Some accidents, by their very nature, are serious and cause injuries so serious that the law defines them as catastrophic. Courts and insurance companies don't focus much on how the accident occurred, as long as it involved the use and operation of a motor vehicle. Examples of catastrophic injuries include traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, loss of a limb, severe burns, and organ damage. They are often caused by car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and truck accidents, or by another person's negligence, carelessness, or recklessness.
Other common causes include construction and swimming pool accidents, defective medical devices, and consumer products. A study conducted in the province of Ontario in Canada, based on epidemiological data from 1986, 1989, 1992 and 1995, states that the highest incidence of catastrophic injuries occurred in snowmobiling, cycling, ice hockey and skiing. Car accidents account for 43% of catastrophic spinal cord injuries in the United States and 45% in Australia. It's important to seek an attorney, in your area, experienced in catastrophic injury cases to help you investigate your case and determine the appropriate parties who may be responsible for your injuries.
A catastrophic injury means a limited future for survivors and their families, and that is unacceptable. 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. If you've had a serious or catastrophic accident, it's vital to get in touch with a trusted trauma lawyer as soon as possible. However, many catastrophic injury damages include medical costs (at the time of injury and future medical treatment), loss of wages, loss of future income (if the injured party is unable to work for a period of time, even permanently), loss of household services, additional care costs, loss of quality of life, pain and suffering, reduction of life expectancy and others.
When determining who is responsible for your catastrophic injury, it's important to look at the specific facts of your case. A catastrophic accident (also called a traumatic accident) is one that causes “catastrophic impediments,” as defined in the Ontario List of Statutory Accident Benefits. Having a catastrophic injury means losing a vital part of the person, whether it's a limb, the ability to walk, or the ability to form a complete thought. There are endless ways in which a catastrophic injury could occur and many are unusual, “rare accidents”.
The generally accepted definition of catastrophic injury in law and medicine suggests that it is an injury in which the victim is left in a state of inability to perform his or her expected work for an extended period of time. In simpler terms, a catastrophic injury is an injury that is so severe that its effects leave the victim with permanent damage. No discussion of the causes and types of catastrophic injuries would be complete without mentioning traumatic brain injury (TBI). While many people think paraplegia and quadriplegia are common catastrophic injuries, they're just the tip of the iceberg.
The main cause of the increased incidence of catastrophic injuries in cheerleaders is the evolution of cheerleaders to a gymnastic-like activity.
