Most of the car accidents that take place in Calgary are minor “fender benders” that cause superficial damage to the cars involved but that, thankfully, don’t lead to serious injuries for the parties involved. That being said, there are still hundreds of far more serious car accidents that take place in the Greater Calgary Area that lead to significant bodily harm, including hundreds of traffic fatalities every year.

Among the most serious non-fatal injuries suffered in Calgary-area car accidents are those resulting in the paralysis of limbs and/or the loss of use of certain parts of the body—paraplegia and quadriplegia.

Commonalities of Paraplegia and Quadriplegia Cases

While damage can occur to any part of the nervous system during a serious car accident, paraplegia (affecting the lower half of the body) and quadriplegia (affecting the body from the neck down) are caused almost exclusively by injuries to the spinal cord. The spinal column isn’t only an important part of the body’s skeletal structure, allowing us to stand tall and connecting all other parts of the skeleton. It also plays an important role in the body’s nervous system, protecting the spinal cord—the central bundle of cords that carries messages to and from the brain and all other organs, muscles, and parts of the body.

Trauma that is severe enough to damage the spinal cord, whether or not the surrounding bone tissue is fractured, can lead to paraplegia or quadriplegia depending on where the injury occurs. Both conditions are marked by an inability for the brain to properly communicate through the disrupted channel of the injured spinal cord. Generally speaking, communication works fine at all points above the injury, while parts of the body below the injury site on the spinal cord are either partially or totally impaired or paralyzed due to broken nerve connections.

Both quadriplegia and paraplegia can severely impact your daily life and your ability to perform even basic functions required for your personal care. Significant reductions in earning capacity due to task limitations, time required off for medical care, and limited working hours due to a faster onset of fatigue are also common problems many paraplegics and quadriplegics must contend with.

This, of course, is in addition to the direct medical expenses that can mount up following an injury that causes paraplegia or quadriplegia, and to the pain and suffering and diminished quality of life that are direct results of the injury. Both are serious diagnoses that despite any medical and technological advances are still considered chronic and incurable in most cases.

Help for Your Paraplegia/Quadriplegia Following a Calgary Car Accident

If you or a family member has suffered a paraplegia- or quadriplegia causing injury in a Calgary car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you’re entitled to compensation for your injuries and the disruption they have caused to your life. Cuming & Gillespie LLP is Calgary’s premier personal injury/car accident victim law firm; we help clients like you and your family everyday. For a free initial consultation, please contact our office today.