Defining Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries are injuries that are so severe that they permanently affect individuals. For example, these life-changing injuries can cause a lifelong disability, scarring and disfigurement, paralysis, loss of bodily function, or cognitive impairment. These injuries often prevent an individual from returning to work, or may force them to change careers. Essentially, catastrophic injuries can have a devastating impact on the accident victim’s emotional and physical well-being, creating ongoing financial struggles due to the individual’s inability to return to work and ongoing medical costs.
Types of catastrophic injuries can include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Loss of limb or digits
- Crush injuries
- Loss of hearing
- Loss of sight
- Spinal cord damage
- Nerve damage
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Burns
- Birth injuries
These injuries are also categorized as catastrophic due to the permanence of the injury. People with these life-changing injuries are usually never going to get back to the state of health they had prior to the accident or incident.
What Causes Catastrophic Injuries?
A catastrophic injury can arise from many different scenarios. The human body is not meant to withstand extreme force, such as those experienced in falls from heights or auto accidents. Unfortunately, these types of accidents can result in life-changing injuries for accident victims. At Parker Waichman LLP, our Bonita Springs catastrophic injury lawyers have the experience and resources needed to handle these types of complex accident claims.
Over the years, our legal team has handled countless catastrophic injury cases that were caused by:
- Motor vehicle collisions
- Falls
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Construction accidents
- Commercial truck accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Dog attacks
- Fires or explosions
- Defective products
- Premises liability accidents
- Sports accidents
- Recreational accidents
- Exposure to toxic substances
Common Characteristics Of Catastrophic Injuries
There are key differences between catastrophic injuries and other types of accident injuries. Some common characteristics that exist in catastrophic injuries that don’t exist with other types of accident injuries include:
Severity Of Injuries
Catastrophic injuries cause damage that is more severe than regular injuries. The individual’s life is significantly and usually permanently altered. Many accident victims will require assistance with daily care.
Long Recovery Time
The time it takes to recover from regular injuries is typically much less than the time required to recover from a catastrophic injury. While the recovery time can vary, it often ranges between several months to several years. For many victims of catastrophic injuries, a full recovery is not possible. The severity of the injuries are life-changing, with a recovery time that is potentially lifelong.
Ongoing Medical Care for the Foreseeable Future
A catastrophic injury can cause significant trauma. Severe trauma can take considerable time to recover from. Recovery often includes rehabilitation, ongoing doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, occupational therapy, hospitalization, surgeries, and more. Treatment is often required for the rest of the accident victim’s life.
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