When a negligent truck driver causes an 18-wheeler accident on a busy highway in Dallas, Fort Worth, or the Mid-Cities area, the consequences can be catastrophic for the occupants of much smaller passenger vehicles. One devastating injury that victims can suffer is a spinal cord injury causing paralysis. These victims could require hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical treatment over a lifetime and round-the-clock assistance with personal needs.
How Paralysis Is Caused by a Truck Accident
While there are a number of ways paralysis can occur, one of the leading causes is a sudden blow to the spine in a truck or other motor vehicle accident. The spine is a vital part of a person’s central nervous system and transmits signals from the brain through nerve channels that run throughout the body. When the spine suffers a violent blow, it can cause damage to the spinal cord and nerves and disrupt the messages between the brain and nerves throughout the body. The injury can be to the person’s vertebrae, ligaments, disks, nerve fibers, or the spinal cord. The result can be paralysis, with permanent changes to a person’s sensations, strength, mobility, and other bodily functions below the site of the injury.
Types of Paralysis a Truck Accident Victim Could Suffer
With complete paralysis, a person loses all sensation and ability to control bodily functions below the site of the spinal injury. Incomplete paralysis results in a partial loss of sensation and control of movement. Specific types of paralysis include the following:
Paraplegia
This type of paralysis affects an individual’s trunk, legs, and pelvic organs, but he can still use his hands and arms.
Monoplegia
A person will have partial or total loss of sensation and ability to move one limb.
Hemiplegia
A person’s arm and leg on one side of his body is paralyzed.
Tetraplegia
This is also referred to as quadriplegia and affects an accident victim’s hands, arms, trunk, legs, and pelvic organs.
Have You Been Injured In A Texas Truck Accident?
If you've been injured in a truck accident you need to speak with an experienced truck accident injury attorney as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Colleyville office directly at 817.485.8888 to schedule your free consultation.
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