Paraplegia and Quadriplegia Resulting From a Serious Commercial Trucking Wreck

Being involved in any kind of traffic accident can be yield severe physical consequences. There is no doubt that car-to-car collisions, especially on the beltway or interstate, have the potential for serious bodily injury and even death. But while automobile wrecks have the potential for tragic results, the involvement of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in most highway accidents can spell disaster for the people involved.

As Maryland auto and trucking injury attorneys, the legal team at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, understands the pain and discomfort that victims often endure following a serious roadway collision. While broken bones can mend and cuts, bruises and lesser injuries will likely heal, the effects of more life-threatening injuries can linger for weeks or months; perhaps a lifetime. In cases of spinal cord damage due to a commercial truck accident, the results can be nothing less than catastrophic for the victims and their family.

As Baltimore trucking accident specialists, we know that there are few winners when it comes to collisions between large trucks -- such as box-type delivery vehicles and semi tractor-trailer rigs -- and smaller passenger vehicles. Anyone who has survived a road wreck involving a large commercial truck will likely never wish to relive the experience. When a passenger car is hit by a much larger vehicle, at least one of the occupants is bound to receive some kind of injury, which can often be serious. Neck and back injuries are common, but severe spinal cord injury can result in loss of function in one or more limbs.

Although many people may be lucky enough to escape death following a beltway trucking accident, serious commercial trucking wrecks can and do result in life-altering injuries. In the blink of an eye, the simplest of mistakes on the part of a commercial trucker can leave a victim unable to walk, sometimes for the rest of his or her life. As skilled car, truck and motorcycle injury experts, the lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen are ready, willing and able to assist victims recover damages in cases of truck driver negligence.

Sadly, the basic nature of commercial trucks -- being much larger and more massive in comparison to most motor vehicles on the road -- can make the injuries to victims all the more severe. For those unfortunate individuals, recovery from a bad commercial trucking wreck may never be fully realized. The pain, discomfort and emotional distress that often comes in the wake of a serious injury-related accident can pale in comparison to the effects of permanent nerve damage in some patients.

Every year, thousands of innocent traffic accident victims find their lives turned upside down due to the careless actions of another individual. For those individuals who lose one or more limbs as a direct result of a serious commercial truck accident, these victims may be left in the unfortunate situation where they are physically unable to work in order to financially support their family. Even where amputation does not occur, or is not medically necessary, paraplegia can result.

Paraplegia and quadriplegia are certainly just as debilitating as the physical loss of one’s legs, arms, or both. Those accident victims who suffer spinal cord damage due to a severe traffic collision often find that the lost use of their legs will greatly affect their ability to function normally in the world. If a spinal injury occurs higher up along the victim’s back, the possible resulting quadriplegia can spell a lifetime of assisted living or full-time nursing care.

Some trucking-related collisions, which lead to a paraplegic state, can result in loss of function of the lower limbs and trunk. Typically, paraplegia is characterized by a loss of sensation and motor function in the lower portion of the victim’s trunk and legs. This kind of condition can often include what is referred to as general paralysis. Other symptoms can include intermittent or persistent tingling or burning sensations, a “pins and needles" feeling, or a loss of sensation or voluntary movement of the legs.

Quadriplegia, or the loss of use of both arms and both legs, can often be brought about as a consequence of traumatic injury in a traffic wreck. The injury can happen to the brain and/or spinal column. These kinds of injuries, referred to in some circles of the medical field as “lesions,” can result in full or partial loss of function in one or more limbs.

In cases of quadriplegia, the extent of the injury has a great deal to do with the particular area of spinal cord that has been damaged. These can include the cervical spine (C1 to C7), which often results in a paralyzing injury. Injury to the C1 to C4 vertebrae can often cause adverse effects to the victim’s arms as opposed to those injuries sustained by the C5 to C7 vertebrae.

As with paraplegia, quadriplegia can result following a serious highway, beltway or interstate traffic collision with another passenger car or one of the many commercial 18-wheelers that travel Maryland roadways every day. While a victim can suffer a broken back or neck and be lucky enough to avoid being left in a paraplegic or quadriplegic condition, people who have experienced car-truck accidents can often suffer spinal cord injuries not related to a physical break. This kind of condition can happen when a ruptured disc or bone spur ends up being projected into a section of the spinal column.

As Maryland and Washington, D.C., trucking accident specialists, the skilled legal team at Lebowitz & Mzhen understands how paraplegia or quadriplegia can impair the function of a victim’s legs or arms. We also know that spinal cord injuries can have a marked effect on other parts of the human body, resulting in dysfunction or medical conditions related to the digestive system; the bowels or bladder; the respiratory system; reproductive organs; and certain autonomic functions.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a car-truck collision, we highly recommend that you contact a skilled Maryland personal injury attorney. Our experienced lawyers are ready to assist you in filing an injury or wrongful death claim against a negligent trucker or other responsible party. We work hard for our clients. Whether your injury claim is against an individual, insurance company, or fleet operator, please take a moment to call our office to set up a free, no-obligation legal consult. We have many years of professional litigation expertise in the area of personal injury related to automobile and commercial trucking accidents. Call us toll-free at (800) 654-1949; or contact send either Jack Lebowitz or Vadim Mzhen an email describing your injury accident and to schedule a one-on-one appointment.