A catastrophic injury is a serious injury to the spine, spinal cord, or brain, and can also include fractures of the skull or spine. This is a subset of the definition of the legal term catastrophic injury, which is based on the definition used by the American Medical Association. Some examples of catastrophic injuries would be a brain injury, in which the person has suffered some type of trauma to the head and this permanently alters their ability to function or remain functioning as before. You could have loss of a limb, spinal cord injury.
Those kinds of things are traumatic and permanent. Yes, a catastrophic injury means that the injury is so devastating that it has completely changed a person's life. Let's take a look at what is considered a catastrophic injury and why the topic can end up being so critical to the development of a case. A catastrophic injury means a limited future for survivors and their families, and that is unacceptable.
There are no certain types of accidents that determine if an injury can be classified as catastrophic. In the simplest terms of the Arnold & Itkin Law Firm, a catastrophic injury is an injury that is so serious that its effects leave the victim with permanent damage. An injury is generally classified as “catastrophic” when it occurs suddenly and without warning and leaves the victim with life-changing impacts and long-term consequences. A personal injury lawsuit involving catastrophic injuries can present unique challenges, especially when it comes to proving the current and future impact on the plaintiff's life.
This is because, after an accident that results in catastrophic injuries, the plaintiff may simply be at the beginning of a long initial recovery process and could face a possible lifetime of needed medical care. Whatever the case, if you have suffered injuries severe enough to be prolonged and debilitating or that caused you a deformity, you have suffered a catastrophic injury. If you have been involved in any type of accident that resulted in catastrophic or serious injuries, the complexity of the evidence inherent in these types of cases and what is at stake financially make it crucial to have the right personal injury lawyer on your side. Costs add up quickly and a catastrophic injury settlement aims to help offset some of these short- and long-term expenses.
When another person's negligence, carelessness, or intentional misconduct contributes to another person's catastrophic injury, it's time to talk to an experienced attorney. Examples of catastrophic injuries include traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, loss of a limb, severe burns, and organ damage. Although most people generally think that spinal cord injuries involving paralysis are the most common type of catastrophic injury, there are a variety of different types of catastrophic injuries and many possible causes.
