If you are like many residents of the Pelican State, you may take your abilities to walk and move your body freely for granted. Regrettably, an injury to your brain or spinal cord may change your life forever. That is, you may experience temporary or permanent paralysis after a car accident.
While modern medicine provides treatment options for many injuries and illnesses, individuals with injuries to the central nervous system often have poor prognoses. Even in a low-speed collision, you may be vulnerable to five types of paralysis.
1. Monoplegia
Monoplegia is paralysis that affects only one limb. With this type of paralysis, you may lose your ability to move or experience sensations in an arm or leg. In car accidents, monoplegia is often due to nerve damage somewhere above the paralyzed limb.
2. Hemiplegia
Hemiplegia involves paralysis of one side of the body. If you suffer a traumatic brain injury to one side of your brain during a crash, you may lose control over the opposite side of your body. Likewise, if you have a stroke during or after a car accident, your odds of developing hemiplegia may increase.
3. Diplegia
Diplegia occurs when you lose control and sensation in either both arms or both legs. Diplegia is almost always due to spinal cord damage, but you may develop it after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
4. Paraplegia
Paraplegia is paralysis of the lower half of your body. In addition to not being able to control your legs, paraplegia may cause you to lose bowel and bladder control. With paraplegia, you may have to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair.
5. Quadriplegia
Quadriplegia entails paralysis of most of your body, including both arms and legs. In a catastrophic car accident, you may nick or sever your spinal cord. If that happens, your likelihood of regaining sensation and control below the spinal cord injury is likely to be minimal.
Individuals who experience paralysis after car accidents often have grounds to pursue substantial financial compensation from those who caused or contributed to the crash. Ultimately, because your treatment and recovery are likely to be expensive, you may need to take full advantage of all your legal remedies.
