Injuries that cause paralysis are devastating for the injured person and their family. Learning to work around paralysis and live the fullest life possible despite the injury often requires months of adjustment and focused effort.
If another party’s negligence led to the incident that caused your injury, speak with a seasoned catastrophic injury attorney about your legal options. With the help of a skilled legal professional, you could hold the negligent party accountable for all your injury-related losses. A Red Bank paralysis injury lawyer could assess your situation and explain how to pursue damages against the parties whose carelessness robbed you of full mobility.
Most paralytic injuries result from preventable accidents. When a party does not exercise the care or caution circumstances warrant, that party is negligent. Almost all accidents are due to someone’s negligence.
An article in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) identifies stroke as the most common cause of paralysis. Prompt and appropriate medical treatment could mitigate the effects of stroke and prevent significant paralysis. If a medical professional fails to treat a stroke patient appropriately and paralysis results, the patient might have a claim against the professional for medical malpractice.
The AJPH article states that spinal cord injuries are the second most frequent cause of paralysis. Spinal cord injuries frequently result from:
Negligence often causes these types of incidents. A diligent Red Bank attorney could investigate the circumstances of a paralytic injury, identify the responsible parties, and hold them accountable for their actions.
Various parties could be liable to an injured person depending on the circumstances that led to the paralysis. If it resulted from a failure to diagnose a disease or condition, or inadequate medical treatment, the patient could seek compensation from the doctors and hospital.
When an accident causes paralysis, a proactive lawyer in Red Bank might need to investigate to identify the responsible parties. If a fall caused the injury that led to paralysis, the owner of the property where the fall occurred could be liable in some cases. If a car accident caused the injury, a driver could be responsible for the claimant’s damages.
Manufacturers have responsibility for a surprising number of accidents. Defective products often contribute to vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, falls, and sports injuries. Other potentially responsible parties might include a bar or restaurant if an intoxicated driver caused the injury that led to paralysis. In some circumstances, the state or a local government might even have liability.
This state provides a small window for injured people to bring claims against the negligent parties who caused their injuries. In most cases, Tennessee Code Annotated §28-3-104 requires an adult to file a lawsuit within one year of the accident or act of malpractice that led to their paralysis.
When a child suffers a paralytic injury, they have until one year after their 18th birthday to file a legal claim. In many cases, it makes more sense for a parent or guardian to sue on a child’s behalf within one year of the accident. However, if the child is 16 or 17 when they sustain the paralytic injury, waiting to take legal action could offer advantages. A knowledgeable Red Bank paralysis accident attorney could discuss the pros and cons with an injured teen and their parents.
Sometimes a city, state, or local government agency is responsible for someone’s injury. Perhaps the paralysis resulted from injuries received in a vehicle crash involving a school bus, garbage truck, or police car. Maybe the paralysis occurred because of a fall in a municipal building. A doctor in a city or county-owned medical facility might have provided substandard care.
In such cases, an injured person must file a lawsuit against a unit of government within one year of the incident that caused the injury. However, claimants must first file a notice of claim against the government and wait for the government to pay or deny their claim before filing suit. When a local government is potentially liable to someone who suffered paralysis due to negligence, it is critical for a legal professional to submit a notice of claim immediately after the accident.
Adjusting to paralysis takes time. Unfortunately, the state requires you to file a lawsuit before you have had a reasonable opportunity to recover from your accident.
Working with a Red Bank paralysis injury lawyer allows you to focus on healing and adapting, while your attorney focuses on getting appropriate compensation for your injuries. Reach out immediately to speak with a well-practiced lawyer.