Life can take a major turn in an in instant. One minute you are going about your day as normally as always, and the next minute something happens that alters the trajectory of your entire life. In the event that the life-changing event involves you sustaining a catastrophic injury, you need to know what steps you should take to get an attorney on your side. That attorney will fight on your behalf to make sure you get as much compensation as you possibly can following a catastrophic accident.
Should You Hire an Attorney Following a Catastrophic Accident?
The very first thing to concern yourself with following a catastrophic accident is your immediate health and well-being. You must make certain that you are able to care for yourself to try to get yourself as close as possible back to the kind of life that you had prior to the accident. It might not be possible to get yourself all the way back to the way that you lived before, but your first responsibility is to take care of your health.
After that, you should seek out an attorney that can represent you in court and help make the best possible case in court. You will need compensation for the medical bills and other expenses that you must take care of as a result of the accident. Those are expenses that you should not have to pay out of pocket because you did not bring the accident upon yourself. Given that you are not the responsible party, you should not be the one who is paying for the cost of the aftermath. An attorney can help you win the compenstation that you deserve for what you have been through.
What Qualifies as a Catastrophic Accident?
The severity of the injuries that you sustain after an accident are what qualifies it as a catastrophic accident. The more serious the injuries, the more catastrophic the accident really is. When the injuries that you suffer from alter your life and your ability to enjoy your life, then the accident can certainly be considered to be catastrophic.
A few examples of injuries that may be considered catastrophic include the following:
- Spinal Cord Injuries – Any injury to your spinal cord can be extremely serious and impact your quality of life. You could end up with paralysis, partial paralysis, or any number of other serious situations. Those who are dealing with spinal cord injuries may discover that they are unable to carry on with life the way that they did before.
- Traumatic Brain Injury -Injuries to the head are always a matter to be taken seriously. You don’t want to jeopardize your health and well-being by ignoring the fallout of a head injury. When that injury qualifies as a traumatic brain injury, you may find that the cascading impacts of that injury are more than you ever bargained for. If that is the case, then you have something that should be taken to court to receive the compensation that you deserve.
- Amputation – The removal of a body part will always have an impact on your life no matter who you are or which part of your body is being removed. No one wants to deal with the removal of any part of their body, but it is something that might be necessary in the aftermath of a catastrophic accident. The loss of a body part due to an accident is certainly something that qualifies as a catastrophic accident and requires the services of an attorney to help you get the compensation that you deserve.
These are not the only types of injuries that qualify as catastrophic, but they are some of the most common types of injuries that qualify. It is not necessary to have a specific type of injury to qualify for the help of a catastrophic injury attorney. However, certain types of injuries are certainly more likely to be taken up by an attorney.
Types of Compensation That You May Receive
The compensation paid out to the victim of a catastrophic injury can come in a variety of forms. A good attorney will pursue compensation in all of the various forms that a court can issue to you. Some of the forms of compensation that one might receive from a court in an injury case include the following:
- Pain and Suffering – The physical and mental pain and suffering that one may go through as the result of a catastrophic accident is quite serious and can be quite costly (economically and otherwise). Your attorney can insist that the court provide you with compensation for what you have gone through.
- Physical Disability or Disfigurement – The impact that your physical body can take when you go through something as serious as a catastrophic accident cannot be overstated. The quality of life that one experiences before and after a catastrophic accident can change dramatically depending on the disfigurement that one suffers as a result of their accident. Once again, compensation is warranted when this is something that one has gone through.
- Loss of Reputation – Believe it or not, the loss of reputation that one suffers after they go through a catastrophic accident is something that can be compensated for in court as well. If the accident has caused the victim to lose the reputation that they used to earn a living, then that can be included in the claim made in court.
- Loss of Income – Injuries suffered in a catastrophic accident may result in the inability of the victim to work the way that they did prior. When that happens, the loss of income can be included in the total compensation package received via a judgment.
These are just some of the forms of compensation that one can receive via the justice system. Your attorney should seek any and all forms of compensation that are valid in your case. The greater the amount of compensation that you receive, the more financially stable your life can be after an accident.
If you have suffered a catastophic accident, please reach out and contact us to set up an initial consultation with an attorney to get a better idea about the strength of your case.