Paraplegia is nearly always caused by damage to the brain and spinal cord. The damage to the spinal cord may be at the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral portions of the spinal cord. Once the damage occurs, signals may be unable to move from lower parts of the body back to the brain and vice versa. Often, paraplegics struggle to move or sense anything below the waist. If you suffer from paraplegia as a result of a car accident, a surgical error, or another type of negligence, the Syracuse paraplegia lawyers at DeFrancisco & Falgiatano are ready to advocate for you.
Taking Legal Action Based on ParaplegiaOften, people with paraplegia have functioning legs, but the damage is solely in the brain or spinal cord. The spinal cord normally sends signals from the body to the brain and back again to allow for mobility and sensation in the body.
The nature of the paraplegia can vary depending on the person who has it. Some people are unable to walk or feel anything below the waist. Others may be able to use physical therapy to recover some sensation or some mobility. In other cases, the injury produces temporary paralysis that looks like paraplegia. It can take days to accurately diagnose paraplegia. A doctor may evaluate blood tests to figure out whether infection or cancer has contributed, conduct a lumbar puncture, and take CT scans, MRIs, or myelography X-rays to visualize the brain or spinal cord.
Paraplegia can arise as a result of car accidents, assault, falls, and surgical injuries. Often, it is a traumatic injury, but sometimes it is due to stroke, oxygen deprivation, infection, or other medical causes. Appropriate treatment can significantly affect the outcome of paraplegia. For example, once swelling goes down, it may be possible to improve function. In other cases, spinal cord alignment surgery, medication, and physical therapy can help. However, for other people, there are phantom sensations, loss of sexual function, changes in mood, chronic pain, secondary infections like bedsores, and difficulties with bladder and bowel function. For those people, however, it may still be possible to undergo occupational therapy to find ways to work in spite of injuries or by using different skills. Our paraplegia attorneys understand that Syracuse residents and other victims often sustain substantial costs in this situation.
Often, people who are rendered paraplegic due to an accident must establish negligence. To prove negligence, you must show that it is more likely than not that another party owed you a duty that they failed to meet and therefore caused your injuries. The duty owed depends on the situation. For example, in a truck accident case, the duty owed by a trucker is a duty of reasonable care. However, in a medical malpractice case, the duty owed is a professional duty of care. In a medical malpractice lawsuit, a health care provider is liable when they fail to provide care according to accepted professional standards, and because of that, the plaintiff is injured, gets sick, or has their health worsen.
On the other hand, if your paraplegia is a result of a fall on someone else's property, it is likely that your Syracuse paraplegia attorney would need to establish a premises liability case. This means showing that the property owner or occupier had actual or constructive notice of the dangerous condition that caused your paraplegia. In most cases, constructive notice must be established by showing how long the condition existed before the accident happened. Sometimes a timeline can be established through surveillance footage. However, in many cases, establishments record over surveillance videotape within a short window of time, making it imperative to consult an experienced attorney right away. An attorney can send a letter warning the property owner that there may be litigation and requiring them not to destroy or alter potential evidence related to it.
Get Assistance from a Paraplegia Lawyer in the Syracuse AreaIf you suffer paraplegia because of another person's negligence or wrongdoing, our law firm may be able to help you recover damages and hold the responsible parties accountable. DeFrancisco & Falgiatano represents people injured in accidents in the areas around Syracuse, Rochester, Binghamton, Auburn, Elmira, Norwich, Oneida, Wampsville, Utica, Cortland, Delhi, Herkimer, Watertown, Lowville, Canandaigua, Oswego, Cooperstown, Ithaca, and Lyons. Call us at 833-200-2000 or contact us via our online form.