A paralysis diagnosis is an event that can change every aspect of your life. Beyond the physical and emotional toll, the cost of long-term care and lost income can feel crushing. If your condition resulted from someone else’s negligence, Georgia law may allow you to pursue compensation for a wide range of losses.
The financial toll of economic damages
Economic damages pay for the measurable, out-of-pocket costs tied directly to your injury. These can include:
- Medical bills for emergency care, surgeries, hospital stays and rehab
- Long-term costs for physical therapy, assistive devices and home modifications
- Lost wages from missed work during recovery
- Reduced earning capacity due to permanent work limitations
- Ongoing expenses for in-home care, transportation and prescription medications
Lifetime health care and living costs for individuals with paraplegia or tetraplegia can range from hundreds of thousands to several million dollars, depending on the severity. This is why a thorough accounting of both current and future expenses matters so much when building a claim.
The human cost of non-economic damages
Non-economic damages address the deeply personal ways an injury affects your daily life and cover:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of emotional well-being (or Loss of emotional health)
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
Because these damages lack invoices or receipts, their value often depends on the severity of the injury and how much your lifestyle has changed. Medical records, mental health evaluations and personal testimony can all help show the full impact of the injury.
The factors behind your claim’s value
Georgia’s modified comparative negligence follows a 50% bar rule. So, you can still recover compensation as long as your fault is less than 50%. However, your final award will be reduced by your percentage of liability and, should you be found to be 50% or more responsible, you will not be able to recover any damages.
The severity of your injury also plays a major role. A complete spinal cord injury causing full paralysis will generally carry a higher claim value than an incomplete injury where some function remains.
The state’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims is generally two years from the date of the accident, so acting within that window is important. Reaching out to an attorney early can help preserve key evidence and give your legal team the time needed to build a strong case.