What Qualifies as a Catastrophic Personal Injury?

Chances are you’ve heard advertisements on your local TV or radio station for personal injury lawyers—but what exactly is a catastrophic personal injury lawsuit? In this article, we address what kinds of injuries qualify as “catastrophic” as well as common causes for this type of injury so you know if you are entitled to a settlement.

Often to classify as a catastrophic personal injury, a person must experience either a permanent or slow-healing, debilitating injury with significant implications for their daily life, such as their ability to work, drive, or take care of themselves. These types of injuries are completely unpredictable and happen in all sorts of atmospheres, which is part of what makes them “catastrophic.”

Many people think of quadriplegia or paralysis when they think of catastrophic personal injuries—but there are many other kinds of injuries that significantly impact your life that qualify as catastrophic as well. The three main kinds of catastrophic personal injuries are cognitive, physical, and spinal cord injuries. Within these three branches of catastrophic personal injuries are a host of ailments, including:

·      Amputation or loss of limb

·      Loss of vision or hearing

·      Nerve damage

·      Birth injury

·      Spinal cord injuries

·      Automobile accident injury

·      Neurological damage

·      Burns

·      Facial injury

While a complete list would be long and varied due to the random nature of these accidents, it’s generally safe to operate under the understanding that if an injury negatively impacts your ability to perform your duties at work or carry out basic daily functions either indefinitely or for an extended period of time, it is a catastrophic personal injury.

Catastrophic personal injuries strike indiscriminately and without warning. Sometimes they occur when a person puts themself in a position of higher risk, such as a skiing accident—but other times, they are related to circumstances at work, driving, or random violent criminal activity. Here are some common causes of catastrophic personal injury:

·      Accidents involving heavy machinery

·      Automobile, motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accidents

·      Falls from a significant height

·      Jet ski or boating accidents

·      Medical malpractice

·      Fires or explosions

Even some horseback riding accidents qualify for catastrophic personal injury—so if you have any doubt, contact a professional attorney’s office like Welsh Law Firm to see what your options are.

If you have experienced a catastrophic personal injury as a result of an unpredictable accident, you may be awarded damages by the court for any losses you have experienced. These include:

·      Lost wages

·      Medical expenses

·      Loss of future income

·      Pain and suffering, or a shortened life span

·      And other losses

You may further qualify for punitive damages, which are awarded at the discretion of the judge and jury on top of compensatory damages. Punitive damages are generally paid by the party at fault for the accident—so not all cases involve circumstances that warrant this kind of award.

If you’ve suffered a debilitating accident or injury, you may be entitled to compensatory or punitive damages. Getting hurt doesn’t have to be the last line of your story—but rather, it can be a new beginning for getting what you deserve. To speak with a lawyer today to see if you have a case, contact Welsh Law Firm!