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A sudden, catastrophic accident that leaves someone paralyzed is a life-changing event that not only affects the victim, but also deeply affects the victim’s family. Besides dealing with an onset of medical bills from the accident, the victim and their family must also grieve the life they once knew. For victims of paralysis, everyday tasks such as bathing, driving, and household chores must be relearned. The relearning extends to victim’s families as they have to help their loved ones navigate a new normal.
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Paralysis can happen for many different reasons. However, if a catastrophic accident due to someone else’s negligence left you or your loved one paralyzed, then you have the right to compensation. You should not have to foot the bill for ongoing medical treatment because of another person’s negligence.
The Regan Zambri Long Washington DC spinal cord injury lawyers have a profound understanding of what you are going through. They have extensive experience with paralysis cases and will work hard to secure the maximum damages to make sure you and your family are not financially burdened with medical bills. Recently they obtained a $10.6 million settlement for for an automobile collision resulting in paraplegia, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury to the plaintiff.
Call Regan Zambri Long today for a free consultation with a seasoned personal injury attorney. The caring lawyers will show you and your loved one the utmost compassion, while relentlessly fighting for your rights.
Paralysis is when there is a problem in your nervous system and you are unable to make voluntary movements. About 1 in 50 Americans, which is 5.6 million people, live with some sort of paralysis.
There are varying degrees of severity that people experience. Partial paralysis, or paresis, is when someone has control over some of their muscles. Complete paralysis is when the victim does not have control over any of their muscles. Some victims experience temporary paralysis and may regain partial or full movement over time. Others never fully recover and have to live with permanent paralysis.
Common types of paralysis are:
The direct cause of paralysis is injured nerve cells. In a fully functioning body, uninjured nerves send signals to your muscles. Those signals make your muscles move. When you suffer from paralysis, your injured nerves are not able to send the signals to your muscles to make them move. In turn, you cannot move certain parts of your body.
According to the Christopher and Dana Reeve foundation, one of the two most common causes of paralysis are spinal cord injuries. A spinal cord injury is when there is damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal cord. A majority of these injuries are caused by motor vehicle accidents, which account for 38% of spinal cord injuries per year.
Washington DC and the surrounding areas see thousands of travelers on their roads per day. People commute into the city for work. Government officials conduct business at the Capital, and thousands of tourists travel to visit DC every day. With a greater volume of commuters comes a greater risk of being involved in a serious car accident.
Some of the most dangerous accidents in Washington DC and across the country are head-on collisions, which is when two vehicles collide while driving in opposite directions. Another serious crash are side impact collisions, or “t-bone accidents.” Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia are also major hubs of different truck routes. Because a commercial truck or tractor trailer can be 23 times the size of a regular sedan, the chances of suffering a severe spinal cord injury that causes paralysis are higher if you are involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle.
If you were involved in a car or truck accident in Washington DC that left you paralyzed, call the Regan Zambri Long paralysis lawyers right away. They will make sure you are compensated for medical costs, lost wages, and loss of future income.
The DC Metro area is home to some of the best hospitals in the country, including Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia and MedStar Washington Hospital Center in DC. However, even with leading medical care, unfortunately medical malpractice still sometimes occurs.
Injuries due to medical negligence can lead to paralysis. Types of injuries include:
Medical malpractice can change your life in an instant. If you suffered a medical injury that left you paralyzed, contact Regan Zambri Long. You will have a team of lawyers and professional medical consultants who will work together to ensure you receive the proper compensation for your injuries.
If you are a construction worker sites where you work are inherently dangerous. Heavy equipment, chaotic work environments, and unstable structures are all part of your daily work routine. Construction workers may suffer catastrophic injuries on the job if they are hit with or crushed by a piece of equipment. An injury may occur if the worker falls from a structure of a building.
If you are a paralysis victim who suffered a spinal cord injury at work, speak to a Regan Zambri Long lawyer today to discuss your right to workers’ compensation to help pay for medical bills and lost wages.
Insurance companies are known to pay the minimal amount of compensation to personal injury victims. Having an experienced lawyer by your side to help you navigate the claims process can increase the amount you receive in compensation.
Paralysis following a car accident, medical injury, workplace injury or other catastrophic accident comes with a sudden influx of expenses. Paralysis victims and their families are left to cope with extreme financial stress. Immediately following the event that caused paralysis, the victim may have to pay for:
There are also costs no one really thinks about in that first year after a catastrophic incident. Living accommodations near your loved one’s hospital, eating out every night, hotel and hospital parking, tolls, and gas all add up to thousands of dollars spent. In addition, the paralysis victim is not earning their typical wage and loved ones may not be able to work in order to provide support to the victim.
According to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, it can cost the paralysis victim up to $1 million in their first year, depending on the severity of the paralysis. After the initial year, the average cost of living could continue to over $100,000 per year, depending on the type of paralysis.
Life for the paralysis victim can be difficult to navigate. Financial stress on top of that is nearly impossible. Speak to a lawyer at Regan Zambri Long today. They will work hard to make sure you are awarded the maximum amount of compensation so the financial burden can be taken off your shoulders and you can turn your focus to healing and rebuilding your life.
After suffering paralysis from a major accident, the victim and their families are most likely going to be overwhelmed with calls from insurance agencies, medical workers, police officers, and anyone else who has interest in the case. The first thing your lawyer will do is take over all communication. They will inform all interested parties of your legal representation and any further communication will go through them. This leaves you and your loved ones time to heal and focus on the future.
Your lawyer will work to secure damages for:
Your lawyer will then begin to build a case around your claim using medical evidence, including medical records, bills, and expert medical testimony. If a car accident caused your paralysis, your lawyer will use eye witnesses to the accident, the police report, and accident reconstruction in order to prove your claim.
If your accident involved many different parties, your Regan Zambri Long paralysis lawyer will work to determine which party or parties are at fault for your accident. For example, if you were involved in a truck accident that left you paralyzed, your lawyer may determine that the truck driver, the trucking company, and the cargo loaders are all partially to blame for the accident. They will then work to secure compensation from all three parties.
Regan Zambri Long has an extensive history of securing millions for their clients. They are a nationally recognized law firm that has the financial backing to see your case through until the very end. If you are worried about going up against large insurance companies, don’t be. The Regan Zambri Long lawyers prepare each case as if it were going to trial.
Learning to live with paralysis is a long and difficult road, but it is a journey you do not have to do alone. Helping people like you and your loved ones during a trying time is exactly why the attorneys at Regan Zambri Long practice law. Call today for a free consultation and let our lawyers lift some of the weight off your shoulders.
A. Symptoms of paralysis can include:
A: Paralysis comes with a number of complications for the victim and for the victim’s family. Medical issues for the victim can include difficulty breathing, increased risk of pneumonia, blood clots, dysphagia, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, bedsores, and sepsis.
Emotional injuries the victim may suffer is an onset of depression and anxiety, due to the sudden lack of independence they now live with. Some paralysis victims withdraw from their family and friends, thinking they are too much of a burden. Physical changes and limitations may be a source of embarrassment, which can cause frustration, anger, and isolation.
Many times, the victim’s family must take on the role of caregiver when the victim is ready to return home. They may experience personality and behavioral changes in their loved one. The Regan Zambri Long spinal cord injury lawyers understand the hardships that the family of a paralysis victim will face. They know that while they cannot change what happened to your loved one, they can work diligently to secure financial compensation to take even just one thing off your plate while you and your family discover your new normal.
A: Washington DC, along with Virginia and Maryland, are three of the five jurisdictions that still use contributory negligence laws. Contributory negligence means that if you contributed to your injury, in any way, then you may not collect compensation for that injury. It differs from comparative negligence, which allows the blame to be shared and awards compensation based on each party’s fault in the accident.
The contributory negligence law is one of the main reasons you need an experienced personal injury lawyer by your side. The Regan Zambri Long spinal cord injury lawyers are experts in DC law and insurance policies in the district. They will use evidence, including medical consultations and accident reconstruction, to build a strong case to secure you the highest amount of compensation possible.
A: There are several hospitals that specialize in treating patients with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. Look for rehabilitation programs that are geared toward each individual case, where patients and caregivers have access to cutting edge treatment plans, equipment, and technology.
