Chicago Paralysis Lawyer

Maximum Compensation in Paralysis Injury Cases in Chicago

A Chicago paralysis lawyer from Chicago Injury Center is crucial to successfully recovering compensation for severe spinal cord injuries. These personal injury cases can be challenging due to contested liability, medical evidence, and high expenses, making it essential that you partner with a skilled law firm that will fight for fair compensation. Contact us today for a free consultation about your legal options after a paralysis injury.

Paralysis Settlements & Verdicts Recovered by Our Law Firm in Chicago

$2,750,000: Three employees sustained severe spinal cord injuries in their cervical and lumbar spines after a Bell 206L helicopter crashed. In addition to their paralysis injury claims against the pilot, we also secured workers’ compensation for them.

$735,000: Mary was living in an Edgewater nursing home when she fell from her wheelchair, resulting in compression fractures to her lumbar and cervical spine. Our Chicago paralysis lawyers sued the nursing home for medical negligence and secured financial support for her ongoing medical treatment.

$720,000: Anthony was rear-ended by a semi-truck while driving on the Stevenson Expressway at rush hour. He was initially able to walk, but the damage left him in severe pain and eventually made it difficult to move. He was ultimately diagnosed with a lumbar spinal cord injury and required spinal fusion treatments.

Why Choose Chicago Injury Center

We are the premier Chicago paralysis injury lawyers, with a perfect 10/10 AVVO rating and an A+ status with the Better Business Bureau. For the past 25 years, we have represented over 5,000 victims nationwide, earning us the prestigious Super Lawyers® designation. Our attorneys are renowned for high-value financial recovery, including in challenging cases like medical malpractice and truck accidents.

What Types of Paralysis Cases Do We Handle in Chicago?

Paralysis injuries are varied, as the level of disability depends on the injury’s location in the spinal column. A complete spinal cord injury results in total loss of function below the injury, while incomplete spinal cord damage will allow for some movement and sensation.

Our Chicago paralysis lawyers can assist you with the following case types.

Paraplegia: These paralysis injury victims are no longer able to move their bodies below the waist, often due to spinal cord damage. In addition to paralysis, they may also have bowel and bladder dysfunction.

Quadriplegia/Tetraplegia: Often the result of a complete spinal cord injury, victims cannot move anything below the neck, requiring round-the-clock care.

Hemiplegia: These paralysis victims cannot move one side of their body. Such paralysis occurs as a result of traumatic brain injuries, cerebral hemorrhages, and strokes.

Partial Paralysis: Unlike complete paralysis, victims may have some control over the affected body part. In many cases, this is accompanied by muscle spasms, which can be very painful.

Temporary Paralysis: While permanent paralysis means that the patient can never regain control of their body, temporary paralysis injuries can improve. They may be due to strokes, brain damage, or infections.

What Are the Leading Causes of Paralysis in Illinois Injury Cases?

There are numerous ways in which someone else’s negligence can lead to paralysis injuries, whether they are permanent or temporary. Some of the most common causes include the following.

Motor Vehicle Accidents: Car accidents are a leading cause of paralysis nationwide, particularly on highways like the Dan Ryan or Stevenson Expressway. High-speed traumas can result in catastrophic injuries, especially in truck accidents or car vs. pedestrian accidents.

Sports Injuries: Unsportsmanlike conduct, lack of proper safety equipment, and negligent supervision can result in spinal cord injuries, particularly for children. Accident victims may have been hurt while playing at a Chicago Park District facility or in a Chicago Public Schools game.

Slip and Fall Accidents: Slip and fall accidents are the leading cause of serious injury in older adults, which includes traumatic brain injuries and paralysis. Negligent property owners who fail to clean up spills or clear ice can be held accountable.

Workplace Accidents: Construction workers and others are at risk of brain injuries and paralysis from falls at height or being struck by heavy objects. Negligent site supervisors can be held liable for these severe injuries.

Acts of Violence: While Chicago has been tackling its gun violence issue, 2,815 people were killed or seriously injured by gun violence in 2024. Shootings, stabbings, and violent assaults can all result in paralysis injuries.

Medical Malpractice: Medical professionals can cause spinal cord injuries when they fail to identify spinal damage, move accident victims without proper spinal support, or make surgical errors. Birth injuries are also an unfortunately common cause of spinal cord injuries.

What Damages Can Be Recovered in a Chicago Paralysis Lawsuit?

Personal injury claims can provide both economic and non-economic damages for victims, which include:

• Medical bills
• Future medical expenses
• Physical therapy and occupational therapy
• Lost wages
• Future lost income
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Rehabilitation and assistive devices
• Home modifications
• Long-term care
• Loss of normal life

What Is the Average Paralysis Injury Payout in Chicago?

The average payout for a paralysis injury claim is $26,943,733, with a range between $1,000,000 and $148,190,997. Factors that determine your claim’s value include severity and permanency of the paralysis injury, the victim’s age and occupation, clarity of liability, available evidence, and available insurance.

Example Cases in Cook County

Craig Pierce, a 72-year-old lawyer, suffered a catastrophic injury when medical professionals failed to manage his Coumadin, an anticoagulant. Incorrect dosing of anticoagulants has been associated with a higher stroke risk. Due to improper dosing, blood flow to the right side of his brain was almost entirely cut off. He suffered from permanent paralysis on the left side of his body and severe cognitive deficits, requiring 24/7 care. His family was awarded $41,149,942.38.

Andrzej Chraca was driving an SUV for United Woodworking in Schaumburg when he was hit by a Department of Transportation worker turning onto the street. He suffered from a partial paralysis injury and long-term pain due to nerve entrapment. The Circuit Court of Cook County awarded him $25,093,335.00.

What Illinois Laws Govern Paralysis and Spinal Cord Injury Claims?

The laws governing spinal cord injuries depend on how the accident occurred. For workplace incidents, paralysis victims can use the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act to recover medical expenses and lost wages (820 ILCS 305).

Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, but personal injury claims require proving negligence. For example, a negligent property owner could be sued under the Premises Liability Act, which requires property owners to remove hazards that could result in injury to invited guests (740 ILCS 100/). In Chicago, this would include natural accumulation of ice and snow (4-4-310 & 10-8-180).

Slip and fall accidents that happen outside of Chicago can be challenging to litigate due to the Illinois Snow and Ice Removal Act, which protects property owners from claims arising from natural snow accumulation (745 ILCS 75/2). However, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in Murphy-Hylton v. Lieberman Management Services that if improper maintenance caused unnatural accumulations, property owners and management companies can be liable.

For motor vehicle accidents, the Illinois Vehicle Code outlines causes of negligence, such as driving while intoxicated or driving above the speed limit (625 ILCS 5/). In Chicago, the terrestrial speed limit is 35 miles per hour on all streets, so anyone going above this could be liable (9-12-070).

Medical malpractice lawsuits require an affidavit of merit from a licensed professional who can attest that the defendant did not adhere to standards of care (735 ILCS 5/2-622). It is possible to hold more than one defendant liable through the Illinois Joint Tortfeasor Contribution Act (740 ILCS 100/2).

How Long Do I Have to File a Paralysis Claim in Illinois?

Personal injury claims have a statute of limitations of two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202), and medical negligence also has a statute of limitations of two years (735 ILCS 5/13-212). These deadlines can be tolled, or paused, if the victim was under 18 or the cause of injury was not determined until later.

For workers’ compensation, victims have two years after the last payment of benefits from the company or three years after the date of injury, whichever is later (820 ILCS 305/6(d)).

Why You Need a Chicago Paralysis Injury Attorney

It is crucial to work with a skilled personal injury lawyer for these cases because paralysis cases often have high medical expenses, which insurance companies will aggressively refute. Connecting the injury to someone else’s negligence requires careful analysis of medical records, expert testimony, and accident reconstruction to definitively prove the injury’s cause.

Additionally, multiple parties may be liable for spinal cord injuries, meaning we must coordinate with all parties to the suit. With over 100 years of combined legal experience, Chicago Injury Center is highly adept at managing these complex and emotionally charged cases.

What Are the Statistics of Paralysis?

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation notes that there are around 18,000 spinal cord injuries per year and that approximately 302,000 Americans live with a spinal cord injury. 79% of new spinal cord injury victims are male. Globally, over 15 million people are living with a spinal cord injury,

A report in Topics in Spinal Cord Injury and Rehabilitation found that 31.5% of all spinal cord injuries are due to motor vehicle crashes. Falls account for 25.3%, and 10.4% are the result of gunshot wounds.

How Our Chicago Paralysis Attorneys Can Help

Our award-winning firm will investigate the cause of your paralysis injury using accident reports, medical reports, witness statements, and accident reconstruction. By consulting with experts, we can demonstrate the causal link between another party’s negligence and your injuries while also identifying all liable parties.

Insurance companies will refuse to fairly evaluate your damages in order to diminish their responsibility. We can accurately assess your past, current, and future expenses to ensure you receive fair compensation that covers all your needs.

While many cases settle out of court, our firm is a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association thanks to our years of experience in representing clients before the Circuit Court of Cook County and the US Circuit Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Our skilled Chicago paralysis injury lawyers give you the best chance at securing maximum compensation for these devastating accidents.

FAQs

Can I file a medical malpractice lawsuit for paralysis due to cerebral palsy birth injury?

Yes, our paralysis lawyers can pursue a medical negligence lawsuit if birth injuries resulted in paralysis.

Can I sue my employer for a construction accident?

If you are using workers’ compensation insurance, then you cannot sue for additional damages (820 ILCS 305/). However, you may be able to recover compensation from other parties who contributed to the workplace injury.

What if the driver who caused a car accident leading to paralysis doesn’t have insurance?

Drivers are legally required to have uninsured motorist insurance (215 ILCS 5/143a-2), which can cover your vehicle repairs and a portion of bodily injury. You can also use health insurance to cover a portion of paralysis injury expenses. Our attorneys will file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver to recover more damages.

What if I was partially at fault for the motor vehicle accident?

Illinois uses modified comparative negligence (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). This means you can pursue compensation as long as you were not more than 50% responsible, but your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of blame.

How much does a Chicago paralysis injury lawyer cost?

Our Chicago paralysis lawyers work on a contingency fee basis: no fees unless we win.

Book a Free Consultation

We seek compensation for injured clients throughout Chicago and Illinois, working on a contingency fee basis: you owe us nothing unless we win. With a 98% success rate and over 5,000 satisfied clients, we give you the best possible chance at a fair settlement. Contact us today for a free consultation about your paralysis case.