Catastrophic Injury Claims – Aggressive, Compassionate, and Experienced Legal Counsel
A catastrophic injury is usually caused by a very severe traumatic accident and is the type of injury in which death or serious medical complications may occur unless prompt medical care is obtained. This includes brain injury, spinal cord injury, accidental amputation, severe burns, multiple fractures, or other neurological disorders. A catastrophic injury or illness very often causes severe disruption to the central nervous system, such as spinal cord injuries or severe burn injuries, which in turn may affect many other systems of the body. Catastrophic injury settlements are designed to be of sufficient size to compensate victims for lifelong disability.
Types of Injuries that could be considered catastrophic include the following:
- Serious Head Trauma
- Eye Injury with blindness or significant vision impairment
- Nerve Injury to neck, arm or leg
- Brain Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Severe Burns
- Accidental Amputation
- Multiple Bone Fractures
Symptoms and Conditions
In addition to possible loss of movement, sensation, and communicative and cognitive abilities, the injury or illness may impact respiration, circulation, skin, the urinary system, the gastrointestinal system, and other body systems. Management of such an injury is complex and requires the expertise of a team of health professionals including physicians, consultants, nurses, therapists, and counselors. The long-term needs of someone who has experienced this type of injury is greater than those of individuals with less severe injuries. Individuals may recover from some catastrophic injuries if they receive proper, early medical treatment. In many instances, however, this type of injury does have lifelong physical affects that may grow worse with the passage of time.
Fault
If a catastrophic injury was caused by the negligent or intentional act of another, or by a dangerous or defective product, a personal injury claim by the victim will be an integral factor in determining his or her future quality of life, including the quality of the medical care and other support he or she will receive. Because the financial implications of a catastrophic injury are often very significant, one of the most important aspects of a personal injury claim is determining the long term needs of the injured person as well as how the injury will affect their ability to earn a living and live a normal life.
Long Term Implications
The long-term implications of many catastrophic injuries may not become apparent until years after the original injury. For example, I once knew an individual who suffered a severe head injury as a teenager. Although this person appeared to recover from this injury and looked normal in appearance, they nevertheless had permanent difficulties with learning and processing information that affected every aspect of their life as an adult.
Individuals who are injured as children may experience changes in their abilities/disabilities as they grow that may require surgery or other medical intervention to accommodate their growth. Similarly, a burn victim might continue to undergo reconstructive surgeries for many years after the original injury.
Receiving Fair Compensation
An attorney who understands the long-term implications of such injuries will be able to ensure that the injured person receives just compensation and sufficient resources for the future. A person whose earnings ability has been substantially affected or who may require a lifetime of medical care requires an experienced attorney with an in-depth understanding of the particular type of injury to ensure that the injured person obtains all of the financial support he or she will need for the remainder of their life.
Life Care Planning
Life care planning is the process of analyzing the medical and medically-related goods and services that an individual will need because of a disabling injury. An experienced personal injury attorney will make sure that enough compensation is obtained in a settlement or verdict to provide for these needs over the client’s remaining lifetime. Various experts within the field of rehabilitation and long term health management are asked to develop life care plans, in consultation with medical and therapeutic specialists.
For experienced help after an accident or to talk to me about your catastrophic injury, contact James F. Ludlow, Attorney at Law, P.C. My firm can be reached toll-free at (877) 897-9466 or by filling out the simple form on the Contact Us page.