Rancho Mirage Paralysis Injury Lawyer
Paralysis can be a complex condition. Depending on the affected body part, you might be able to adjust your life, making it similar to your life before immobilization. In other cases, paralysis could have a devastating impact on your overall health and quality of life.
Whether your paralysis is an inconvenience or catastrophe, consulting a catastrophic injury attorney after an accident is always wise. A legal professional could explain your options and assess your chances of obtaining compensation.
If another party’s negligence contributed to your immobility, you could hold them accountable by claiming damages. A Rancho Mirage paralysis injury lawyer could stand by you throughout the process, advocating on your behalf until you get the reimbursement you deserve.
Causes of Paralysis Injuries
Whether another party is liable to pay damages for a paralytic injury depends on the circumstances. Generally, if another person, company, or government entity failed to use reasonable care and that failure contributed to an injury, that party is responsible.
Paralysis sometimes results from medical errors. Some birth injuries cause partial paralysis. Diseases like Guillain-Barre Syndrome and multiple sclerosis (MS) cause paralysis. Strokes are the leading cause of paralysis in adults. If a healthcare professional mishandled a delivery, failed to diagnose a condition, or provided substandard care, a paralyzed patient could hold them liable.
Paralysis often results from accidents. Collisions involving cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles could lead to immobilization. Sports injuries and falls are another leading cause. A lawyer in Rancho Mirage could review the cause of an individual’s paralysis to determine whether another party’s negligence contributed to it.
Losses in Paralytic Injury Cases
A negligent party who caused another person an injury is responsible for paying damages. Compensation includes the economic and non-economic losses an injured person suffered due to an incident.
People sometimes underestimate the actual cost of a paralysis injury, but an attorney in Rancho Mirage could help compile an accurate accounting of their losses, including:
- Injury-related medical treatment, such as rehabilitation services, copayments, and medications
- Mental health care
- Incidental expenses like parking and household help
- Costs of adapting a home or vehicle
- Lost income, including diminished future earnings
- Physical pain
- Emotional anguish
- Lost enjoyment of life
Depending on the circumstances, an individual could include other expenses associated with their injury in a damages claim. For example, home nursing care, durable medical equipment, and other expenses could be part of a claim for damages.
In rare cases, punitive damages also might be available. California Civil Code § 3294 allows an injured plaintiff to claim punitive damages in cases where a defendant’s conduct was especially reckless, malicious, or egregious. A person must ask a jury to award punitive damages and prove a responsible party’s conduct was sufficiently outrageous to merit them.
Relevant Timeframes in a Paralysis Suit
The law establishes a limited time for an injured person to bring a lawsuit. Courts would refuse to hear a case not filed within the statutory time. However, the statutes of limitation have exceptions that might apply in a paralysis case, so consulting a lawyer in Rancho Mirage is always advisable.
If a child suffers a paralytic injury at birth or before age 6, the California Code of Civil Procedure § 340.5 states a parent must file within three years or before the child’s eighth birthday, whichever is longer. Sometimes the true impact of a birth injury becomes apparent as a child grows. Waiting to file a lawsuit might allow a more accurate assessment of damages. Adults must file medical malpractice claims within one year of the injury or its discovery but no longer than three years after the malpractice occurred.
In accident cases involving children, the parents could file on behalf of a child within two years of an incident. Similarly, adults who suffered a paralytic injury in an accident have two years to bring a lawsuit.
Trust a Claim to a Rancho Mirage Paralysis Injury Attorney
If you or your child has paralysis that resulted from another party’s carelessness, you could seek compensation. A Rancho Mirage paralysis injury lawyer could identify and hold negligent parties accountable. You only have a limited time for legal action. Do not delay. Discuss your case with a knowledgeable legal professional today.
