Reasons paralysis could occur

Usually, when you head off to work, you do not expect it to be your last day on the job, let alone the last day you ever work again. Yet this is what could happen if you suffer paralysis due to a workplace injury. It could leave you needing help to go about your everyday tasks for the rest of your life and unable to earn an income.

According to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, 42% of people living with paralysis said they were unable to work. Only 15% of the people of those surveyed were employed.

Paralysis can occur due to hereditary conditions, illnesses or a medical event such as a stroke. It can also happen if you have one of these three types of accidents in the workplace:

• Spinal cord injury: This is the most common reason for someone to suffer paralysis in a workplace accident. You could injure your spinal cord if you fall from a height, land on something, are in a motor vehicle accident or are crushed by a piece of machinery. It does not have to be an accident; if someone assaults you at work, they could also cause a spinal cord injury.

• Traumatic brain injury: A closed head injury could be more severe than it initially appeared and leave you with partial to complete paralysis.

• Brachial plexus injury: This could leave you with paralysis of the arm.

Paralysis cannot be cured, although some people do regain a degree of function. If a workplace accident leaves you living with paralysis, seek an attorney to fight for full compensation. You need to understand the complete physical, practical and emotional effects paralysis can have on your life.