What is Paraplegia?
What is Paraplegia?
Paraplegia and quadriplegia are permanently paralyzing injuries resulting from catastrophic accidents such as massive motor vehicle collisions, sports mishaps, and other high impact accidents. Paraplegia is a medical condition that causes a person to lose his motor or sensory function in his lower extremities.
On the other hand, quadriplegia makes the person paralyzed from the neck down (also called four limb paralysis). Any of the following circumstances could cause paraplegia or quadriplegia:
- Brain damage
- Neck or back injury
- Head trauma
- Medical negligence
- Spinal cord injury
An act of negligence by a physician, the anesthesiologist, a surgeon or any other medical practitioner may cause an injury to the patient’s spine, leading to paralysis. Such an event makes the victim or his family entitled to claim financial compensation from the responsible party, on the grounds of medical malpractice.
Paralytic Injury and its Consequences
Spinal injuries, whether caused by an accident or medical errors, can lead to paraplegia and/or quadriplegia. The extent of paralytic state is determined by various factors such as severity of the injury and the accurate section of the spine that has been injured. Accordingly, the patient may suffer partial or total paralysis in the limb(s), as well as impairment of organ function in the areas affected.
The costs and consequences of a paralytic injury can be staggering, due to its expensive treatment and long-term requirement of medical attention. The loss of earning ability and permanent disabilities can also add to the overwhelming situation for the patient and the family.
Medical negligence can lead to a paralytic injury in many different ways, which can all be prevented with the right attention to detail and proper care. In the case of a misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose an injury affecting the spinal cord, the treatment and medication may need to be extended beyond the original requirement. Similarly, when an injury to the spinal cord caused by a surgical error leads to paralysis, the patient may need to undergo a corrective surgery which may often not guarantee complete normalcy after surgery.
Birth injuries during surgery may cause a paralyzing condition to the baby, called Erb’s palsy or cerebral palsy, which is a direct result of deprivation of oxygen, or pulling the baby’s head with excessive force during delivery.
Co-morbid Conditions
Patients suffering from paraplegia may often suffer one or more of the following co-morbid conditions:
- Kidney stones
- Urinary tract infections
- Decubitus (pressure sores)
- Fecal and urinary incontinence
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Thrombosis (clotting of blood vessels)
- Autophagy or degradation of the muscle
- Chronic pain in nerves surrounding the injured area
- Pneumonia and other respiratory infections
Risk factors involved in mistreated conditions of paraplegia or quadriplegia:
- Spinal fracture
- Spinal cord injury
- Spinal compression
- Spinal cord or vertebral tumor growth
- Spinal epidural hematoma
- Food-borne parasitic infection called Paragonimiasis
- Vertebral disc prolapse
If you or a loved one has been affected by paraplegia or quadriplegia due to medical negligence, contact our New York City Medical malpractice attorneys for the most suitable legal advice. Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff have law offices located in Astoria, Queens, New York City and two locations in Brooklyn. Call 212-344-1000so you can be one step closer to getting your life back on track.
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