Catastrophic Injuries and How They Pertain to Personal Injury Cases
Personal injuries come in many forms and are the result of many different causes. When you start looking into a personal injury case, you might hear the term “catastrophic personal injury.” What is a catastrophic injury and what makes it so?
The Definition of Catastrophic Injury
A catastrophic injury is one that usually leads to permanent impairment, serious disability or paralysis, or ends up requiring life-long treatment. If one of the body’s major systems has been impacted, it would be considered catastrophic. Some examples include:
- Amputations
- Burns that result in disfigurement or scarring
- Head injury or TBI
- Internal injuries
- Loss of the senses
- Multiple bone fractures
- Neurological damages
- Permanent central nervous system damage
Causes of Catastrophic Injuries
There are a number of events that could lead to catastrophic injuries, with many including negligent actions taken by another person or entity. This includes:
- Workplace accidents – Depending on the environment you work in, you could be crushed by equipment, have something fall on you or a number of other serious and catastrophic events.
- Slip and fall incidents – Many slip and fall incidents occur because someone didn’t keep up on maintenance or repairs. You could trip on a broken staircase, fall off a deck because of a loose railing, slip and fall on a wet floor, or be involved in a range of other slip and fall situations.
- Pedestrian-auto accidents – Because of the drastic difference in weight and strength between a car and a pedestrian, most pedestrians get the serious, catastrophic brunt of the accident when pedestrian-auto accidents occur.
- Medical malpractice – Not all doctors, surgeons and other medical professionals act in the way they should when providing care. You might receive the wrong treatment, have something go wrong during a surgery or be given the wrong dose of a prescription.
- Auto accidents – Some of the most serious auto accidents resulting in catastrophic injuries include distracted driving and impaired driving. These types of incidents are often at higher speeds than other traffic accidents.
Possible Damages To Seek
When you or a loved one sustains a catastrophic injury in an accident, it’s important you receive medical care right away. Perhaps your next step should be seeking compensation. Some common damages you might seek include medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, loss of the ability to make an income, loss of companionship, and other similar damages.
Contact Your Lawyer
Being injured in an accident can wreak havoc on your life; Even more so when you sustain a catastrophic injury. Contact a personal injury attorney, like from Businesses Store today to learn how to seek compensation.