Personal injuries range greatly, with some being more catastrophic than others. If you or a loved one is injured in a catastrophic way, you need to work with an attorney who primarily represents these cases. They can get complex and often take a long time. There is also a lot at stake. Here are some things you need to know.
What Constitutes a Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury is any injury that results in severe disability. Disabilities from catastrophic injuries are often permanent and can decrease your standard of living and your quality of life.
Catastrophic injuries can be the result of a variety of incidents, including car accidents, fires, or falls. These injuries typically affect major organs in the body, such as the brain and spinal cord. They are also categorized as burns or amputations.
Injuries to these areas of the body have long-lasting effects that can prevent you from being able to work, take care of your family, or even function in society as you once did. Depending on the injury and the cause, these cases can settle for very high figures.
Do You Need an Attorney?
You most definitely need to work with an attorney in these injury cases. Do not try to settle a case involving a catastrophic injury yourself. You may find that you are encouraged to settle with an insurance company to get the process over. However, you can miss out potentially on a lot more money that you rightly deserve.
You will likely have a difficult time getting full compensation. You may receive an offer that covers your medical expenses and possibly your lost wages. However, most of a catastrophic injury lawsuit settlement comes from pain and suffering and punitive damages.
Your attorney will fight for this compensation for you. Because a catastrophic injury lasts the rest of your life, you will need an attorney to ensure you are financially stable for much of your life.
An attorney may also need to bring in medical experts to help you get full compensation. The medical experts can provide crucial information that will help prove your ability to work or how your life will be impacted from here on out. This is not something you would be able to do without an attorney's help.
A catastrophic injury can cause you and your family major anguish. Be sure to call your catastrophic injuries attorney when you are ready to move forward with your case.
