Injuries Involving Paralysis

Quadriplegia is a type of spinal cord injury.  You can become paralyzed through an injury or through some diseases.

The human spine is very complex and is part of the central nervous system which allows the brain to communicate with the rest of the body.  The spinal cord comprises of 24 vertebrea or small bones.  These small bones are grouped into three sections, one section is the neck (cervical spine), the second section is the middle back (thoracic), and the third section is the lower back (lumbar spine).  There are lots of tissues that surround the bones muscles and skin, all of which support the spine.

Quadriplegia means that the part of the spinal cord inside your neck has been injured. This injury causes loss of feeling and movement in your arms, legs, and trunk.  Spinal cord injuries are also described as complete or incomplete. This refers to how much movement and feeling is left after you have healed from the injury. A complete SCI means that you have lost all movement and feeling below the injured level. An incomplete SCI does not cause total loss of movement or feeling.

The compensation award for Quadriplegia is between £188,250 and £235,000 and depends on:

• The extent of any residual movement
• The presence and extent of pain
• Depression
• Age and life expectancy