Paralysis Attorneys in Miami

12,000 people a year suffer a Spinal Cord Injury. Contrary to popular myth, even if the spinal cord is largely intact after the injury, victims may still experience significant paralysis and/or loss of function. In fact, the spinal cord is not severed in most SCI cases. Also contrary to popular myth, people can “break their backs” and still not suffer paralysis. If another person’s negligence caused the paralysis, that person may be liable for damages.

Since they have over 80 years of combined experience, the hard-working attorneys at Gerson and Schwartz, PA, know what it takes to obtain fair compensation for victims. Winning cases are built on solid evidence that allows only one conclusion and sound legal theories that are well-grounded and easy for the jury to understand. This combination often leads to results that exceed your expectations.

Depending on the severity of the SCI, paralysis is either localized, meaning that it affects only one part of the body, or generalized, in that it affects more than one body area. The specific types of paralysis are:

• Monoplegia (one body part),
• Hemiplegia (arm and leg on one side of the body),
• Paraplegia (both legs), and
• Quadriplegia/Tetraplegia (both arms and legs).

In layman’s terms, paralysis means either complete loss of use or a loss of use so great that the limb or member is almost totally nonfunctioning.

The neck, head, and back are among the most vulnerable parts of the human body when trauma injury is involved, and almost any excessive pressure can cause a permanent injury. Some common causes of SCI-related paralysis include:

• Motor Vehicle Crashes: In most all car crashes, the occupants’ heads are thrown forward moments before they violently snap back, exposing the neck and head to serious injury. Many times, seat belts and other restraints offer inadequate protection.
• Falls: Slip-and-fall victims often land on their upper or lower spines, while falls from high places may cause catastrophic injuries.
• ATV Rollovers and Off-Road Motorcycle Crashes: Even if the property is marked as off-limits to recreational vehicles, landowners may still be liable for injuries sustained in this manner, especially if the victim was a minor or had visited the land on a previous occasion.
• Defective Products: Exploding airbags, defective ignition switches, and runaway car accelerators are just a few recent examples of the dangerous products that have injured thousands of people.

Paralysis is normally considered to be a serious injury under Florida’s no-fault insurance law. So, victims are typically entitled to additional compensation, as set forth below.

Paralysis victims are normally never able to work again and, on top of their short-term medical bills, they must deal with other added expenses, like physical rehabilitation and in-home care. All these past, present, and future economic damages are fully compensable.

Some damages are less tangible, like the pain and suffering that these victims must endure, the emotional distress they experience, their inability to provide companionship and support to other family members, and the loss of their enjoyment in life. All these items are compensable noneconomic damages.

Florida also allows the plaintiff to recover punitive damages, if the tortfeasor (negligent actor) acted with malice or conscious indifference for the safety and welfare of others.

Paralysis is among the most serious personal injuries. For a free consultation with an experienced negligence lawyer in Miami, contact Gerson and Schwartz, PA, at (305) 371-6000 or info@gslawusa.com. Home and hospital visits are available.

Our bodies only function at top efficiency when all four limbs are 100 percent healthy. For example, a missing foot makes it impossible to walk without assistance. People often overcome these injuries, but such results come about only after tremendous physical, emotional, and financial sacrifices. Friends and loved ones must make sacrifices as well, because they too must adjust to the new reality.

The aggressive attorneys at Gerson and Schwartz, PA, stand up for the legal and financial rights of injured victims and their families. Our professionals quickly evaluate your case, identify the best pathway to recovery, and begin working to build a winning case. We know that you are not satisfied with anything less than the best result under the circumstances, and neither are we.