A paralyzing back injury changes everything in an instant.
Suddenly you’re facing staggering medical costs and an uncertain future. Financial security for you and your loved ones won’t come without a legal fight.
Fernandez Law has the resources and the resolve to recover every dollar you deserve.
Back Injury Is a Leading Cause of Paralysis in Missouri
About every 30 minutes, someone in the United States suffers a traumatic spinal cord injury. Injury to the spine is a leading cause of paralysis, second only to stroke.
The most common causes of paralysis injuries in Missouri are:
- Passenger vehicle crashes
- Truck and commercial vehicle crashes
- Falls
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Sports
- Acts of violence
- Medical malpractice
Paralysis injuries disrupt the lives of victims and their families in multiple ways.
Painful rehabilitation, emotional trauma, careers cut short, lifelong medical bills — these disruptions are major and often permanent.
You need an attorney who understands all the ways a paralyzing injury can change your life. From the start of your case, your lawyer should be considering all of these aspects and their financial impact now and in the future.
If you or a loved one suffered a paralysis injury, call (314) 433-9131 for a free, no-pressure legal consultation.
What Paralysis Means for a Personal Injury Case
Paralysis is a uniquely devastating catastrophic injury. Impacts are severe, expensive, and usually lifelong.
You need a personal injury lawyer experienced in this kind of severe injury. Fernandez Law has the experience to understand the medicine and what it means for your life. We can get you the level of compensation you need to secure your future.
What Is a Paralysis Injury?
A paralysis injury is a traumatic injury that causes loss of muscle function or sensation in part of the body. Most paralyzing injuries affect the brain or the spinal cord.
Paralysis can be partial or complete, temporary or permanent, and levels of paralysis can change over time.
The Costs of Paralysis Injuries Compound Over a Lifetime
In your first year of paralysis, medical and living expenses can range from $700,000 (for paraplegia) to over $1 million (for quadriplegia).
After the first year, you can expect ongoing expenses of $100,000 to $250,000 a year for the rest of your life.
Those are just direct expenses such as medical treatment and accessibility devices. They don’t include indirect financial impacts like lost wages. People living with paralysis are almost three times more likely to be unemployed, and nearly half are unable to work.
This is why it’s so crucial to hire an attorney experienced in catastrophic injury. When building your case, your lawyer needs to consider these costs, add indirect costs, and account for inflation. Otherwise, the money from your award or settlement may not last your entire life.
Gonzalo Fernandez specializes in cases of catastrophic injury. Schedule your free, confidential consultation now.
| TYPES OF PARALYZING BACK INJURIES | ||
| Location of Injury | Paralysis Type | Common Effects |
| C1-C4 vertebrae (neck) | High tetraplegia (quadriplegia) | Paralysis of all limbs and torso, including impaired breathing and digestive functions |
| C5-C8 vertebrae (neck) | Low tetraplegia (quadriplegia) | Paralysis of legs and most of the torso, but may maintain some hand and arm function |
| T1-T12 vertebrae (mid to upper back) | Paraplegia | Normal arm and hand function, paralysis of legs. May have impaired control of bowel and bladder |
| L1-L5 vertebrae (lower back) | Lower paraplegia | Some loss of function in the hips and legs, but may not cause total paralysis. Bowel and bladder control may be impaired |
| S1-S5 vertebrae (sacral) | Sacral or lumbar injury | May have some impaired leg function, but most patients can walk. Some impairment in bowel and bladder control and sexual function |
| Source: BoneAndSpine.com | ||
Paralysis Often Leads to Secondary Complications
When predicting future medical costs, it’s important to look beyond the paralysis itself. Secondary medical complications are common with most forms of paralysis.
These common complications add to the physical suffering and long-term cost of care and should be included in any legal claim.
Common secondary complications of paralysis injuries include:
- Pressure sores
- Urinary tract infections
- Kidney infections
- Pneumonia and other respiratory complications
- Blood pressure spikes (autonomic dysreflexia)
- Chronic pain
- Osteoporosis
- Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
- Anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder
If you or a loved one has been injured, schedule a consultation today.
What a Paralysis Claim Is Worth in Missouri
There is no average award or settlement for any kind of personal injury claim, including paralysis injuries.
The financial value of your claim depends on several factors, including
- What led to the injury
- The severity and permanence of the injury
- Your lifetime earning capacity based on your pre-injury occupation
- Insurance coverage
- The evidence presented by attorneys for both sides
Never accept a settlement offer presented to you after a paralysis injury without first talking with a lawyer.
Insurers try to pressure victims to settle quickly for an amount that sounds good, but doesn’t come close to what they will need to cover a lifetime of pain and financial costs.
When calculating your claim, your attorney will consider both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are measurable expenses you have paid or can realistically expect to pay. These include:
- Medical expenses such as surgeries, hospitalizations, rehabilitation, prescriptions, assistive devices, and skilled nursing care
- Lost wages
- Reduced future earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages are intangible, but no less real. They include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment in life
- Loss of consortium
Sometimes a defendant’s conduct is so reckless, the court decides they should be punished on top of compensating you for your loss. In those cases, you could also receive punitive damages.
The court could also award punitive damages, intended to punish negligence.
Proving Liability for Paralysis Injuries in Missouri Courts
The lifetime costs of a paralysis injury can far exceed the limits of any one insurance policy.
To secure your financial future, Fernandez Law doesn’t simply file a claim against the most obvious defendant. We conduct a thorough investigation to identify every party who might bear some responsibility for your injury.
Liable parties can include:
- The company that employs a negligent truck driver
- The manufacturer of a piece of defective equipment
- The property owner whose neglect created a hazard
- Government agencies responsible for maintaining a safe environment
- Healthcare providers whose treatments or delays worsened the injury
Every personal injury claim is based on the four elements of negligence: someone had a duty of care; they breached that duty through negligent actions or inaction; their negligence caused your injury; your injury resulted in provable damages.
The best way to ensure your compensation lasts the rest of your life is to identify every party who failed in their duty to prevent your injury.
Fernandez Law Conducts Independent Investigations to Get You the Compensation You Deserve
The team at Fernandez Law doesn’t just read reports and file paperwork. We do everything we can to build a strong case, and that includes conducting our own investigation.
We’ll collect evidence of the incident, including reviewing the scene and interviewing witnesses. We independently examine medical records and dig into evidence like cell phone records and past OSHA citations.
We call in expert witnesses to support your claim, including physicians, rehabilitation experts, and accident reconstructionists. And we work with certified life care planners to calculate the amount you’ll need to comfortably live out your life.
Call (314) 433-9131 to consult with an expert on the strength of your case and what it might be worth.
It Takes a Specialist Attorney to Win a Paralysis Injury Claim
A paralysis injury claim is not like any other kind of personal injury claim.
It’s medically complex, with financial impacts that last decades. In addition, paralysis injuries cause severe mental and emotional distress as your life is turned upside down.
Paralysis injury claims are also legally complex. To secure the compensation you’re entitled to, the claim can span multiple defendants, insurance policies, government entities, and product manufacturers.
You don’t just need a personal injury lawyer. You need a catastrophic injury lawyer. You need Gonzalo Fernandez.
Gonzalo Fernandez
Catastrophic Injury Lawyer With 30+ Years Experience in St. Louis Courts
Gonzalo Fernandez has built his career fighting for people who have suffered catastrophic injuries. With his practice focus and extensive experience, he understands the complex nature of paralysis injuries more deeply than any other St. Louis lawyer.
The law firm he founded, Fernandez Law, has achieved the highest-possible rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which ranks lawyers’ legal ability and ethical standards based on reviews by their peers.
Over the past 30 years, Gonzalo has built an expert network of professionals who support his clients. Life care planners help you build a future after a paralysis injury. Legal and medical professionals provide expert insights to build your case.
While most personal injury cases settle outside the courtroom, Gonzalo builds every case as though it’s going to trial. He’s earned a reputation for trial readiness that motivates insurance companies to show up to negotiations ready to offer a fair deal.
Fairness is essential to the way Fernandez Law works. You’re not just a case number here. Gonzalo and his staff know every client personally. They take the time to make sure you feel respected, understood, and cared for, every step of the way.
Gonzalo’s professional honors include:
- Recognition with a Lifetime Achievement Award by The National Trial Lawyers, which also named him a Top 100 Trial Lawyer
- Named to the Nation’s Top 1% by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel
- Named a Best Lawyer by both St. Louis Magazine and Alive Magazine
- Named one of the Top Attorneys of Missouri by both Missouri Top Lawyers and KC Magazine
Awards and Recognition
- AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Nation’s Top 1%, National Association of Distinguished Counsel
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers
- Lifetime Achievement, The National Trial Lawyers
- Best Lawyers, St. Louis Magazine
- Top Attorneys of Missouri, Missouri Top Lawyers
- Top Attorneys of Missouri and Kansas, KC Magazine
If you or a loved one has been injured, schedule a consultation today.
What to Do After a Paralysis Injury
In the immediate aftermath of any injury, your first priority is emergency medical care.
In the days and weeks that follow the injury, you will be faced with decisions that could impact both your recovery and your legal claim.
| GET MEDICAL CARE | Get immediate medical care, with ambulance transport.
As soon as possible, get evaluated at a designated spinal cord treatment center. Specialty care can improve your long-term outcomes. In St. Louis, these include The Rehabilitation Institute of BJC HealthCare and Barnes Jewish Hospital. |
| REPORT THE INCIDENT | Formally report the incident that led to the injury in writing.
|
| DOCUMENT EVERYTHING | Document everything you can about the incident.
|
| WHAT NOT TO DO | Do not talk to insurance adjusters or lawyers representing any possible defendants.
Do not post about the incident or the injury on social media. Don’t answer questions or accept any settlement offer without first consulting with your team at Fernandez Law. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a paralysis injury claim?
It depends on the type of claim and who you are filing against.
- Personal injury claim against a private party: 5 years from the date of injury
- Claim against a government entity: Can be much shorter, as little as 90 days from the date of the injury
- Medical malpractice claim: 2 years from the date of the injury
In all cases, file as soon as you can. Paralysis injuries are complex claims that can take more than a year to resolve if they go to trial. During that time, expenses pile up, evidence can get lost, and witness memories fade.
Can I file suit if I was hurt at work?
In a workplace accident, it’s likely the only claim you have against your employer is workers’ compensation.
However, in most cases there are additional third parties who bear some responsibility for the injury. In addition to workers’ comp, you can file personal injury claims against these third parties.
How much does it cost to file a paralysis injury lawsuit?
Fernandez Law handles paralysis injury claims on a contingency basis: that means we only get paid if you win your case.
There are no upfront costs and no fees until we recover compensation for you. After we win your case, our fee is a percentage of your award or settlement.
How do I know if I have a paralysis injury claim?
If you suffered a paralyzing injury that happened because of someone else’s actions or lack of actions, you probably have a legal claim — even if the incident that caused the injury was partly your fault.
Call (314) 433-9131 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. We’ll listen to your story and give you an honest assessment about the strength of your case.
What if the accident was partly my fault?
You can still get compensation from the other parties involved. In Missouri, the court decides what percentage of the accident was your fault and subtracts that amount from the value of your claim.
For example, if you file a $2 million claim and the court finds you were 50% responsible for your injuries, you can still seek $1 million in compensation.
Who can I sue for my paralysis injury?
There are likely multiple parties who each bear some responsibility for your injury. Fernandez Law will conduct a thorough investigation to ensure everyone who bears any liability is held responsible.
How much is my paralysis injury worth?
There is no average value for paralysis injury claims. The amount of damages you could receive depends on a variety of factors.
When building your case, Fernandez Law uses data from experts to build a complete picture of the financial, physical, and emotional damages the injury has caused, and will be sure you’re compensated appropriately.
Will I have to go to court?
Most personal injury cases settle without going to court. However, Fernandez Law will urge you not to accept a settlement that falls short of securing your financial future.
If the defendants fail to negotiate a fair settlement, we are prepared to win your case in court.
Should I hear what the insurance company has to say before hiring a lawyer?
No. Insurance companies are in the business of making money, and that means paying you as little as they can get away with. They do not have your best interests at heart.
Once you’ve hired Fernandez Law as your legal representative, the calls from insurance adjusters will stop. They will have to go through us, leaving you to recover in peace.
Time is Short. Get Your Free Consultation Today
Paralysis injury claims are complex, and take some time to resolve in the legal system.
The sooner you file a claim, the sooner we can get you compensation to build your post-paralysis future. The longer you wait, the more likely it becomes that evidence will be lost, witnesses will forget, and expenses will pile up.
There is no cost, no pressure, and no obligation to get a confidential consultation.