All car accidents can be upsetting and even traumatic to some extent. Many car accidents cause physical and emotional injuries to the drivers and passengers involved in the crash. While every injury should be taken seriously, some of the most severe collisions can lead to a catastrophic injury that can change your life forever.
What is a Catastrophic Injury?
Catastrophic injuries usually occur suddenly and unexpectedly, like in an auto accident, and cause extreme physical damage to the victim’s body. The majority of catastrophic injuries are permanent in nature and will require a lifetime of care and medical treatment for the victim. Also, chances for a full recovery are not good.
When a car accident causes catastrophic results, it can have an instantly devastating effect on the lives of the victims. The stress of a serious car collision can add an additional burden to the painful injuries that can be long-lasting and sometimes irreversible. If you or a loved one are facing medical bills and other financial losses after a severe crash, contact a catastrophic injury lawyer to help protect your legal rights and seek compensation for your injuries.
What Medical Conditions Are Considered Catastrophic Injuries?
There is no legal definition for a catastrophic injury. However, complicated, painful, long-lasting, and expensive medical problems are often categorized as catastrophic. Unlike simple fender-bender collisions that only cause bumps, bruises, and lacerations, higher-impact crashes can lead to more severe trauma, such as:
- Spinal cord damage resulting in paralysis
- Limb amputation
- Hearing loss
- Loss of sight
- Facial injury and deformity
- Nerve damage
- Brain injuries
- Neurological damage
- Serious organ damage
- Severe burns
This list does not include every possible condition. Basically, when an injury affects your personal quality of life, your ability to work and earn an income, and is permanent in nature, it can be classified as catastrophic.
What Types of Accidents Can Cause a Catastrophic Injury?
Most catastrophic injuries arise from serious and complicated accidents and physical impacts. The most common cause of these injuries is motor vehicle crashes. Certain auto accidents are more likely to cause severe impacts, such as:
- Head-on crashes – when two vehicles hit head to head, both cars experience a strong impact that can violently jolt those in the vehicles.
- Roll-over accidents – when a car is hit from the side or turns too sharply, the car can roll, throwing the inhabitants around in the vehicle or totally ejecting them from the car.
- Side-impact or T-bone collisions – these cause the driver and passengers to move side to side and can lead to impacts on the side panels, which often don’t have airbag protection.
- Motorcycle accidents – with little protection from the road or other vehicles, motorcyclists often suffer severe injuries during a crash.
- Truck collisions – since trucks are so heavy and large, they cannot maneuver easily. When a car or motorcycle is hit by a truck, serious injuries usually occur.
- Multi-car crashes – in a highway pile-up, vehicles can be impacted multiple times in many ways that can lead to extensive injuries.
- Rear-end accidents – the driver in the lead car usually suffers the most severe injuries when rear-ended by another vehicle traveling at a higher rate of speed.
In addition to motor vehicle situations, people are seriously injured every year in pedestrian accidents and even dog attack situations.
Individuals can also experience catastrophic injuries from a fall or being hit by a falling object at work, on a construction site, or in a public place. In some cases, victims are injured by a physical attack in a place that should have provided better security. All of these premises liability situations can lead to extreme injuries that qualify as catastrophic in nature.
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Catastrophic Injury Damages You Can Request From the Responsible Party
If you are injured as a result of someone else’s negligent or careless behavior, you have the right to request compensation for your losses. Typical personal injury damages can include:
- Medical expenses, current and future – these can be extensive in catastrophic injury cases.
- Lost income and loss of earning capacity, current and future – the inability to return to work after being injured is more common in severe situations like these.
- Property damage – when someone’s body is severely impacted, the vehicles involved are usually totaled.
- Pain and suffering – although difficult to place a value on, this aspect of catastrophic injury can be the largest part of a personal injury award.
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional and mental stress
- Loss of family relationships
In catastrophic situations, the ever-growing pile of medical bills can make the situation seem overwhelming. Caring for these extreme injuries can require lifelong medical attention and rehabilitation. Healthcare in our country is not cheap, and you should not be responsible for the expenses related to an extreme injury that was caused by someone else.
What Are Your Rights After a Catastrophic Injury?
If you are facing catastrophic injuries, your first step to move forward and receive help is to work with a dedicated personal injury lawyer who can ensure you receive the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries from those who are at fault. Even though reaching out for help can be the hardest thing to do, a skilled injury attorney can reduce your overall stress by protecting your legal rights while you focus on your physical recovery.
The prominent Lincoln and Omaha personal injury attorneys of Berry Law help the victims of catastrophic car accidents receive fair compensation for the injuries they have sustained. Our skilled lawyers are passionate about advocating on your behalf, so you can focus on healing as quickly as possible while they handle the intricacies and complexities of your legal case.
Contact Berry Law to Learn More About Catastrophic Injuries
At Berry Law, our determined and knowledgeable lawyers have the experience and skills you need to help you recoup your losses. If you have suffered a catastrophic injury from a car accident, fall, attack, or other severe incident caused by someone else, you deserve exceptional legal representation as soon as possible. For Lincoln and Omaha personal injury lawyers who will work tirelessly to fight for the compensation you are entitled to, look no further than Berry Law today.
For a free consultation, call Berry Law at (402) 466-8444 or complete our online contact form today.