What Kinds of Injuries Cause Paraplegia and Quadriplegia? 

 Posted on September 04, 2026 in Personal Injury

While some people are born paralyzed, a large percentage of paralysis cases are the result of an accident. When someone has spent his or her whole life with fine motor control, a sudden transition to full or partial paralysis is devastating. It can affect movement, work, hobbies, relationships, and independence. It can affect movement, work, hobbies, relationships, and independence. A person with paralysis may also need long-term medical care and support. People who suffer from sudden paralysis as the result of an injury can often struggle with depression.

A personal injury lawsuit cannot undo the injury, but it may provide compensation for medical care, lost income, and other needs after paralysis. At Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois, our Rockford, IL injury attorneys have secured millions of dollars in verdicts, including significant compensation for spinal cord injury victims.

What Is the Difference Between Paraplegia and Quadriplegia?

Paraplegia and quadriplegia are both forms of paralysis caused by damage to the spinal cord. The difference comes down to which parts of the body lose function.

Paraplegia affects the lower half of the body. A person with paraplegia often loses movement and feeling in the legs and, in some cases, part of the torso. The arms and hands usually still work. Many people with paraplegia use a wheelchair to get around, and some can drive with hand controls or use other adaptive tools.

Quadriplegia, also called tetraplegia, is often more severe. It affects both the arms and the legs. Depending on where the spinal cord injury happened, a person with quadriplegia may lose some or all use of their hands, arms, and upper body, along with their legs. Some people with quadriplegia also need help breathing, eating, or performing basic daily tasks.

What Types of Accidents Are Known to Cause Paralysis?

Both partial and full paralysis can be caused by injuries to the spinal cord or brain when these injuries are severe enough that they interrupt normal communication between the brain and the limbs. The most common cause of spinal cord injuries is car accidents, but paralysis can happen in other ways, too. These include, but are not limited to: 

• Falls, including falls at work
• Sports injuries 
• Violence, such as a gunshot wound
• Medical malpractice, such as errors during surgery close to the brain or spine

Even when people take reasonable safety steps while driving, participating in sports, or during activities like camping and hiking can prevent some incidents of paralysis, severe injuries can still be caused by negligent or dangerous behaviors of a third party.

How is Paralysis Treated in 2026? 

Paralysis can require long-term and costly treatment. Some spinal cord injuries cause permanent paralysis, but treatment can help improve function, prevent other health problems, and support a person’s independence. Treatment can include physical and occupational therapy, mobility devices, medication, and surgery.

A personal injury lawsuit may be able to help victims of paralysis recover the funds they need to pay for ongoing treatment, as well as in-home or residential assistance.

Can Lower Earning Potential Be Included in a Paralysis Injury Claim?

Paralysis can affect a person’s ability to work and earn money. Illinois law allows an injured person to seek compensation for these damages, as it could mean decades of lost future earnings.

There are two related ideas here. The first is lost wages, which covers income a person misses while they recover or while they are unable to work at all. The second is lost earning capacity, which looks further ahead. This covers the reduced ability to earn money over the course of a person's life, even in jobs he or she has not held yet.

For someone with paraplegia or quadriplegia, this can be a major part of a claim. A person who worked in physical labor may no longer be able to do that job at all. Someone in an office job may still face limits, such as reduced hours or the need for a caregiver during the workday.

Illinois courts have long recognized these losses as a valid part of a personal injury claim, even without a single statute that spells out the exact formula. Instead, the value often depends on medical evidence, vocational expert testimony, and the person's age, training, and work history.

How Do You Measure Reduced Quality of Life After Paraplegia or Quadriplegia?

Paralysis changes daily life in ways that go beyond medical bills and lost income. In personal injury law, these are usually referred to as "non-economic damages." There is no simple formula for this. Instead, several factors help show how much the injury has changed a person's life. These can include:

• The person's ability to walk, drive, or move without help
• Changes to hobbies, sports, or physical activities they once enjoyed
• The need for ongoing help with daily tasks like dressing, bathing, or cooking
• Strain on relationships with a spouse, children, or other family members
• Emotional struggles, including grief, frustration, or a loss of independence

Medical records, testimony from the injured person and their family, and input from doctors or therapists can all help paint a fuller picture. A jury or insurance adjuster cannot see what someone's life looked like before the injury, so this evidence helps fill that gap.

How Do You Prove Fault for an Injury Resulting in Paralysis?

To recover compensation for a paralysis injury, an injured person generally has to show that another party acted carelessly and that this carelessness caused the injury. To succeed in an injury claim, you need evidence backing up your claim. This can include police or incident reports, photos of the scene, medical records, safety inspection records, and statements from witnesses. In some cases, expert testimony helps explain how the injury happened and why it was preventable.

Illinois follows a modified comparative fault rule. If you were partly at fault for the accident, your compensation can be reduced by your percentage of fault. If you were more than 50 percent at fault, you cannot recover compensation (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). At Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois, we can review any claims that you shared fault for the accident and explain how they could affect your case.

Contact Our Rockford, IL Paralysis Injury Attorneys

An injury that causes paralysis can have a lasting effect on a person and their family. If you or a loved one have suffered partial or full paralysis following an accident, contact a Winnebago County, IL catastrophic injury lawyer who can help determine liability and whether you can seek compensation for medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses. Call Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois at 815-215-7561 to set up a free consultation today.