Catastrophic injuries are not the same as personal injuries. While both involve people getting hurt, catastrophic injuries are far more serious. Knowing the difference can help you recover more compensation if you decide to file a claim.
Speak to a Doraville catastrophic injuries lawyer from John Foy & Associates to learn whether your case qualifies as a catastrophic injuries claim.
Understanding Catastrophic Injuries
“Catastrophic” is a term used to describe a broad variety of severe and debilitating injuries. Generally, catastrophic injuries limit a person’s ability to function normally and cause them great distress. What makes them different from personal injuries is that they have life-changing effects that result in long-term suffering.
Paraplegia is a common example of a catastrophic injury. When someone loses their ability to use half of their limbs, they have experienced a dramatically life-changing event. This injury can occur due to a variety of different factors, but the end result is a catastrophic injury.
When such injuries occur due to accidents that were caused by negligence, a Doraville catastrophic injuries lawyer should be called to help victims recover compensation for their damages.
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Catastrophic Injuries that Are Common in Georgia
You may not be sure whether your injury is catastrophic or personal. To get a better gauge on the matter, review this list of common catastrophic injuries before filing your claim.
Amputated Limb
Losing a limb results in a significant loss of function. There are several ways that people can lose limbs, including medical amputation and traumatic amputation. When an accident is a reason why a limb was lost, a catastrophic injury claim is warranted.
Being disfigured in this way is a noteworthy, lifelong disability that can not be repaired. Although it is possible to live comfortably with a missing limb thanks to modern medical advances, the impacts of losing a limb can still be traumatizing.
Injuries to the Spine
Your spinal cord is responsible for relaying information throughout your nervous system. When it is damaged, critical functions can be limited or even halted. For example, a severe spinal cord injury may cause someone to lose the ability to move the muscles in their arms or legs.
If the injury is severe enough, they may lose function completely in their limbs, resulting in quadriplegia. These types of injuries demand care for the entirety of someone’s lifetime, which gets expensive. The only way to pay for it comfortably is by getting the at-fault party to cover the costs.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Your brain is the most important organ in your body. Without it, you would not be able to function normally. When it is damaged, some functionality can be lost.
Traumatic brain injuries, which include any injury where the brain is impacted, are some of the worst brain injuries. Usually, someone affected by a traumatic brain injury will have lifelong impairments of their mind and body. With reduced cognitive ability, they may struggle to do normal daily activities such as having conversations, remembering things, and sleeping well.
The effects of a traumatic brain injury can be more or less severe, but generally, they always require massive amounts of rehabilitation.
Organ Damage
If your organs are damaged beyond repair, your body loses a primary function that helps you live healthily. For example, a damaged liver may be unable to process toxins effectively, meaning you need to be put on some form of dialysis or get a transplant. Getting medical care to treat an injured organ is expensive because it is a sensitive process.
If your organs were damaged by the negligence of another party, have a catastrophic injuries lawyer in Doraville help you fight for compensation.
Have a Lawyer Handle Your Claim
If you do not have legal expertise, navigating a catastrophic injury claim will be nearly impossible. These cases are more complex than personal injury claims and there is a lot more to lose if you do not calculate your damages properly. If you want the maximum settlement possible, rely on a Doraville catastrophic injuries lawyer to file for you.
The lawyer will ensure that you have the evidence needed to prove that the defendant caused your injuries. By packaging this evidence in an organized and understandable way, they can make the facts clear. If it is true that the defendant was responsible, they can get to the bottom of it and fight for justice.
It is also important to have a lawyer so you can get an accurate understanding of exactly what your total damages are. Catastrophic injuries frequently result in long-term medical costs and dampened quality of life and you should include that in the damages calculations. If you do not, there may be a point where you wished you claimed more when you had the chance.
Fortunately, a catastrophic injuries attorney in Doraville will understand how to look at your current situation and make an assumption of what amount of money you will need to maintain a reasonable standard of living in the future.
Sustained a Catastrophic Injury in Doraville? Seek Help Now
Through a catastrophic injuries claim, you stand to recover compensation that may be enough to support your needs for the rest of your life. With a catastrophic injury, this is incredibly important, as you may have lost your ability to work. Not being able to earn an income is serious, so you need to make sure that you recover enough money to keep you afloat for as long as possible.
The first step to recovering compensation is hiring a lawyer you trust. A Doraville catastrophic injuries attorney that cares about you would be the ideal choice. You can find many of these lawyers at John Foy & Associates.
Our team is prepared to go above and beyond to ensure that you are comfortable throughout the legal process. To get in touch with a lawyer today, schedule a free case evaluation using the contact form on this page.
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form