Fort Lauderdale Paralysis Injury Lawyers

Skilled Personal Injury Lawyers Represent Accident Victims Who Have Sustained Paralysis Injuries in Fort Lauderdale Car Accidents and Through Medical Malpractice

One of the most severe and potentially catastrophic injuries that you can suffer is paralysis, which usually results when your spinal cord or brain is injured in some type of accident.  Some of the more common causes of spinal cord injuries that lead to paralysis in South Florida are car accidents and, unfortunately, medical malpractice. Paralysis may be permanent or temporary and may involve a loss of two limbs, four limbs, one side of the body or the use of fingers and toes.  Regardless of the area of the body affected, paralysis will have a significant impact on every aspect of your daily life going forward. At Lawlor, White & Murphey, P.C., our experienced Fort Lauderdale Paralysis Injury Lawyers advocate zealously on behalf of our clients in cases where a negligent doctor, surgeon, or driver on the South Florida roadways caused an accident that altered the victim’s life forever.

In paralysis injury cases, we understand that the initial medical treatment is only the very first step toward living with paralysis, so we focus heavily on securing your financial future. We also know that the time period immediately following a paralysis diagnosis is perhaps one of the most challenging times that you have ever faced.  Our skilled Fort Lauderdale Paralysis Injury Lawyers are well-prepared to take on the burden of fighting to ensure you receive every dollar of compensation to which you are entitled.

Establishing Your Right to Compensation for Paralysis Caused by Third Party Negligence

When a third party’s negligence caused your paralysis, you may be entitled to financial compensation for the life-altering changes that living with paralysis will cause.  In order to establish your right to compensation under Florida law, our skilled paralysis injury lawyers will work to prove:

• The negligent party owed you a duty of care,
• The negligent party breached the applicable duty of care,
• That breach caused your paralysis,
• Because of the paralysis, you suffered damages, whether tangible or intangible.

While the duty of care owed by a driver on the roadway mandates that the individual drive exercising reasonable caution, in medical malpractice cases, the applicable standard of care is one that is developed by the medical community based upon the circumstances at hand.  

Establishing this standard involves looking to how a similarly situated medical professional would behave under the circumstances. The most common causes of paralysis that results from medical malpractice involve:

• Surgical errors
• Misdiagnosis
• Birth injuries, including cases where a physician uses excessive force during delivery, potentially causing damage to the infant’s brachial plexus
• Oxygen deprivation, which can occur during surgery, causing brain damage and potentially paralysis

Types of Paralysis Injuries Suffered in South Florida Car Accident Cases

The severity of a spinal cord injury depends upon a number of factors, including where the injury that caused the eventual paralysis was sustained.  Primary forms of paralysis include:

• Paraplegia.  Paraplegia is a paralysis injury that is usually caused by damage to the thoracic spinal cord and generally impacts only the lower half of the body, resulting in loss of full use of the legs, and potentially causing problems with bladder control and sexual function.
• Quadriplegia.  Quadriplegia is a paralysis injury that is usually caused by damage to the upper cervical spine and impacts all four limbs.  This type of paralysis injury can also cause difficulties breathing that can potentially require the victim to use a ventilator.

Both paraplegia and quadriplegia can result when you are injured in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence or when a medical professional provides negligent care.

Lawlor, White & Murphey Fight to Uncover All Available Compensation for South Florida Paralysis Victims

Whether your paralysis injury was sustained in a car accident or as a result of medical malpractice, our skilled personal injury lawyers will work tirelessly to uncover all available compensation in your case.  This is one of the primary reasons why it is important to refrain from accepting any insurance company settlement awards prior to consulting with a skilled paralysis injury lawyer. Settlement awards are final once accepted, meaning that you could be left to shoulder the cost of future care without any recourse against the at-fault party.

Available compensation in paralysis injury cases may include:

• Current medical expenses
• Long-term medical expenses, including costs associated with potential future medical complications
• Psychological counseling
• Occupational therapy
• In-home care

• In-home modifications
• Medical devices, including wheelchairs
• Ventilators if the paralysis injury results in difficulty breathing
• Transportation expenses, both current and future
• Modifications to a personal vehicle
• Alternative treatments, such as chiropractic care
• Lost wages and future earning potential
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium or companionship

Aggressive Fort Lauderdale Paralysis Injury Lawyers Offer a Free Initial Consultation to South Florida Accident Victims

If you have sustained a paralysis injury in a car accident or through medical malpractice in South Florida, our skilled Fort Lauderdale Paralysis Injury Lawyers are ready to begin building the most compelling argument possible to recover compensation for your injuries.  Call our offices today, or fill out this online contact form, to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your options going forward.

Frequently Asked Questions About Paralysis Injuries in Fort Lauderdale, FL