There’s Life and Hope after Quadriplegia

Pitying a relative, friend or acquaintance suffering from quadriplegia is never going to help them with their situation. That’s the first lesson in dealing with quadriplegic people. They may be pitying themselves enough, so rather than letting them drown in self-pity, it is better to help them find a new spark of interest in life.

Quadriplegia is a form of spinal cord injury. One in every 10,000 Americans suffer from spinal cord injuries and permanent paralysis of their arms and legs every year. In a spinal cord injury, the cord is not actually cut. The cause of injury is when the thin fibrous extensions of nerve cells surrounded by the vertebrae are crushed and damaged. The axons or the pathways of the nerve cells in the spinal cord become disrupted when it is injured. Consequently, the person loses sensation and control over their important body functions.

It is called quadriplegia or tetraplegia if a person has a spinal cord injury near the top of the spine. The person loses sensation and mobility in both their upper and lower body. Meanwhile, those who suffer from spastic quadriplegia have all four of their limbs affected. This results to increased tone but decreased movements with brisk reflexes. Having spastic quadriplegia is often associated to mental retardation, problems with visual activity and hearing impairment.

This type of quadriplegia may be the direct result of illness or the consequence of an accident due to intentional wrong or negligent act by a liable person causing spinal cord injuries.

Telling quadriplegics outright that there is still life out there for them can ease their misery over their situation. Aside from that, giving a helping hand in taking legal action for their condition will give them more than just a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak future.

It is important for persons with quadriplegia to get legal evaluation immediately after the accident. Getting legal help by consulting a spinal cord injury lawyer is a must to find out what kind of compensation and benefits they are entitled to. Even accidents which result to quadriplegia and appears to be of no one’s fault may still turn out to recovery of damages especially since the injuries are so severe. Damage claims by quadriplegia victims will often exceed the amount of available insurance coverage.

Victims of gross negligence resulting to spinal cord injury have the right to file for monetary claims to help in medical bills and as compensation for the pain and suffering of the victim and his or her family. Disability claims may also be filed to help provide for future lost income.

It is necessary to assist quadriplegia victims in seeking out an experienced personal injury lawyer who have significant experience in spinal cord injury lawsuits. They specifically need intelligent and investigative lawyers who will find all coverage and are able to devise theories involving responsible parties potentially responsible for the injuries sustained.

It is better if insurance companies and negligent parties both can provide substantial compensation for victims of these injuries. However, if the insurance coverage turns out to be a lot, like for example, a million dollars policy, the company may fight and deny responsibility for the claims. This is a tactic to avoid paying large sums to the victim. Therefore, finding an experienced trial lawyer may also come in handy.

Time is essential in spinal cord injury lawsuits, like other personal injury cases. Relatives, friends and acquaintances of quadriplegia victims must realize this and not waste time in helping out the victim to begin evidence collection and taking information immediately after the accident.