Catastrophic injuries are those that are permanent and potentially disabling. Accidents that lead to catastrophic injuries can completely change a victim’s life. Injury victims may never enjoy holidays, vacations, hobbies, and time with friends or loved ones the way they used to. They may also be unable to work again. Catastrophic injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burn injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis and other spinal cord injuries
- Achilles tendon injuries
After an accident, you will want to secure legal representation immediately. A Fort Walton Beach personal injury lawyer from Fasig | Brooks can help. An attorney can act fast to get you the compensation you deserve. Hiring an attorney also means less stress for you during an already difficult time.
Why Catastrophic Injuries Happen
The most common causes of catastrophic injuries are:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Defective products
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Vacation accidents
To receive compensation for your injuries, you must prove the other party’s negligence. There are four aspects of negligence in personal injury cases — duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages. In addition to proving the defendant owed you a duty of care which they breached, you must also prove that the breach resulted in the accident and that your damages were caused by the accident.
Damages In a Catastrophic Injury Case
Catastrophic injuries require extensive and expensive medical care to save the victim’s life and treat them. From surgeries and physical therapy to medications and follow-up visits, catastrophic injuries can result in high medical bills. They may also prevent the victim from going back to work to earn a living. You can file to receive economic damages for your financial losses like lost future earning potential and out-of-pocket costs related to your injuries.
In personal injury cases, attorneys develop legal strategies so that victims get compensation for their damages like their medical bills and lost wages. Because of the life-changing impact the accident had on their life, attorneys also argue for their clients to receive compensation for their non-economic damages like pain and suffering. Non-economic damages are subjective, but they represent real losses. No dollar amount can be put on the ability to walk, see, move independently, or live life to its fullest.
Hire a Catastrophic Personal Injury Lawyer
Typically, the medical expenses for a catastrophic injury victim are quite high. Not only may they require surgery and a long hospital stay, but they may also require assistive devices like a wheelchair, prosthetics, or respiratory devices.
Insurance companies are not on your side, but your personal injury attorney is. Many people think that their insurance company is ready to pay for their injuries and make life easy for them after their accident. Unfortunately, the opposite is often true. Insurance companies can spend lots of money on attorneys to fight claims with high settlements, such as in the case of a catastrophic injury.