When it comes to personal injury cases, some cases are more serious than others. Lawyers often refer to these types of cases as catastrophic injury cases, because the injuries from the accident are so serious and so dramatically alter one's life.
There are a few traits that set a catastrophic injury case apart from a regular personal injury case.
Type of Injury
The first thing that makes a catastrophic injury different is the actual injury types. Catastrophic injuries include injuries such as brain injuries, paralysis, amputation, severe burns, severe nerves, spinal cord damage, or orthopedic injuries. This is not an all-inclusive list, but this list should give you an idea of the type of injuries that are often considered catastrophic.
An injury is usually categorized as catastrophic injury if it changes the life of the person who suffered the injury, as well as their family's life, in serious ways that can't be unchanged. This type of injury changes life for everyone, not just the person who was injured.
The Repercussions of the Injury
With a catastrophic injury, the results of the injury are serious. These are the types of injuries that change your life. For example, the injury may cause loss of bodily function or loss of sensory function. The injury may cause permanent disfigurement as well as physical and/or cognitive deficits.
These are the type of injuries that can result in one being either temporarily or permanently disabled.
With this type of injury, you will need to prove the seriousness of the injury via consultations with experts who can affirm that the injury is going to result in long-term or life-long impairment.
The Type of Damages
Finally, with a catastrophic injury, the damages that one is asking for is usually a little different than with a regular personal injury case.
With a catastrophic injury case, you will need help seeking compensation for all the medical care you already underwent, including things such as surgery, therapy, rehabilitation, and medications. You will also need to seek compensation for all your future medical needs, like surgeries, treatments, monitoring, and in-home assistance. Proving future medical costs usually requires consultation from medical professionals and financial experts.
With this type of injury, you must show lost income that was an immediate result of the injury, as well as lost income that the person can no longer make, as long as their earning capacity is impacted. If they are permanently disabled, this is a projection of potential life-long earnings.
As catastrophic injuries impact the family as well, you can include damages such as financial losses your family injured taking care of you.
If you or a family member has suffered a catastrophic injury, you need to work with a law firm like The Harris Law Firm. With a catastrophic injury, you want to make sure you get the compensation you need to sustain yourself for the rest of your life.
Share22 April 2020
It can be hard to know what to do to protect yourself legally in the immediate aftermath of a car accident. You’re liable to be disoriented or in shock, you may be injured, and you’re surely worried about your passenger or the other driver. At least, that’s how I felt. The thing is, the things you say and do in the immediate aftermath of an accident may affect a legal case later. Depending on who’s at fault and what the laws are in your state, you may want to sue the other driver for damages, or you may find yourself being sued. My blog is designed to give you tips for a car accident lawsuit, no matter which side you find yourself on.