Millions Of Dollars Recovered.

Catastrophic injuries: a legal perspective

On Behalf of | Jan 20, 2025 | Catastrophic Injuries |

One term that arises often in personal injury law is “catastrophic injury.” However, not everyone understands what this term means and how its meaning may differ from the vocabulary meaning of the word. The law is specific about its interpretation of catastrophic because it has to be, especially when dealing with personal injury cases.

A catastrophic injury is a severe injury that has a long-term or lifelong effects on a person’s body, emotions and psychological health.These injuries usually require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation and may result in permanent disability. Common examples of a catastrophic injury include:

  • Brain injuries (TBI)
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Amputations
  • Severe burns
  • Bone fractures

Why are they catastrophic?

These injuries are much more serious than your typical sprain, or even a concussion that heals. The implications of a catastrophic injury extend far beyond the immediate physical effects. Individuals who suffer a catastrophic injury can have significant challenges tending to their everyday lives, going to work to make a living, loss of mobility and independence.

What’s worse, these implications often hit the person who has the injury very hard mentally, and some people develop depression and or other mental health condition as a result of the changes they must undergo.

In addition, if a person cannot work or cannot work as much as before, or make as much money as before, they can also become very depressed and feel absolutely hopeless because they might feel that they ran out of options.

How can an attorney help me?

An attorney can represent you before a judge or negotiate with the other party so that you can receive compensation for your losses, which often include:

  • Medical expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Punitive damages

If you or a loved one experiences a catastrophic injury, regardless of where you believe the fault lies, make sure you contact an experienced attorney who has dealt with these cases and can help realistically assess how much compensation you are entitled to, if any.

Archives