Paraplegia refers to paralysis of the lower body, specifically of the legs, after a spinal injury that occurs below the neck. Quadriplegia, also known as tetraplegia, is paralysis of all four limbs as a result of a spinal injury at the base of the skull or neck.
In either scenario, one can have either partial or total paralysis, depending on whether the spinal injury is complete or incomplete. An incomplete spinal injury means the person may retain some function and feeling because messages to and from the brain haven’t been lost completely. One with a complete spinal injury will sustain total lack of motor and sensory function below the site of the injury.
An Atlanta injury attorney calculating your damages will consider the full extent of one’s tangible and intangible losses to date, as well as those sustained over the course of one’s life.
In a 2004 cross-sectional study published in the journal Nature, more than 100 young men who suffered quadriplegia or paraplegia reported that since their injuries, their physical and psychological health declined dramatically. Their expenses were significantly higher while their earnings were significantly less. Those who had been self-employed prior to the crash showed the most significant economic decline.