Just as numerous types of accidents can lead to paralysis, multiple types of injuries and medical problems could cause you to lose sensory or motor function in part of your body. These injuries often require extensive treatment to reach maximum medical improvement.
Understanding the causes of paralysis in Houston can be a critical first step toward building the most substantial civil claim against the person responsible for your injury. Therefore, it is crucial to reach out to an experienced paralysis injury attorney at Roberts Markland LLP immediately.
The most common cause of paralysis in Houston and across Texas is an injury to the spinal cord caused by a traumatic external impact. The spinal cord—protected by the spine’s vertebrae—is the central pathway along which all nervous system signals travel to and from the brain: any disruption to that pathway could cause you to lose feeling in the body parts beyond your injury site.
While incomplete spinal cord injuries involve a tear or twist in your spinal cord and require intensive medical care, you will likely be able to make a full recovery. Conversely, complete spinal cord injuries involving a severed spinal cord are typically permanent and result in total paralysis around the site of your injury. Complete injuries are categorized as “paraplegia,” which affects the body below the waist, and “quadriplegia,” which affects the body below the neck.
Just as damage to the spinal cord can interrupt communication with your brain, if you suffer a penetrative injury, severe burn, or high-grade ligament tear or sprain, you may experience paralysis or nerve damage that affects your ability to feel and move specific parts of your body. For example, when a doctor in Houston is reckless or careless when delivering a baby, they could cause damage to a newborn’s brachial plexus inside their shoulder, which can result in a condition called Erb’s palsy that often causes loss of function in the arm(s) and shoulder(s).
A severe impact on your head can cause structural damage to your brain, preventing it from communicating with certain body parts correctly, often in ways that spinal cord trauma or localized nerve damage would not. For instance, it is not unheard of for severe brain trauma to cause hemiplegia or monoplegia—respectively, paralysis in the entire left or right side of the body and paralysis in a single limb. Damage of this nature can also stem from undiagnosed or untreated medical conditions such as strokes. An attorney in Houston knowledgeable about the causes of paralyzing injuries could help you determine how your injury occurred and hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence.
No matter the type of paralysis injury you have, determining who caused it can be vital to protecting your best interests. If you can establish that someone else’s negligence is the leading cause of your injury, you could demand payment from them for your past and future losses.
Our dedicated attorneys have experience handling cases for all causes of paralysis in Houston. Call Roberts Markland LLP today to learn more and schedule a consultation.
