Catastrophic injuries are life-changing for those who sustain them. Recovery many take many months or years, and most patients will never return to life the way it was before their accident. These injuries leave lasting marks of the lives victims, and can change the lives of their families and friends as well.
What is a Catastrophic Injury?
These injuries are severe, and often are disabling. They can include a wide number of injuries, such as:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), which can cause emotional, behavioral, and personality changes, as well as interfere with sensory processing, speech, and cause chronic headaches.
- Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI), which can limit mobility and body sensation, and cause paralysis.
- Burns, which can leave extensive scarring and nerve damage, limit function, and require multiple surgeries to repair.
- Amputations, which can limit mobility and independent function, and require surgery, prosthetics, or other medical assistive devices.
- Shattered bones, which can require multiple surgeries to repair, and can limit functioning.
- Loss of vision, which can change the injured person’s life and require the use of assistive devices, changes in their home and transportation methods, and require relearning skills.
- Loss of hearing, which can require the use of hearing aids or other assistive devices and changes to the victim’s life.
- Nerve damage, which can lead to reduced motor control and functioning, loss of bodily sensation, and chronic pain.
A catastrophic injury can affect many aspects of an injured person’s life, including their ability to work, participate in hobbies and other activities, interact with others, and even live independently. These injuries affect not only the injured person’s health, but their lifestyle, income, and emotional wellbeing.
Why Compensation is Important
In all personal injury cases, it is important that victims recover damages to pay their medical bills and help support their family while they recover and return to work. In the event of a catastrophic injury, compensation is greatly needed due to the expensive and life-changing nature of these injuries. Injured individuals will need their medical bills and lost wages covered like any injury case, but they also will have to account for the profound emotional and physical trauma of their injuries and the impact they can have throughout the victim’s entire life.
Physically, the victim faces a long road to recovery, if they ever will fully recover from their injuries. More often than not, catastrophic injuries are disabling, and patients will spend their lifetime managing pain, learning to accommodate their disabilities, and missing out on things they once were able to do. Medical care for their recovery and ongoing treatment can grow expensive, and the cost of medications, assistive devices, and living accommodations can add up as well.
Financially, the victim of a catastrophic injury may struggle. During a lengthy recovery, they may lose wages as they heal. After they are healed, the victim may not be able to return to work or be able to work in the same capacity as they did before the accident. Retraining expenses, lost wages, and loss of future income should all be figured into the settlement negotiations.
Emotionally, a catastrophic injury patient can suffer greatly. Injured individuals may experience emotional crisis and anguish over their injuries and altered abilities, and are at a higher risk for anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Due to pain and inability to participate in activities, many individuals experience a decreased quality of life after their injury. Emotional suffering can have just as great an effect as physical pain, so it is important to address these needs as well in the settlement figure.
Fighting for a fair settlement on your own can be difficult, so it is recommended that you contact a qualified attorney with vast experience handling catastrophic injury cases like yours. They should understand the implications of your injuries, and know that you need the maximum compensation you can claim. A personal injury lawyer can investigate your accident and help you build a case, as well as advocate on your behalf in court or negotiations. Insurance companies are often more willing to settle for a higher figure when an attorney is involved, and is ready to drag the case to court to protect their clients’ interests.
Catastrophic injuries are life-changing, but you don’t have to face this difficult time alone. Our Fort Worth catastrophic injury attorneys offer experienced, compassionate legal representation for our clients. We understand the difficulties you are facing after your accident, and we are committed to maximizing your settlement. With over 35 years of experience, you can trust that our team has the knowledge to handle your claim, and know that we care about you. Contact the Law Office of James M. Stanley today and schedule a free case evaluation with our team.