Severe burns, organ damage, amputation, and brain injuries are all examples of catastrophic injuries. If you have suffered these or other serious injuries due to the negligence of another party, it may be necessary to file a civil personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation. To file, have your case evaluated by a LaGrange catastrophic injuries lawyer from John Foy & Associates.
What Are Catastrophic Injuries?
The term “catastrophic” describes a broad range of debilitating injuries and illnesses. These conditions severely impact a person’s capacity to function as they would normally. Catastrophic injuries often cause victims extreme amounts of distress as well.
The difference between a catastrophic injury and a normal injury is that the effects of catastrophic injuries can alter someone’s for long periods or even permanently.
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How Catastrophic Injuries Happen
A catastrophic injury can happen due to a variety of reasons. Car accidents are one of the most common causes of catastrophic injuries. The extreme force being applied to the bodies of individuals who are involved in crashes can result in a number of severely debilitating injuries.
Even with medical treatment, some of these injuries end up causing permanent disfigurement or disability. Catastrophic injuries can also occur due to medical malpractice, slip-and-fall accidents, crimes, fires, and other serious incidents.
Medical Malpractice
Nobody goes to the hospital expecting to receive further injuries. Unfortunately, doctors are not always able to provide excellent care. It is possible that a doctor, surgeon, or another medical professional can seriously injure someone while attempting to treat another issue. For example, if someone is having an operation done on their spine, a simple mistake can result in paralysis.
If the paralysis is severe, the victim would have suffered a catastrophic injury. Medication errors are also a common source of harm. There are many examples of medical malpractice to be found.
Doctors have even mistakenly left items inside of their patients, causing illness and injury. Medical professionals are required to carry malpractice insurance, which ensures that their patients have recourse if they make a mistake that causes injuries. To make a medical malpractice claim against the healthcare provider that caused your injury, speak to a catastrophic injuries lawyer in LaGrange immediately.
Slip-and-Fall Accidents
Property owners are required to keep their premises in a condition that is safe and habitable. If they do not, people may get hurt. Slip-and-fall accidents are a common type of premises liability accident that happens when someone slips on a wet or otherwise slippery surface while on someone else’s property.
These accidents can cause severe injuries because slipping and falling often result in tremendous forces being applied to the parts of the body that make contact with the ground. If someone falls directly on their head, a traumatic brain injury can occur. Falling on the back can result in serious spinal injury that may cause permanent paralysis or constant pain.
If you suffered a catastrophic injury due to the negligence of a property owner, you should not be liable for your own damages. Work with a LaGrange catastrophic injuries attorney to get the justice you deserve. With enough evidence, you should be able to prove that their negligence is the root cause of your severe injury.
Crimes
Violent crimes can result in catastrophic injuries. Being assaulted may damage someone’s internal organs or other parts of their body. Depending on where the person is wounded, these may be life-long injuries.
While the criminal justice system will seek to remove the assailant from society by placing them in prison or levying other penalties, you normally need to seek compensation on your own accord. If the person who injured you is convicted criminally, it should be easy for a catastrophic injuries attorney in LaGrange to recover the compensation you deserve from the criminal.
Fires
Fires can cause serious damage to people who are exposed to them. If someone intentionally set fire to an area that you were occupying and it injured you, a lawsuit is warranted. Even if the fire was set by mistake, the person who caused it could be at fault for your injury.
Depending on how severe your burns are, you may be the victim of a catastrophic injury.
Seek legal counsel today to ensure that you are not solely responsible for your damages. Fires often cause property damage too, so understand that you can recover compensation for those losses as well. When you speak to a LaGrange catastrophic injuries lawyer, they will also help you determine whether criminal arson charges should be filed as well.
How a Lawyer Can Help
An attorney can guide you through the process of recovering compensation through a civil claim. This process involves collecting evidence that proves two things:
The Totality of Your Damages
Finding out your total damages requires answering some questions and looking into your medical bills following the accident. The compensation you deserve includes not only the current costs of medical care but also includes future healthcare costs, lost wages, and lost opportunities, among other losses. Beyond those economic damages, your lawyer will also help you determine what your non-economic damages are.
Some non-economic damages include pain and suffering, loss of relationships, embarrassment, depression, anxiety, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment in life, and more. It is important to note that, while all of these losses are intangible, the courts consider them equally as real as economic damages. The amount that can be recovered through a catastrophic injury lawsuit is normally higher than what can be recovered through a normal personal injury suit.
The Defendant’s Negligence
The only way to collect compensation through a civil claim is to prove that the defendant’s negligence caused your injuries. Your LaGrange catastrophic injuries lawyer will obtain any evidence that is available, including video from the scene of the accident, witness testimony, and medical records. They can build a case that shows who was at fault by organizing this evidence effectively.
Once the case is prepared, negotiations begin. If negotiations fall through, the next step is going to court. Winning in court is easiest when a lawyer is on your side.
Take Your Catastrophic Injuries Seriously
Catastrophic injuries are a serious matter. They can impact you for the rest of your life, so get the compensation necessary to ensure you are on the path to recovery. John Foy & Associates can help.
To get started with a free case evaluation, use the contact form on this page.
706-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form