A catastrophic injury has a devastating emotional and financial impact on a person’s entire family. Unlike a broken arm or leg which will heal in time, catastrophic injuries are usually permanent, and will affect an injured person for the rest of his or her life.
The lawsuits that follow catastrophic injuries are also different than those following less severe injuries. Because these types of injuries can have such long-lasting effects, it takes a skilled and experienced litigator to make sure that a family receives the compensation that they need to survive for the long term.
What Are Catastrophic Injuries?
The phrase “catastrophic injury” is a medical and legal term which refers to a severe, life-changing injury. These injuries are usually to the spine, spinal cord, or brain, but can also encompass severe burns or the loss of a limb or an organ.
When a person sustains a catastrophic injury, they may face multiple complications in several different body systems. A person with a spinal injury in their neck may be permanently paralyzed, and may need full-time, lifelong care. A person with a brain injury may never be able to care for themselves, and may lose most of their cognitive ability. In addition, these injuries almost always result in a shortened lifespan.
What makes catastrophic injuries unique is the amount of physical, emotional, and financial devastation that they cause. When a person is facing a lifetime of assisted care, therapy, follow-up surgeries, and unavoidable complications, it is often impossible to move forward without the help of a supportive family as well as financial contributions from the person or entity who caused the injury.
How Catastrophic Injury Lawsuits Are Different
Catastrophic injury cases are much more complex than any other type of personal injury case. Because the magnitude of the injury is so much greater than a regular injury, it is often difficult to precisely quantify the full, life-long impact on a person and his or her family.
In order to determine how much compensation is fair for a catastrophic injury, an attorney will often have to complete an elaborate investigation into the circumstances of the injury and the injured person’s prognosis. The attorney will have to show a jury what type of life expectancy an injured person has, how much care he or she will need, what type of rehabilitation or additional surgeries are necessary, and how much pain he or she will continue to suffer.
In addition, a fair lawsuit settlement or verdict must also take into consideration how that person’s family has suffered. If the person will never be able to work again, then he or she may not be able to provide for a spouse or children. If that person’s spouse or parent has to quit work in order to care for the person, those costs should be considered as well.
In a catastrophic personal injury case, it is important to have someone on your side who understands both the medical complications and their legal ramifications. As both an attorney and a medical doctor, attorney Bradley I. Kramer, M.D., Esq., understands what your family is going through, and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. His experienced legal and medical staff will use all of their expertise to help you get justice after a catastrophic injury.
For a free consultation at the Trial Law Offices of Bradley I. Kramer, M.D., Esq., call us today at (310) 289-2600 or use our online contact form to have your case reviewed for free.