Paralysis Injury Lawyer in Georgia, Focused on Your Recovery

A paralysis injury lawyer helps people who lost movement or feeling because someone else’s carelessness caused a serious injury. Slam Dunk Attorney is based in Duluth, Georgia, and represents people hurt in these cases across metro Atlanta and the state. If you or a family member has been left with paralysis after a crash, fall, or dog bite, this page explains how a claim works and what to do next.

What a Spinal Cord Injury and Paralysis Claim Involves

A paralysis claim asks the people or companies responsible for the injury to pay for the losses it caused. Paralysis is a loss of muscle function. It can result from a spinal cord injury or a broken neck, according to MedlinePlus.

Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerve fibers. These fibers carry signals between your brain and the rest of your body. When the cord is damaged, those signals can’t get through. That can cause loss of movement or feeling below the injury.

The responsible party might be a negligent driver, a trucking company, a property owner, or a rideshare company. The right target depends on how the injury happened.

This page is for injured adults and family members in Duluth, Atlanta, Lawrenceville, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Marietta, Norcross, Kennesaw, Dunwoody, and across Georgia. Spinal injuries are catastrophic injuries, and they often need long-term care and planning. A peer-reviewed study on natural recovery after spinal cord injury shows how recovery unfolds over time.

A first consultation is free and confidential, with no obligation to continue. You can learn your options before you decide anything. Contact our Duluth office to ask questions.

Types of Paralysis: Paraplegia, Quadriplegia, and Incomplete Paralysis

Paraplegia affects the lower body. Quadriplegia affects the arms, legs, and torso. Incomplete paralysis means some movement or feeling remains below the injury.

• Paraplegia affects the legs and lower body. It usually follows an injury to the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spinal cord, which runs through the mid and lower back.
• Quadriplegia, also called tetraplegia, affects the arms, legs, and torso. It usually follows an injury to the cervical spinal cord, in the neck.
• Complete paralysis means no movement or feeling below the injury.
• Incomplete paralysis means some function or feeling remains. How much remains often becomes clearer over time through medical testing.

Where the injury sits, and whether it’s complete, shapes the care a person needs. It also shapes the equipment, home changes, and therapy that may follow. Doctors make the diagnosis and estimate the long-term outlook. Our team uses those medical records to describe the injury accurately in a claim.

What Causes Paralysis Injuries in Accidents and Other Incidents

Paralysis injuries usually come from high-force events that strike, twist, or crush the spine. The following situations are among the matters we handle.

• Car accidents, including high-speed collisions and rollovers.
• Truck accidents, where a commercial vehicle’s size and weight can increase the force of impact.
• Motorcycle accidents, where a rider has little protection from impact or the road surface.
• Pedestrian accidents, where a person struck by a vehicle can suffer spinal trauma.
• Rideshare accidents involving Uber or Lyft. Georgia sets insurance minimums for transportation network companies. Under O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24, one period carries a $1 million minimum per occurrence. The $1 million minimum applies from the time a driver accepts a ride request until the driver completes the transaction or the ride is complete, whichever is later. A separate period covers the time a driver is logged on to the transportation network company’s digital network and available to accept a ride request until the driver is logged off, not counting the time after a ride is accepted.
• Premises liability and slip and fall, such as falls from unsafe stairs or balconies. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-3-1, an owner or occupier must use ordinary care to keep premises safe for people invited onto them.
• Short-term rental injuries at Airbnb or VRBO properties, such as falls or structural failures.
• Negligent security, where inadequate protection leads to violent harm.
• Dog bites, where a severe bite or fall can cause spinal injury. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7, an owner or keeper of a vicious or dangerous animal may be liable when, by careless management or by allowing the animal to go at liberty, it causes injury to a person who does not provoke the injury by his own act.

What a Paralysis Injury Claim Can Cover

A paralysis claim can seek medical bills, rehabilitation, equipment, home changes, lost income, and other losses. Georgia law treats some damages as presumed and others as ones you must prove.

Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-2, general damages may be recovered without proof of an amount. Special damages actually flow from the injury and must be proved. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-1.1, medical expenses are limited to the reasonable value of medically necessary care.

Future losses get special handling. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-13, future economic losses may be reduced to present value using a 5 percent rate or another rate the trier of fact deems appropriate.

Common categories include:

• Past and future medical care, including surgery, hospital stays, and ongoing treatment.
• Rehabilitation, such as therapy, wheelchairs, braces, and transfer equipment.
• Home and vehicle changes needed to live as independently as possible.
• Lost income and reduced ability to earn.
• Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life, which are harder to measure and are shown through medical records and daily-life evidence.

Georgia also reduces damages by the injured person’s share of fault. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, a plaintiff who is 50 percent or more responsible cannot receive damages.

Steps to Take After a Spinal Cord Injury

Getting medical care right away and keeping every record protects your claim. Early records show what happened and how the injury progressed.

• Get medical care right away, even if symptoms seem limited. Spinal injuries can worsen.
• Follow every treatment plan and keep follow-up visits. Gaps in treatment can be used against an injured person.
• Keep receipts for bills, mileage, and out-of-pocket costs.
• Keep a journal of pain, mobility limits, and daily tasks that have changed.
• Send insurance adjusters to your lawyer. Avoid recorded statements and don’t sign releases before legal review.
• Limit social media posts about the accident or your activities. Insurers may use them to challenge the claim.
• Track the deadline. Under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, injury actions must generally be brought within two years after the right of action accrues. Other deadlines and exceptions can apply.

How Working With Our Firm Works

The process starts with a free, confidential first consultation with no obligation to continue. From there, the firm reviews the injury, investigates, negotiates, and files suit only if needed.

1. Contact. Call or send a request. Our team schedules your first consultation.
2. Review. Bring medical records, the accident report, photos, insurance information, and insurer letters. The lawyer reviews the injury and how it happened.
3. Investigation. The firm gathers police reports, witness statements, vehicle or property data, and medical documentation.
4. Demand and negotiation. The firm presents the claim to the responsible insurer and works toward a fair resolution.
5. Lawsuit if needed. If a fair resolution isn’t reached, the firm can file suit in the appropriate Georgia court and prepare for discovery and trial.

The timeline varies. Injury complexity, the number of parties, and the insurers involved all affect it. The lawyer explains the likely timeline during the consultation.

Costs: the first consultation is free and carries no obligation to continue. A client may still be responsible for court costs and case expenses.

Peter F. Jaraysi is the responsible lawyer for this page. Our lawyers and staff at the Duluth, Georgia office work with clients throughout the matter.

Why Choose Slam Dunk Attorney for a Paralysis Injury Claim

Slam Dunk Attorney is based in Duluth, Georgia. It represents people hurt in serious accidents across metro Atlanta and throughout Georgia.

• Georgia focus. Our lawyers handle matters in Georgia.
• Catastrophic injury work. The firm’s paralysis injury lawyers handle spinal cord injury and paralysis, traumatic brain injury, amputation, and severe burn matters.
• Broad case mix. Matters include car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, rideshare, premises liability, short-term rental, dog bite, nursing home abuse, and wrongful death.
• Plain language. We explain each step, medical term, and legal rule in everyday words.
• Medical detail. Paralysis claims depend on careful records, so we focus on documenting the level and completeness of the injury.

Frequently Asked Questions About Paralysis Injury Claims

Responsible lawyer: Peter F. Jaraysi, Slam Dunk Attorney, Duluth, Georgia. Contact: Slam Dunk Attorney contact page.