The brain and spinal cord are two of the most important parts of the human body. When health care professionals damage these vital parts, the unfortunate result is often paralysis.
What Causes Paralysis?
Paralysis comes in several forms. The area of the spine or brain that is injured and the severity of the injury determines which type of paralysis a person suffers from. These are the three types:
– Hemiplegia occurs when either the left or right side of the body becomes paralyzed.
– Paraplegia occurs when the lower limbs of the body becomes paralyzed.
– Quadriplegia occurs when the upper and lower limbs become paralyzed.
In many cases, people injure themselves at work, at home or on the road before becoming paralyzed. However, paralysis can happen in a hospital room when physicians, surgeons and medical professionals are negligent while conducting various procedures. Paralysis may be as small as minor tremors in the limb or as severe as complete quadriplegia. These are some common causes of paralysis resulting from medical procedures:
Childbirth
When an infant is injured during childbirth, the cause is usually a brachial plexus injury. This comes from unnecessary force on the infant during a hard delivery. The permanent result is an arm that functions incorrectly.
Delayed Or Incorrect Diagnosis
If a medical professional does not recognize the signs of a serious illness right away or at all and it is identified by another professional after the condition worsens, the condition may lead to permanent paralysis. Some examples include stroke, spinal cord diseases and spinal cord damage.
Surgery
Surgeries on the brain or back can result in one of the three types of paralysis. It can happen because of errors made by the surgeon or assisting medical professionals. However, patients who have orthopedic or neurological surgeries are often informed before receiving surgery that there is a risk of paralysis.
Is My Paralysis The Result Of Negligence?
Living with any type of paralysis means living with more expenses. Losing the ability to perform a job, to keep up a house and to pay for extra medical care takes its toll on a victim’s finances. In addition to this, most people require assistive devices such as canes or wheelchairs. Many paralysis victims have a case for medical malpractice. It is important to pinpoint the cause of the paralysis to determine if it was due to negligence.
In some cases where a patient is severely injured or very ill, a physician must make a decision between saving the person’s life with the risk of paralysis or taking a bigger risk of choosing a treatment option that is more likely to be fatal. When this happens, negligence is typically not involved. However, delicate procedures where errors were made or excessive force was used are grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.
If you or someone you know was paralyzed from a medical procedure, it is important to find out if you or your family member are entitled to compensation. Do not settle for a lifelong financial struggle. Get the money you need and deserve. Contact the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at our firm for a free consultation.