Helping Injured Clients Seek Compensation with Their Personal Injury Claims
Every personal injury victim deserves respect and dedicated legal representation for their personal injury claims. However, certain injuries are worse than others and may require extra attention as well as additional financial compensation. Some accidents result in injuries that have a life-altering effect, forever changing the trajectory and needs of the accident victim.
If you have suffered a catastrophic injury in North Carolina, it is important that you understand the legal complexities of such personal injury cases. Like a wrongful death claim, a catastrophic injury claim often results in the injured party or their representatives demanding greater financial compensation for injuries and other losses. As a result, it is not uncommon for insurance companies and at-fault parties to fight back hard against their liabilities in the personal injury case. That is why catastrophic injury victims and their loved ones must retain professional legal counsel when seeking justice and financial recovery.
What is a Catastrophic Injury?
Personal injury claims are civil cases that seek to hold liable parties responsible for the damages done in an accident as a result of negligence, recklessness, or malicious intent. While most personal injury cases end with injured victims recovering compensation and getting back to their lives more or less undeterred by the injuries they suffered, the same cannot be said for catastrophic injury victims.
Catastrophic injury is a term used to describe personal injury cases wherein victims suffer serious, long-term, and forever life-altering injuries. Catastrophic injury cases differentiate themselves from other personal injury cases because of the considerable financial losses suffered by the injury victims and the need for maximum compensation to help them get by day-to-day following their accident injuries.
There is no legal definition of what a catastrophic injury is or is not in North Carolina. Defining your injury as catastrophic is left up to your personal injury lawyers. Any injury that results in a long-lasting negative condition or some disability that causes severe pain or impacts the ability to live a normal life may be considered a catastrophic injury. Catastrophic injuries include those that affect your ability to perform your duties, care for yourself, hold down a job, be there for your children and family members, drive a car, or carry out any other daily tasks.
What Are Common Catastrophic Injuries?
While any personal injury case could potentially be catastrophic if the injuries are life-altering or require long-term care, there are certain elements that are commonly seen in catastrophic injury cases.
These include:
- Amputation or loss of limbs.
- Birth injuries.
- Brain bleeds (brain hemorrhaging).
- Cancer.
- Comas.
- Diseases.
- Disfigurement.
- Dismemberment.
- Electrocution.
- Hearing loss.
- Loss of bodily function.
- Loss of organs.
- Loss of sight.
- Loss of speech.
- Medical malpractice injuries.
- Mesothelioma.
- Nerve damage.
- Organ damage.
- Orthopedic injuries.
- Paraplegia.
- Permanent brain damage.
- Permanent disability.
- Permanent ligament damage.
- Quadriplegia.
- Severe burns to the face or body.
- Severe scarring.
- Shattered bones.
- Shoulder, back, foot, and neck injuries causing disability.
- Spinal cord injuries.
- Temporary or permanent paralysis.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI).
There are several consequences from any of the above injuries.
Traumatic brain injuries are among the most severe catastrophic injuries one could possibly suffer and survive. Symptoms of head injuries, head trauma, and TBIs include memory loss, loss of vision, loss of motor control, dizziness, mood changes, slurred speech, and inability to comprehend basic information.
Spinal cord injuries can occur in many different types of accidents, including slip and fall accidents and motor vehicle accidents. A spinal cord injury could result in life-altering health problems. These may include loss of bowel control, mood swings, chronic pain, loss of sensation, difficulty breathing, and an inability to regulate blood pressure.
Nerve damage can sometimes be difficult to diagnose. Similar to a spinal cord injury, nerve damage injuries can result in a loss of sensation, loss of muscle control, and chronic physical pain and suffering.
Severe burn injuries can be quite serious, often resulting in extensive skin grafts and other treatments. A burn could leave an accident victim permanently disfigured, and other victims may lose range of motion and suffer permanent disabilities. There is also the increased risk of infection for burn victims.
Whatever your type of injury, if the accident was caused by another person’s negligence, you should not be on the hook for costly medical bills, property damage, and other expenses. We would be proud to represent your legal rights in pursuit of justice and financial compensation. To learn more, please contact us to discuss your personal injury case in more detail today.
What Causes Catastrophic Injuries?
A single careless mistake could result in catastrophic and life-altering bodily injury or wrongful death cases. Sometimes, catastrophic injuries are the result of especially violent accidents, but other times, they result from seemingly minor accidents or lapses in judgment.
Examples of accidents that may cause a catastrophic injury include:
- Car accidents.
- Commercial trucking accidents.
- Construction site accidents.
- Defective products and product liability accidents.
- Dog bites and animal attacks.
- Domestic violence.
- Driving under the influence of marijuana accidents.
- Drunk driving accidents.
- Elder abuse and neglect.
- Falling objects.
- Medical malpractice accidents.
- Motorcycle accidents.
- Pedestrian accidents.
- Premises liability accidents.
- Railroad accidents.
- Slip and falls.
- Workplace accidents.
- And more.
Why Should You Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Personal Injury Claim?
North Carolina is a contributory negligence state. Under NC personal injury law, an injured victim cannot be partially responsible for an accident and still hope to recover compensation. If you were even 1% responsible for the accident occurring, you cannot hope to seek financial recovery. That is why it is so essential for catastrophic injury victims to retain professional legal counsel when seeking compensation for their injuries.
As your personal injury attorneys, our highly skilled legal team will review your case, gather all of the evidence, negotiate with the insurance company, defend your personal injury claim in court, and fight for the full compensation you deserve. All the while, you will be allowed time to rest and recover from your catastrophic injuries at your own pace.
What Type of Financial Settlement Could Your Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Help You Recover?
With a successful personal injury lawsuit, it is possible to recover both economic and non-economic damages. These damages can go a long way to helping injured victims survive day-to-day and meet their long-term medical needs.
Economic damages may include:
- Lost wages and lost income earning capacity in cases where you cannot return to work.
- Ongoing medical treatment.
- Past medical bills and future medical expenses.
- Property damage and vehicle repairs.
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation services.
- Workers’ compensation.
- Funeral, burial, and memorial expenses in the event of a fatal accident.
Non-economic damages may help compensate you for the following:
- Disfigurement, dismemberment, and disability.
- Emotional suffering and emotional distress.
- Mental anguish.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Lost companionship or consortium.
- Lost quality of life.
- Pain and suffering.
- Wrongful death claims.
Schedule a Consultation with Catastrophic Injury Lawyers in North Carolina Today
Kreider Attorneys at Law is a Greensboro, North Carolina law firm that covers a wide range of practice areas, including personal injury cases involving catastrophic injuries. Led by former District Court judge Jonathan G. Kreider, our personal injury law firm brings a unique legal perspective to the proceedings of personal injury claims in order to help injured victims and their family members pursue compensation. We believe that you will feel confident with our legal representation, knowing that your personal injury case is in good hands.
To discuss your catastrophic injury case in more detail, please contact our Greensboro, NC, law offices to schedule your initial consultation today. 336-770-2017.