The Consequence of a Serious Wisconsin Car Crash Could Be Paralysis

It is sometimes difficult to imagine how life-shattering some totally unexpected events can be. Short of the death of a loved one, paralysis as the result of injuries sustained in a devastating Wisconsin car accident could be one of the greatest challenges for victims and their family.

What should people expect if someone is paralyzed as a result of a car crash?

To most people, paralysis is the complete loss of feeling and movement of the limbs resulting from spinal cord injuries. A more correct definition describes paralysis as the loss of muscle function, sometimes accompanied by loss of sensory feeling.

Paralysis is often caused by trauma, such as car accident injuries to the spinal cord, but can also be caused by strokes or chronic illnesses like multiple sclerosis.

Physicians normally classify paralysis as "complete" or "incomplete". In a complete paralysis there is a complete loss of function below the point of injury (POI). Fortunately, most paralysis cases induced by trauma are incomplete, allowing some feeling and movement below the POI. This is in part due to the focus of emergency responders on immediately reducing the compression of the spinal cord due to swelling, broken bones and foreign matter.

Incomplete paralysis varies substantially according to the location and damage to the nerve cells, and can be classified in one of the following categories: anterior cord syndrome (upper part of the column), central cord syndrome (middle part), posterior cord syndrome (lower part) and "cauda equina" lesion, when the nerves of the first and second lumbar region are injured, causing the patient to lose sensory function.

For Wisconsin victims of car accidents resulting in spinal cord damage and paralysis, the challenges they face can be daunting. Some victims will recover, but not always fully. Recovery involves long, painful and costly therapies. Being impaired means home care and adaptive services. If the crash was caused by someone else, victims will need the full support of a top rated and determined law firm to fight for justice on their behalf. Contact Hupy & Abraham today at 800-800-5676 (toll-free) or 414-223-4800 (local) for a free evaluation of your case, or send us an e-mail with your questions.

Hupy & Abraham, S.C. has offices in Milwaukee, Madison, and Appleton in Wisconsin, and Gurnee and Bloomington in Illinois.