5 min read time
Table of Contents
What Is the Difference Between Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Injuries
While paraplegic and quadriplegic injuries are both catastrophic injuries that significantly alter one's life, there are key differences between them that are essential to understand when working in the medical space, personal injury law, or being around paralysis injuries or even suffering from paralysis yourself.
Paraplegic Injuries
A paraplegic injury is an injury that occurs in the lower portion of the spinal cord, typically the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral regions.
Severe spinal cord injuries that result in paraplegia often cause permanent or long-term loss of sensation and use in the legs, lower body, and pelvic organs.
However, with paraplegia, the upper half of the body remains operable, including the hands and arms.
People who suffer from a spinal cord injury that results in paraplegia can usually still complete everyday tasks such as self-care, eating, and upper-body workouts, with the assistance of a wheelchair or other medical devices.
When comparing paraplegic injuries to quadriplegic injuries, the key difference is that paraplegia results in partial to total loss of function to the lower half of the body.
Quadriplegic Injuries
Quadriplegia, also referred to as tetraplegia, stems from a spinal cord injury that occurs at the cervical (neck) level.
A quadriplegic injury results in total or partial loss of function below a person's neck, including all four limbs and torso.
Quadriplegic accidents can hinder one's respiratory function, bladder and bowel control, and sexual function. Additional difficulty performing daily tasks is assured to arise, as, depending on the severity of the spinal cord injury, most quadriplegics can not perform tasks from eating to bathing on their own.
The main difference between quadriplegia and paraplegia is that quadriplegia causes partial or total loss of use in all four limbs and the torso.
How Does Being Paraplegic Affect One's Life
Being paraplegic can take a significant toll on one's life, both physically and mentally.
Common symptoms experienced by someone who has suffered a paraplegic spinal injury include:
- Loss or limited mobility in the legs and lower body
- Reduced bladder and bowel function
- Loss of sexual functions
- Muscle spasms
- Chronic pain
- Higher risk of blood clots, sores, and urinary tract infections
- Emotional distress & depression
The effect of paraplegia on one's life is exceptionally severe, making it crucial to obtain the largest possible financial settlement if someone else's negligence caused them a spinal cord injury.
If you or loved has a case where they suffered partial paralysis due from a neglgeince act of another such as a car crash or medical neglgience, schedule a free consultation with the Las Vegas personal injury lawyers at the Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm to learn how we can help you obtain the settlement you or your loved one deserves.
How Does Being Quadriplegic Affect One's Life
Suffering from quadriplegia, also known as tetraplegia, has severe effects on one's life that often shorten the lifespan of a person.
Understanding these effects can hopefully provide a better understanding of the hardships quadriplegics go through.
Common symptoms from a cervical spinal injury that results in quadriplegia include:
- Loss of movement and sensation in all four limbs and the torso
- Bone and muscle loss
- Pressure ulcers
- Sexual dysfunction
- Muscle spams
- Autoimmune disorders
- Blood clots and high blood pressure
- Mental distress
Maximizing your settlement after suffering a tetraplegic injury is crucial to providing the lifelong financial support and medical care you may require.
To ensure you obtain a fair settlement from your serious injury claim, contact an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer from the Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm to learn how we can help you.
Damages You Can Seek for Paraplegia or Quadriplegia Caused by Negligence
When suffering traumatic spinal injuries caused by someone else's negligent actions that result in paraplegia or quadriplegia, you may be entitled to substantial amounts of economic and non-economic damages due to the severe hardship the spinal cord injuries brought to your life.
Most commonly sought after damages for a spinal cord injury, which results in paraplegia or quadriplegia, are:
- Medical expenses (Past and future)
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and other rehabilitation services cost
- Cost of assistive devices (wheelchairs, ventilators, mobility aids, or other adaptive technology)
- Cost of home and vehicle modifications
- Lost wages (Past and future)
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium (Includes the loss of companionship, affection, and intimacy)
- Punitive damages (In case of extreme negligence or intentional acts)
The damages in a paraplegia or quadriplegia injury case often reach into the millions, so it's crucial to get a law firm that knows how to handle such a large claim and even take it to court to fight for your settlement.
If you're in Nevada, the choice is the Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm, as with over 20 years of legal experience, you'll be working with a law firm that has seen it all and handled it all.
Talk with a spinal cord injury lawyer today by calling (702) 566-3600.
What Are the Treatment Options for Paraplegia and Quadriplegia
While there is no known cure or reverter for paraplegia or quadriplegia, there are various treatment options that can help people suffering from paraplegia and quadriplegia improve motor function in working areas, manage symptoms, and take back their daily lives.
Consistent Therapy and Rehabilitation
Long-term and persistent physical, occupational, speech, and psychological therapy is crucial to adapting and coping with the effects paralysis has brought on one's life.
Additionally, support groups containing individuals who have suffered similar injuries can help one find relatability and new tips for operating with partial or complete paralysis.
Assistive Devices
Medical technology has undoubly advanced throughout the years, and it's crucial for anyone with paralysis to take advantage of this by utilizing the devices which could potentially improve their lives, including wheelchairs, smart-home technology, and robotics, which help patients perform tasks essential to daily life.
Also, assistive devices can help one suffering from paralysis prevent blood clots and other side effects of paralysis, as well as help in regaining muscle function in less affected areas.
Staying Up to Date on Emerging Medical Treatments and Breakthroughs
A solution for paralysis is being researched every day by countless companies and governments, meaning it's crucial not to lose hope on regaining full motor function and stay up to date on promising research, such as:
- Stem Cell Therapy: Can be used to treat paraplegic and quadriplegic victims by promoting new growth in the injury site.
- Nerve Grafting: Restore motor function by repairing damaged nerves with healthy ones.
- Brain Chips: Advanced technology that allows people living with paralysis to interact with computer interfaces using their thoughts.
Obtain the Compensation You're Entitled To
Contact Us Today
Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer is a Las Vegas personal injury law firm with over 20 years of experience helping clients obtain maximum compensation following injuries from accidents such as car crashes, worksite injuries, and slips and falls. Over those years, The Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm has become an experienced law firm that can ensure exceptional results for any of its clients.
