Permanent and Partial Disability
Saginaw, Flint, Traverse City and Lansing, Michigan

Disability, whether permanent or temporary, complete or partial, can fly out of the blue into anyone's life. An auto accident, a slip-and-fall accident, or a catastrophic brain injury on a construction site, and a person’s life can be changed dramatically. You might, after long re-training, be able to take care of yourself, or you might need living assistance for the rest of your life.

This sounds alarming, but it is indeed alarming to become disabled. If the injury occurs on the job, Michigan Workers’ Compensation helps the injured person to deal with it financially. When it occurs elsewhere, one must draw on whatever resources are available. Usually there are multiple sources for the many kinds of help you may need.

Some Forms of Disability

Paralysis

Paralysis can be partial or complete. If it is partial, you can probably be retrained to look after yourself and learn new job skills. If it is complete, the injured person cannot feel or move the body at all and must be on an oxygen system to breathe. He or she will need comprehensive daily living assistance, which can be obtained, but at a cost.

If your injury was caused by another person’s negligence, you probably have a valid legal claim and a good attorney like the personal injury lawyers at Jay Trucks & Associates, P.C. will be able to obtain full and fair monetary compensation for you. Settlement amounts and jury awards take into account the severity of your injury and if you need lifetime living assistance, you will typically win an amount to cover that.

Blindness

Sudden blindness is a catastrophic injury but there are now many more ways to cope with it than there were in past decades. Volunteers nationwide begin the training for guide dogs by taking the puppy into their homes for the first two years or so, teaching them to be comfortable in crowds and always obedient. Professional trainers continue with more specialized training until the dog is ready for you. Computers are virtually free for the blind, equipped by volunteers with a screen reader and voice synthesizer, training CDs and special software.

Vocational rehabilitation is widely available; homes can be modified; children can obtain scholarships and be given special education, and most colleges accommodate blind students well. Michigan has a Senior Blind Program to provide special services for independent living; it also runs the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training Center (MCBTC), providing training and services for independence. One third of the staff is blind, providing good role models.

Brain Injury

Each brain injury is unique, but all are catastrophic. In some cases, independent living is possible through re-education and in others, permanent daily assistance is required. Again, if the injury was caused by another’s carelessness, we can argue your case to a jury and obtain compensation for you to cover both medical and living assistance costs.

There are many other ways a person can become disabled, such as through loss of one or more limbs, loss of hearing, or diseases such as multiple sclerosis or asbestosis, which may or may not be work-related. Research over the years has provided us with vastly superior technical help, such as cochlear implants to restore hearing, but there is always a cost.

If you have become disabled through no fault of your own, and are wondering whether you have a valid legal case, we can help. Please call us at 1.800.762.8623 or email our law office to schedule a free case evaluation. We serve the Michigan areas of Saginaw, Flint, Traverse City, and Lansing and we hope to meet with you soon.

Lawyers for the Injured
Jay Trucks & Associates, PC
Experienced - Dedicated - Compassionate