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About Paralysis

Paralysis often occurs as a result of injuries to the spinal cord. Such injuries typically disrupt the flow of messages from parts of the body to the brain, causing numbness, lack of feeling, and cessation of movement.

In people without these types of injuries, the decision to move one's limbs begins in the brain. From there, messages are sent to the nerves of the body via the spinal cord. When the spinal cord is damaged, the messages sent by the brain are unable to reach the intended limbs, and movement cannot happen.

The Severity of Paralysis

Paralysis can affect the entire body or parts of the body. It can also be partial or temporary. The severity of a person's paralysis will be decided by the cause of the paralysis and which part of the spinal cord has been affected. Consequently, paralysis can be either temporary or permanent, and can be either partial or complete.

In partial paralysis, it is possible to control some muscles, but not all, whereas in complete paralysis, the individual has no control over any of their muscles. Furthermore, not all people experience paralysis in the same way.

For some people, the muscles become flaccid, becoming floppy and shrinking over time. For others, the muscles become spastic, which means that they tighten and often jerk or spasm uncontrollably.

Muscle Paralysis

Muscle paralysis can either be localised, affecting a very specific area (often temporarily) such as the face, hands, or feet, or it can be general, affecting a significantly larger part of the body, including multiple limbs and systems. Paralysis is differentiated in different types based on which areas of the body are affected.

Diplegia is diagnosed when the paralysis occurs on both sides of the body. For example, a victim would experience paralysis on both the right and left sides of their body. Unlike Diplegia, Hemiplegia affects only one side of the body. For example, an arm and a leg from the same side of the body may be affected. A traumatic brain injury which leads to a stroke could cause this type of paralysis.

Monoplegia occurs when a person is unable to move one of their limbs.

Paraplegia is diagnosed when a person is paralysed in both legs and sometimes in the torso.

Quadriplegia, or Tetraplegia, is a form of paralysis that affects all the body's limbs. People with this form of paralysis have little or no movement from the neck down.

If you or a loved one has suffered paralysis of any form because of an accident that was caused by another person's negligence or incompetence, you may be able to claim compensation. Contact our team today to find out more.

Causes and Treatment

Paralysis, both temporary and permanent, can be caused by medical procedures, but it can also be caused by injury to the brain or spinal cord. When the cord is damaged, messages sent by the brain's nerves neural pathways cannot be adequately transported to the body's nerves, resulting in paralysis.

Tragically, there is currently no cure for paralysis that is caused by damage to the spinal cord because the spinal cord cannot be replaced, and it is unable to heal itself. Injuries to the brain can also cause paralysis. For example, strokes, which occur when part of the brain’s blood supply is cut off, disrupt the transmission of neural impulses and messages between the brain and the muscles.

Typically, stroke victims experience paralysis on one side of the body and the paralysis may be temporary. Victims of spinal cord injuries, on the other hand, often experience more generalised forms of paralysis, most of which are permanent.

Medical treatments typically focus on providing exercises to improve bodily function as much as possible. Additionally, rehabilitative efforts to improve the patient's quality of life are likely to be commenced after diagnosis, including the implementation of adaptive and assistive devices that can improve function and promote independence and a higher quality of life.

Incompetence and Negligence

To make a successful claim for compensation, it must be shown that the victim's paralysis was caused by another person's incompetence and negligence. There are many accidents that can cause damage to the brain and/or spinal cord and which, as a consequence, can cause paralysis.

Below we consider some of the common causes of paralysis, but the list is not extensive. If you feel your paralysis was caused by somebody else's behaviour, we want to hear from you.

Types of injury that can cause paralysis

Road Traffic Accidents

Road Traffic Accidents are sadly common in the UK, affecting thousands of people every year. Tragically, the impact of a RTA on a victim's body can cause irreparable damage to the spinal cord or damage to the brain that could result in a stroke. While pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are most at risk of being paralysed in RTAs, drivers and passengers are also at risk.

Road traffic accidents are also one of the common causes of traumatic brain injuries, which can cause extensive damage to the brain and result in paralysis by preventing the brain from communicating effectively with the body's muscles to facilitate movement. Here at PSR, our North-West-based team of experienced personal injury solicitors have helped thousands of patients throughout the UK claim compensation after being involved in road traffic accidents that weren't their fault.

Today, we're here to help you. If you've suffered paralysis because of a road traffic accident that wasn't your fault, contact us today to find out how we can help you.

Slips, Trips, and Falls

In the UK, slips, trips, and falls are a common but dangerous cause of serious injuries such as paralysis. Slipping on a wet surface, tripping on an uneven pavement, or falling from height or down a set of poorly lit stairs can all result in potentially serious trauma to the spinal cord and/or brain.

If you have slipped, tripped, or fallen in an area that should have been maintained by another person or entity, you could claim compensation. For example, someone who falls down a set of public stairs and suffers a traumatic injury as a result could be awarded compensation if it can be shown that somebody was negligent and failed in their duty to maintain the area.

Our solicitors have helped hundreds of clients claim compensation for injuries caused by slips, trips and falls and we're here to help you, too. If you have been seriously injured and paralysed because of a slip, trip or fall, contact us today.

Accidents at Work

According to UK law, employers have a legal duty to protect their employers from harm. Even so, accidents at work are sadly common, and sufferers can experience serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and fractures to the spine which can result in paralysis. For example, a fall from height in the workplace could result in serious injury to the back, spinal cord, or brain, resulting in paralysis.

Employees who work in potentially hazardous workplaces should be protected by their employers. Employers should maintain their employees' safety by providing adequate personal protective equipment, which could involve safety ropes when working at height to prevent catastrophic falls, health and safety training, and by conducting regular risk assessments to identify potential hazards and reduce the risk of them occurring.

If you have been paralysed because of an accident at work, you will be able to claim compensation if you can show that your employer was responsible for your accident. Here at PSR, our team of personal injury solicitors have helped thousands of people claim successfully against their employers for a wide range of workplace accidents, and we're here now to help you.

Assault

Assault occurs when a person is harmed by another person. It's illegal, and individuals who are assaulted are often able to claim compensation after being attacked. A traumatic brain injury occurs when the brain is injured by a sudden, external physical assault, such as a blow to the head with a heavy object.

Such injuries can disrupt the brain's ability to communicate with other parts of the body, thus causing paralysis. Traumatic brain injuries can also cause aneurysms (bleeds on the brain) and strokes, conditions which can also result in paralysis.

If you have been paralysed because of an assault or attack that was committed by someone else, it's important that you are supported in gaining the compensation you deserve. Our tenacious solicitors have fought on behalf of many victims of assault for the compensation they deserve, and we're here to fight for you, too. Contact us today to find out more.

Contact PSR Solicitors Today

Here at PSR Solicitors, we understand how life-changing paralysis can be. If you have been paralysed because of another person's negligence or incompetence, the condition can seem even more traumatic and unjust.

Our diligent, tenacious and knowledgeable solicitors are eager to fight on your behalf and win you the compensation you deserve so that you can strive for the best possible future for you and your family. Contact us today to find out more.

All PSR’s Personal Injury Solicitors in Wales and Accident Lawyers in Cheshire are accredited by the Law Society for Personal Injury Claims, giving you the reassurance they have the expertise and tenacity to secure the maximum levels of compensation for you or your family.

Covering North Wales and Cheshire, with offices in Colwyn Bay, Ellesmere Port, Rhyl, Shotton, Wrexham, Wallasey, and Chester, PSR Solicitors is a leading firm of Personal Injury Solicitors, affording you the peace of mind that we will manage the entire claim to its conclusion and allow you to concentrate on recovery.