What exactly is a catastrophic injury? What makes these injuries different from any other type of injury? First of all, catastrophic injuries result in permanent damage to the victim. They could be left dealing with lifelong disabilities or permanent scarring because of their injuries. The victim could also be left requiring lifelong care and may not be able to ever return to work. Those who have been seriously injured because of an accident, medical error, or because of a defective product, could be entitled to compensation for what they went through. They could be dealing with high medical bills, lost wages, and medical care, so it is important that they have assistance with these extra costs.
One type of catastrophic injury which can result from an accident is a burn injury. Burns are categorized based on how serious they are. First-degree burns only affect the outermost layer of skin, resulting in redness and blisters. Second-degree burns are more serious and can require skin grafts if the damage is widespread. Third-degree burns are also known as full-thickness burns because the damage affects every layer of skin. Recovery could be extensive, depending on how much of the body was affected. Surgery and therapy may be necessary to ensure the skin heals correctly.
Brain injuries can be caused by blunt force trauma to the head or could result from a medical error or dangerous drug. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to brain injuries which are acquired, meaning they occur because of a sudden force. Depending on how widespread and serious the injury is, brain injuries can be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. After an accident where there was the possibility of brain damage, it is important to be aware of the signs which point to brain injury.
Another type of catastrophic injury is spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries can result from trauma that directly affected the spinal cord or the surrounding bones and tissues. Examples of ways these types of injuries can occur include car accidents, slip, and fall accidents, assault, and more. If the spinal cord is injured, the results can include loss of feeling and movement, loss of bladder control, pain, and more. Surgery could help to fix any broken bones or disks, but sometimes it is impossible to get the victim back to full health and ability.
Some accidents can result in the loss of a limb. Whether a limb was actually dismembered because of the accident or had to be removed in surgery, the loss of an arm or leg can affect the victim’s life permanently. Not only could the victim be unable to continue on in their previous job, but their choice of the profession could be severely limited. They could also require ongoing physical therapy as well as medical care. The person is responsible for causing this type of injury should be held accountable for causing the victim’s life to be changed so drastically.
If you have questions about catastrophic injuries, or you or a loved one suffered from one of the types of injuries listed above, please do not hesitate to contact a Springfield personal injury lawyer from the team at Henry, Williams & Kinder, P.C. We have over 55 years of combined experience on our side and have been able to secure millions of dollars for our clients how have been seriously injured. If you would like to tell us about your case in a free case evaluation, please do not hesitate to call our office today. If we are not able to successfully resolve your case, we will not charge you any fees!