Catastrophic Injuries After Vehicle Crash: 3 Things To Know

Catastrophic accidents are not as rare as most people might imagine. The legal definition of a devastating injury may include any injury that results in permanent suffering or the death of a person. Such an injury may be caused by a negligent act, accident, fabrication, or breach of fiduciary responsibility. Any intentional misconduct, malicious intent, or reckless misconduct is grounds for pursuing a case in court.

Catastrophic accidents can cause years of physical therapy, costly medical treatments, and painful surgeries. If you or a loved one has suffered a severe car crash trauma, you may be looking for ways to cover the costs of your injuries and medical treatments. 

So how do you pay for lost wages, doctor visits, costly medicines, and the funeral expenses of a loved one? You must know what to expect and what to do when you’re involved in a vehicle crash that resulted in catastrophic injuries.

• What Are Catastrophic Injuries After a Car Crash?

Getting involved in a vehicular accident isn’t a pleasant experience. Sadly, car accidents can lead to various degrees of injury, some of which may prove to be debilitating. Car crashes are the most common causes of catastrophic injuries, including brain trauma, organ damage, severe burns, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and loss of eyesight. Some of these injuries may lead to permanent disability and even death. 

Here are the most common types of catastrophic injuries suffered by drivers in an automobile accident:

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): Symptoms associated with traumatic brain injuries include seizures, memory loss, loss of consciousness, and headaches. TBIs may require surgery and physical therapy to help the victim recover mobility, speech, cognitive abilities, and independent living capabilities.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI): Victims of cervical spinal cord injuries may experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness, paralysis, weakness, as well as hearing and speaking disabilities. If left untreated, a cervical spinal injury may lead to death. 

An experienced personal injury lawyer, such as the team from Balkin & Mausner, can guide you through the process of claiming compensation and ensure that you receive the maximum benefits for your injuries.

Neck Injury: Anyone involved in a car crash where the neck and back were injured can have catastrophic injuries. A neck injury may result in a loss of extension and movement of the neck and back muscles, resulting in severe pain and neurological compromise. A physician should evaluate neck injuries from a car accident for possible surgery to reconstruct the affected vertebrae.

• Steps To Take After a Catastrophic Injury

Before speaking about a catastrophic injury, there are steps that you should take immediately after the accident. Doing these steps will help you in obtaining justice of severe damages:

Report the incident: It’s essential to let the authorities know that a road accident caused severe physical damage. After getting yourself to safety, call for help. If you’re unable to reach out due to your injuries, seek the help of bystanders in reporting the incident to the police. Make sure you or a family member can get a copy of the police report.

Seek medical attention: Medical and healthcare professionals are the only ones who can evaluate how bad your injuries are objectively. Make sure to have all medical examinations and treatments documented by your attending physician.

Call your insurance provider: Whether you’re a victim of negligence or partly responsible for the accident, you should reach out to your insurance provider to report the casualty to obtain some compensation for your injuries or damages to your property. 

The insurance company may decide to inspect your car and take pictures of the damage to your vehicle. Your car insurance adjuster may require you to take a physical exam and other tests to determine the severity of your accident.

• The Advantages Of Hiring A Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

A catastrophic personal injury can leave its victims with a permanent disability, lost wages, current and potential medical expenses, a shortened lifespan, and in some cases, death. 

Here’s how a catastrophic personal injury attorney can help you:

Determine eligibility: A qualified professional knows laws that cover fatal personal injuries to determine if you qualify for this type of injury compensation.

Deal with insurance adjusters: Catastrophic accident claims often lead to very hefty financial liabilities for victims. Insurance adjusters are extremely thorough when investigating these cases. An expert catastrophic injury lawyer is your best ally in obtaining compensation for physical injuries. In addition, damages for pain and suffering can also be awarded in cases of extreme injuries.

File a claim: Although no amount of money can ever restore a victim to their earlier life, filing a lawsuit in an attempt to obtain compensation for your suffering. It allows you to receive the financial support that you need to compensate you for your losses adequately. A skilled personal injury lawyer is aware of the statute of limitations for filing these cases.

Represent you in court: Catastrophic injuries are among the most difficult to prove. You need a lawyer to represent you when the third-party responsible for the crash is denying their negligence. 

To make a successful negligence claim, your attorney must prove two things: that the negligence was the result of a direct action of another person and that this negligence proximately caused your catastrophic injuries.

Takeaway 

Catastrophic car accident injuries are devastating to victims and their families. An experienced personal injury attorney will provide you relevant and valuable information about your case. If you suffered catastrophic injuries after a vehicle crash because of another person’s negligence, you should immediately seek legal assistance to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

Your legal representation will work tirelessly to ensure that your interests are protected throughout the legal process and to maximize your compensation potential. Don’t allow yourself to become another statistic.