Catastrophic Injuries

PRACTICE AREAS

In the event of a catastrophic injury, it’s essential that you seek medical and legal help as soon as possible. Injuries that cause catastrophic damage can have long-lasting effects. The longer you wait to seek help, the worse your situation will become.

If you wait too long, you may even have difficulty collecting monetary damages that would cover some of the expenses you’ll face. It is possible to receive a damage award for catastrophic injuries that includes the cost of medical treatment, prescription medications, physical/occupational/psychological therapy, short- and long-term care, as well as compensation for lost earnings and wages, pain and suffering, and punitive damages.

How is catastrophic injury defined?

Catastrophic injury has not yet been defined exactly for legal purposes, but its facets have been identified. Injuries that are considered catastrophic are permanent or long-term. Often, they are accompanied by severe pain.

To determine whether your injury qualifies as “catastrophic,” consider the following examples:

paralysis
traumatic brain injury
spinal cord injury
severe or disfiguring burns
loss of a limb
loss of use of a limb
blindness
deafness

Catastrophic Injuries

WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU:

THE FAIRNESS FIRM

Lawyers are usually thought of as courtroom advocates, but a good injury attorney actually plays a much broader role.

When you hire one of our attorneys, you’ll be able to hire a professional who’s ready to assist you with: getting medical care; investigating your claim; gathering required evidence; writing a demand letter to the opposing party; negotiating with insurance companies; and, if necessary, representing you in court.

Medical care- Our team will assist you in identifying the right medical professionals that will assist you in getting the proper diagnosis.
Investigate your claim- Our team will investigate your claim and the facts surrounding your injury. In addition to evaluating insurance company reports, our attorneys can conduct interviews, obtain expert record reviews (including medical records analyses), subpoena video or audio recordings, and investigate the backgrounds of relevant parties.
Gather evidence – We will start on Day 1 in assisting you in preserving the evidence you need to prevail on your claim. Once hired, our team will begin gathering evidence so that it can be found, preserved, and presented.
Settlement Negotiations- Rest assured, our attorneys will fight zealously for you to receive the justice you deserve. Not all cases require going to trial. Often times, a plaintiff’s attorney can present your case in such a way that the defendants may want to make an offer of settlement. Should that occur, our team will negotiate the best possible outcome for you.
Representing you in court- While some cases may settle, some do not. This may likely due to the defendant not accepting liability for the harm they caused or rather they may not make an offer of settlement that would adequately provide justice. Should that occur, litigation will be necessary to have your story heard. Our team will be with you every step of the way.

AWARDS and COMPENSATION

The following are awards available to compensate you for catastrophic injuries.

Medical cost- Medical costs may include long-term hospital care, physical therapy, prescription drug costs, and prescription costs, among others.
Loss of earning capacity – Compensation for the inability to earn money because of a catastrophic injury.
Loss wages/earnings- When you miss work because of a catastrophic injury, you may be entitled to compensation for the lost wages.
Pain and suffering – Compensation for physical, mental, and emotional pain, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, physical impairment, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and/or emotional distress that you have suffered as a result of a catastrophic injury.
Punitive damages- Additional compensation may also be awarded to punish egregious behavior and/or extreme indifference.

Note: This list is not exhaustive. If it isn’t included here, contact our team with your specific concerns for a case evaluation.