What is a Catastrophic Injury in Shelby, NC?
A catastrophic injury can generally be understood as an injury that has a permanent impact on a victim’s quality of life. Someone who sustains a catastrophic injury may require ongoing medical care. It is unlikely they will be able to manage their own daily needs independently. Additionally, victims who sustain catastrophic injuries typically are unable to find gainful employment after their accidents.
Examples of catastrophic injuries are those which involve or result in such consequences as:
- Loss of vision/hearing
- Loss of a limb
- Burning or major scarring/disfigurement
- Partial or total paralysis
- Loss of the ability to walk
- Cognitive impairment
Adjusting to life after sustaining an injury that causes such difficulties can be very challenging. Victims who have sustained catastrophic injuries because other parties were negligent should know that they can at least seek compensation for their losses. While this will not restore their lives to total normalcy, it can alleviate their burdens to a significant degree.
Catastrophic Injuries in Shelby, NC: Types & Causes
The following types of injuries have a higher than average likelihood of being catastrophic:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Burns
- Injuries causing nerve damage
- Injuries that result in the need for amputation
Accidents and incidents which may cause catastrophic injuries to include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Defective product incidents
- Premises liability accidents
The Role of a Shelby Catastrophic Injury Law Firm
Someone who has sustained a catastrophic injury because another party was negligent can pursue financial compensation for their losses and damages by filing a claim to collect from the negligent party’s insurance. Filing a lawsuit to pursue damages in court is also an option when the negligent party is uninsured or their insurance carrier will not offer a fair settlement.
The victim can optimize their chances of recovering the compensation for which they are eligible by enlisting the help of a lawyer. That said, not all personal injury attorneys are qualified to handle catastrophic injury cases.
An experienced catastrophic injury lawyer will understand that these types of cases require a degree of focus and dedication that makes them unique when compared to other personal injury claims and lawsuits. For instance, in a catastrophic injury case, a lawyer calculating the amount of compensation a claim may be worth often needs to account not only for a victim’s past and current losses and damages, but future losses as well.
Insurance companies also tend to fight tooth and nail to avoid paying claimants what they are owed in these circumstances. This is because someone who has sustained a catastrophic injury may be eligible to recover a large sum of money. While no lawyer can promise a claimant will settle their case for a specific amount, a strong catastrophic injury attorney will negotiate aggressively with an insurance company when initial settlement offers are unreasonably low.
Contact a Shelby Catastrophic Injury Attorney
If you believe you have grounds to seek financial compensation after being seriously injured as a result of someone else’s actions or negligence, get in touch with a Shelby catastrophic injury attorney at Brown Moore & Associates to discuss your legal options. Learn more about how we can help by contacting us online or calling us at 704-335-1500.