Gwinnett County Paralysis Injury Lawyer
If you or someone you love is suffering from a severe injury like paralysis, it can have a tremendous impact on your life. Not only could you have to deal with recovering from the physical injuries, but the emotional recovery process is often arduous as well.
The consequences of becoming paralyzed are so significant that the state of Georgia considers it a catastrophic injury. Compared to a regular personal injury, catastrophic injuries are both longer-lasting and more severe. As such, an injury may be considered catastrophic when it is so severe that the injured person is not able to return to the life they led before the accident causing the injury.
If you or a loved one became paralyzed due to an accident which you believe someone else caused, contact a Gwinnett County paralysis injury lawyer as soon as possible. Depending on the unique facts of your case, a compassionate catastrophic injury attorney may be able to help you get compensation for your losses.
Overview of Paralysis
When a person becomes paralyzed, it is typically the result of severe damage to the spinal cord. Paralysis is defined as an inability to move, touch, or feel with one or more parts of the body. Paralysis may occur at various levels of severity depending on where along the spinal cord the injury occurred.
Some of the common causes of a spinal injury leading to paralysis include:
- Vehicular accidents
- Accidents at the workplace
- Slip and falls
- Injuries from defective products
If one of these kinds of accidents causes a paralysis injury for which someone else is at fault, a paralysis injury lawyer in Gwinnett County may be able to help determine whether that incident could serve as grounds for a valid negligence claim.
How to Prove Negligence and Recover Damages
Most personal injury claims, including those centered around paralysis injuries, are based on negligence. In order for an injured party to recover damages, they must prove that negligence by a third party—as defined by Official Code of Georgia §51-1-2—caused their injuries.
In order to successfully prove negligence, the injured party must establish four separate elements:
- Duty of care
- Breach of duty
- Causation (actual and proximate)
- Damages
What Are Damages?
Damages may include physical, emotional, and financial injuries such as the costs of medical treatment lost earning potential, emotional distress, pain and suffering, and future medical expenses. Any of these losses may be recoverable if the injured party successfully proves negligence.
Under O.C.G.A. §9-3-33, an injured party has up to two years to file a personal injury claim against a defendant. After the two years runs out, that plaintiff could be barred from bringing a legal action for any injuries stemming from that particular accident. A Gwinnett County paralysis injury lawyer could help an individual bring their case forward within the appropriate period of time.
How a Gwinnett County Paralysis Injury Lawyer Can Help
Any type of injury to the spinal cord, especially one leading to paralysis, could have life-changing implications. Fortunately, an experienced Gwinnett County paralysis injury lawyer could help advocate for your best interests and get you the compensation you need to recover. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.