The term “personal injury lawsuit” is an umbrella term that covers a variety of types of personal injury incidents that are legally actionable in civil court. The definitions exist to help focus the details of a case on the important aspects and the amount of compensation being sought. In the case of a catastrophic injury lawsuit, it’s considered a personal injury case, but the injuries received are ones that severely affect quality of life for the victim. A catastrophic injuries lawyer can help someone who’s suffered severe injuries from an accident recover damages that help maintain quality of life. Here’s a look at what’s involved in a catastrophic injury lawsuit.
What is a Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury or injuries are ones that semi-permanently or permanently alter the quality of someone’s life. The severity of the injury is such that it requires multiple surgeries to repair the damage. Sometimes these surgeries are complex which adds further risk for complications.
Once the surgeries are complete, there can be months of rehab and ongoing medical care to help restore as much function to the body as possible. The accident victim may not be able to return to full employment, or any kind of employment at all which means going on long-term disability.
The Different Types of Catastrophic Injuries
It’s possible to suffer from catastrophic injury in every type of accident. It’s for this reason that an accident victim is best served by retaining a catastrophic injuries lawyer for help after suffering from one of these common catastrophic injury types:
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Complete or partial accidental amputation
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Traumatic eye injury
- Severe neck injury
- Severe burns
Someone who suffers these injuries with permanent effects has suffered catastrophic injury. Their quality of life is permanently altered through no fault of their own, and they have to bear the burden of rebuilding their bodies.
How a Catastrophic Injury Lawsuit Helps With Financial Burdens
Repairing a catastrophic injury is expensive and the ongoing costs of recovery can pile up. The victim may also suffer to the point of being unable to return to any kind of gainful employment and runs the risk of going broke. These issues are known as compensatory damages. They include:
- Medical bills
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of property
- Physical disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment
- Loss of relations with a spouse or partner
A catastrophic injuries lawyer can help with determining the compensatory damages and file suit on behalf of the victim. This type of lawsuit can take time to resolve, but an experienced lawyer can improve the odds of winning the appropriate amount of damages to help an accident victim live their life without the worry of financial difficulties.
