What Classifies as a Catastrophic Injury
Catastrophic injury is defined as “effects of an injury that permanently thwart the victim from obtaining and performing gainful labor.” A catastrophic injury or illness almost always happens suddenly and without any warning. Events like this often leave the affected person suffering sustaining permanent incapacities for the rest of their life. Catastrophic injuries are any injuries that have grave, longstanding effects on the person. Catastrophic injuries frequently put severe stress on the victim’s family because they often require continuous management or support for their entire lives. On top of this, victims also have to deal with a lifetime of rehab, treatment, and, as a result many costly medical bills.
Catastrophic injuries may be caused by a number of diverse situations. They are considered catastrophic due to the mammoth influence they can produce in the lives of the people who deal with them. A catastrophic injury or illness regularly causes a noticeable disturbance to the central nervous system (spinal cord injuries or severe burn injuries) which can disturb or distress a bevy of other systems in the body. Some examples of the most common catastrophic injuries include severe head trauma, accidental amputation, bone fracture, an eye injury, shoulder injury, back injury, neck injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and spinal and/or neurological disorders. These traumatic events can result in paralysis, paraplegia, and even quadriplegia. Thus, catastrophic injury settlements serve to attempt to compensate affected victims for their resulting lifelong disabilities.
For any accident which ends in a catastrophic injury, an injury claim and settlement is commonly an option for the victim. With the assistance of a qualified attorney, victims can be compensated for the wrongful and/or life-altering injuries that have they have sustained.
Naturally, the more severe the injury, the higher the medical expenses you may incur as a result. A victim could have had to endure multiple invasive surgeries and/or go through rehabilitation. It also may be the case that the victim requires permanent use of a medical device or a lifelong need for a particular medication as a result of the injury. Also, if the injury put you out of work, you may be entitled to compensation for those lost wages. Finally, you could also be entitled to compensation due to emotional damage you may have experienced as a result of your accident.
