Catastrophic injuries have devastating physical, emotional and financial impacts on victims and their families. At Pepper & Odom Law Firm, we’ve seen how severe this can be on our clients.
The costly medical bills, lost income and the need for long-term or lifelong care due to catastrophic injury can have dire financial consequences. Some catastrophic injuries are so severe that they can affect a victim’s health, emotional well-being and financial stability for the rest of their lives.
Our experienced personal injury lawyers fight to protect your rights and help you get compensation for your medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering.
What is a catastrophic injury?
Catastrophic injuries are definable as a legal term for an injury with major consequences that prevent an individual from being able to return to work permanently. Simply put, catastrophic injuries classify as injuries that lead to a victim’s inability to continue a regular livelihood, such as work and day-to-day activities.
These types of injuries can cause an individual to seek surgery or other strenuous medical treatment. Some individuals suffer more than others as they require consistent care after recovery of their accident.
Lifelong consequences often follow catastrophic injuries, causing victims to not only suffer physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Catastrophic injuries usually require immediate medical care if they are noticeably severe or visually apparent.
It is possible for a catastrophic injury to be underlying or develop later on, causing a delay for diagnosis and treatment. Often times there is a big financial setback for victims of catastrophic injuries, which is why you need a personal injury attorney who can help get you back on track.
Types of catastrophic injuries
Paraplegia and quadriplegia are what most people think of as catastrophic injuries. However, those two types of injuries are just a few to note out of many other classifications of catastrophic injury.
Things like birth injuries and the loss of hearing or vision are two other considerations of catastrophic injuries. Without warning, these types of injuries occur very quickly, leading to an abrupt stop in your normal life.
Tragically, your life can change in the blink of an eye from suffering injuries such as these. As stated before, this could cause lifelong effects on your overall way of living.
We put together a list of the many catastrophic injuries that can occur during many scenarios. Check out the list below to see if you have suffered a catastrophic injury.
- Neurological damage
- Neck and spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Head injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Eye injuries
- Facial injuries
- Loss of sight
- Loss of hearing
- Severe burn injuries
- Damage to internal organs
- Crushed bones
- Severe fractures
- Dismemberment, amputation, or loss of limb
- Disfigurement
- Birth injuries
- Illness caused by dangerous chemicals or substances
Did you know?
The effects of catastrophic injuries are devastating, causing profound physical, emotional, and financial impacts on victims and their families.
Common causes of traumatic and catastrophic injuries
There is a limitless variety of what causes catastrophic injuries. Usually, car accidents are to blame for a lot of these catastrophic injuries listed above.
Auto Accidents involving 18-wheelers, semi trucks, or big rigs often end tragically for most individuals involved. Accidents with trucks usually result in one of the parties involved sustaining a catastrophic injury.
However, it is not unheard of for one of these injuries to occur in such a situation. Other accidents, including trampoline accidents, workplace accidents, and boating accidents, are prime candidates for causes of catastrophic injury.
Just like before, we compiled a list of a multitude of causes related to catastrophic injury. Those causes include:
- Auto accidents
- Trucking accidents
- Sports accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Boating accidents
- Trampoline accidents
- ATV accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Fires and explosions
- Defective products
- Horseback Riding Accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Slips and falls
- Falling from heights
- Violent crimes
- Bicycle accidents
- Skateboard accidents
- Rollerskate accidents
- Jet Ski accidents
- Water sport accidents
Did you know?
Defined legally as injuries with significant implications that permanently hinder an individual from returning to work, catastrophic injuries essentially denote the incapacity to maintain a standard way of life, impacting both work and daily activities.
Lifetime of effects and traumatic brain injury
Catastrophic injuries are various by type and cause, except for the outcome of these injuries. The truth is that most victims of catastrophic injury suffer lifelong effects after recovery, and sometimes they never fully heal.
This could keep an individual from returning to their job, which prevents them from supporting their self or their family. Victims of catastrophic injury typically seek rehabilitation that lasts for a long-term period.
Unfortunately, these injuries lead to chronic pain, emotional disorder, and disfigurement.
This article would not be absolute without discussion of traumatic brain injury. Otherwise known as TBI, traumatic brain injury is a catastrophic injury that can be caused by numerous factors.
People who are most at risk of becoming a victim of traumatic brain injury are usually pedestrians or cyclist that are involved in an auto accident. Cognitive, emotional, and debilitating effects of traumatic brain injury often affect victims of catastrophic injury for a lifetime.
Usually, the severity of the brain injury is what causes these effects. Victims may not be able to recall a loved one or something they would have long-term memory of, in the case where a traumatic brain injury is majorly tragic.
This may entail that the victim in question will have to relearn how to do basic life activities, such as eating, drinking, writing, speaking, and grooming. Emotional issues and memory loss can weigh heavily on the family of a victim who has suffered from traumatic brain injury.
It can be extremely difficult for a family to cope with and care for their loved one following an accident that left them mentally impaired. Traumatic brain injury is just one of the injuries that could lead to lifelong complications.
This is where things like medical expenses and pain and suffering can become very overwhelming to handle. To read more about traumatic brain injury, you can read our article on TBI here.
At Pepper & Odom, we show experience and passion while we work to validate your claim. Let us help you to get the compensation you need and deserve!
Compensation for traumatic injuries
Our attorneys understand the specific challenges these injuries pose to you and your family. Our skilled, compassionate legal team is there for you every step of the way and can help you recover fair compensation for damages such as:
- Past and future medical bills
- Long-term care
- Past and future lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship and consortium
- Punitive damages
- Dealing with insurance companies
When you sustain catastrophic injuries and are trying to heal, the last thing on your mind is dealing with insurance adjusters and insurance company negotiations. Our seasoned personal injury lawyers have decades of experience dealing with insurance companies and fight for your rights to get you the compensation you deserve.
Our legal team investigates the facts of your case, collects evidence, communicates with your health care providers and handles negotiations with insurance companies. We also employ the services of catastrophic injury experts who investigate and outline the facts of your case, your injuries, and their long- and short-term effects on you and your family.
