Vertebrae have the best chance of retaining some motor function and living a relatively normal life.
Symptoms of a Quadriplegic Injury
Quadriplegic injuries do not always mean that a victim will become fully paralyzed in their limbs and torso. A quadriplegic injury simply means that all four limbs and the torso are adversely affected in some way. According to the Shepherd Center, quadriplegia injury victims may experience the following symptoms:
- Numbness, tingling, and loss of feeling
- Partial or complete paralysis
- Difficulty breathing
- Inability to breath without assistance
- Inability to control the bladder and bowels, and
- Difficulty bathing and grooming.
What Causes Quadriplegia Injuries?
Injuries to the spinal column, especially the cervical section of the spine, are generally caused by violent and sudden high-impact accidents. The most commonly reported causes of quadriplegia accidents include:
- Car accidents
- Recreational vehicle accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Sport injuries
- Falls, and
- Assault.
Partial vs. Complete Paralysis
Quadriplegia injuries are classified as incomplete or complete, depending on the extent of the damage to your nervous system. An incomplete quadriplegia injury exists when the spinal cord’s ability to communicate with your brain is not entirely lost.
Victims who sustain incomplete quadriplegia injuries are more likely to retain some movement and sensation in their limbs and torso. In fact, some incomplete quadriplegia injury victims are able to live relatively normal lives.
A complete quadriplegia injury occurs when the spinal cord and brain cannot communicate at all. Victims who sustain complete quadriplegia injuries have a complete lack of feeling and motor function below the level of their injury.
Damages for Quadriplegia Injuries
If you were involved in an accident and sustained an injury to your cervical spinal column, resulting in quadriplegia, you may be entitled to monetary damages. In California, a successful lawsuit can allow you to recover both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are those paid to compensate you for any financial costs that are related to your accident and injury. Their purpose is to put you back in the financial position you would have been in had you never been injured, at all. Economic damages are often awarded to compensate quadriplegia victims for:
- Hospitalization
- Corrective surgery
- Medication
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing care
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Wheelchairs and other medically-necessary devices, and
- Alterations required to make a home handicap accessible.
A paralysis injury can be incredibly traumatic. Some of the injuries you may experience may not have a direct financial cost. These injuries are no less serious and can still be compensated through a personal injury lawsuit. Non-economic damages are frequently awarded to help victims cope with hard-to-value injuries such as:
- Anxiety and depression
- Disability
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life, and
- Embarrassment.
Statute of Limitations for Quadriplegia Injury Cases
If another person’s negligence caused your quadriplegia injury you have the right to demand compensation. California limits the amount of time you have to file a personal injury claim, so it is important to act quickly. If you do not file your claim before the statute of limitations expires, you will be prevented from getting the money you need. In most cases, you will have two years from the date of your injury-causing accident to file a claim.
There are certain times when the statute of limitations will be accelerated or extended. You can make sure that your claim is filed on time by speaking with an experienced Los Angeles quadriplegia injury attorney immediately after your accident. Call Citywide Law Group today to get started.
Experienced Los Angeles Quadriplegia Injury Attorneys
Have you been injured in a Los Angeles accident and suffered a quadriplegic injury? If so, you may be entitled to compensation from the person who caused your accident. Contact a personal injury attorney at Citywide Law Group to find out how we can help you maximize the money you receive.
We have over 17 years of experience handling complex legal claims, including those for serious spinal cord injuries. During this time, we have successfully recovered millions in life-changing compensation for our injured clients. Contact us today to request a free consultation and learn about your rights as an accident victim in Los Angeles. We will review your case, estimate the potential value of your claim, and answer the questions you have.
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