Catastrophic injuries cause permanent, often disabling injuries that can diminish an individual’s quality of life and earning capacity. These injuries include paralysis, disfiguring burns, loss of limb, TBI, and many others. When catastrophic injury occurs, an accident lawyer can help individuals recover the compensation needed to cover the cost of medical care, physical and psychological therapy, loss of income, and pain and suffering.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries & Their Causes
Catastrophic injuries happen with significant frequency Each year, roughly 17,000 people suffer spinal ord injuries. A further 185,000 suffer loss of limb, and nearly 3 million suffer Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Swimming pool accidents often result in TBI or spinal cord injury. While some are caused by drowning, many are the result of slips and falls on the surfaces around the pool.
Motor vehicle accidents can cause loss of limb, TBI, 2nd and 3rd degree burns, spinal cord injury, and organ damage. The speed and violence of car accidents often mean that individuals who suffer one catastrophic injury often suffer multiple such injuries in the collision.
Slip and fall accidents commonly cause TBI and spinal cord injuries. These can leave individual’s paralyzed or with a significantly reduced range of motion that can make walking difficult and painful.
Medical malpractice is another common cause of catastrophic injuries. Wrong site surgeries can remove healthy limbs and tissues that can permanently diminish the individual’s immune system function. Improper application of anesthesia can cause hypoxia, while malfunctioning surgical instruments can cause 2nd and 3rd degree burns and other injuries.
Defective products, such as lithium ion batteries that explode or catch fire can cause chemical burns, loss of eyesight, toxic inhalation, etc. Some defective products can cause electrocution, loss of limb, or facial disfigurement.
Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries
Individuals who suffer catastrophic injuries can pursue compensation for medical care and treatment, home health care, as well as prosthetics and other assistive living devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes, etc. When catastrophic injuries occur, it’s vital to correctly calculate the long-term costs associated with these.
Individuals can also recover compensation for loss of consortium and loss of quality of life, loss of earning capacity, as well as pain and suffering. An accident lawyer can help plaintiff’s calculate the value of the damages they have incurred and forecast the long-term cost of treating the injury and maintaining the best quality of life possible for the plaintiff and their family.
