There’s no telling when a collision might occur in North Carolina or elsewhere. There’s also no way to know how severe your injuries might be if another driver hits you while you’re traveling at highway speeds. Sadly, many such collisions result in fatalities or catastrophic injuries.
If you received a diagnosis of paraplegia following a motor vehicle collision, you will no doubt encounter many challenges as you learn to navigate life in a whole new way. Your family and close friends will hopefully be on hand to lend support. However, you might have to quit your job, spend countless hours with a physical therapist and, basically, learn how to function within the limitations that your injuries have caused.
You might be able to recover some mobility
Advances in medical science and technology have enabled many paraplegics to restore use of their body in certain ways. Some people are even able to stand or walk again, with assistance. Your medical team will discuss your prognosis and make recommendations as to what types of treatment will help you achieve as full of a recovery as possible.
You will likely need special equipment to provide support as you begin to adapt to a new post-collision lifestyle. For instance, you might need a wheelchair, hand bike or walking frame, all things that can increase your strength and mobility.
Complete versus incomplete paraplegia
A paraplegic injury means that your brain or spinal cord has become unable to transport messages to your legs. If you have complete paraplegia, you likely have no feeling in either leg. An incomplete paraplegia, however, means that you might have some sensation or even full feeling in one or both legs.
If your injury is incomplete, you might also have some motor control of one or both of your limbs. If that is the case, your medical team may be able to help you stand or learn to walk with a frame for assistance, or crutches.
Medical care is highly expensive, even if you have insurance
Many people have experienced severe financial crises because of medical bills and other expenses associated with catastrophic injuries. If your injuries have prevented you from returning to work, it may be difficult to make ends meet at home, especially if your family is used to relying on your income for financial support.
If another person’s negligence caused your injuries, you can seek justice in a civil court so that they will be accountable for damages. This means that you would be a plaintiff in a lawsuit, which can be quite stressful. It is helpful to create a network of support from the start, so that you do not have to feel like you’re on your own when you request financial recovery for your losses.