An injury that results in quadriplegia is a life changing event that will forever significantly change the course of a person’s life. Any spinal cord injury that results in quadriplegia will require months of acute and rehabilitative care. It will also require modifications to living quarters, equipment to help the patient live as normal of a life as possible and long term ongoing care that will likely span the rest of their life.
An estimated 6,500 people each year become quadriplegic. Quadriplegia occurs when there is damage to one of the cervical vertebra in the neck. There can be many complications that come from quadriplegia including loss of feeling in legs and arms, breathing troubles, loss of bladder and bowel control, sexual function changes, and a shortened life span.
Quadriplegia can occur a variety of ways. Car accidents and unsafe workplaces or workplace injuries are the most common ways people become quadriplegic. However, hazardous property, defective products, medical malpractice and contracting infections can also lead to quadriplegia.
Car accidents cause nearly half of all spinal cord injuries. Regardless of who is liable for the accident, the injury itself may come from the safety belts. The older style lap only belts have been shown to cause serious spinal cord damage. Cars manufactured since 2007 now have lap/shoulder belt combos for all passengers, but many older cars are still on the road with the older style lap only belts.
If your injury has occurred due to a lap belt or any defective part on the auto the manufacturer of the car or that part may be liable.
We all think of being in a hospital as being in one of the safest places you can be when it comes to your health. In some cases patients have contracted rare blood-borne infections that have led to spinal cord damage and quadriplegia while in the hospital. In addition, if a doctor fails to properly or timely diagnose an infection, spinal compressions or hematoma it could lead to quadriplegia. In these cases medical malpractice would be the cause of the injury.
For some people, having hazards in their day-to-day work is commonplace, but injuries can happen even in workplaces you wouldn’t think of as hazardous. Roughly 21% of all spinal cord injuries are caused by falls. Many people spend at least 40 hours per week at their job. The more time you spend at work the greater the chance you might be injured on the job.
Whether you work on a construction site, around heavy equipment, or in an office, if you are exposed to an unsafe condition that leads to an injury and spinal cord damage, the employer should be held accountable.
Quadriplegia is one of the most serious injuries anyone can suffer. The medical care and life changing events surrounding it are very complex as is any lawsuit involving quadriplegia. An expert attorney can help make certain that all the details of your case are being properly handled and that you will receive adequate compensation so that you may take care of yourself or family member(s) for as long as needed.
If you have been in an accident that results in quadriplegia please contact LA Injury Group, Inc. here on our contact form or call us toll free at 1-888-500-1006.