North Carolina Law Firm 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.
The legal system can feel overwhelming at times, especially for accident victims still recovering from their injuries, but legal professionals exist to assist you. Our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys can assist you in seeking justice and claiming compensation for serious injuries. Whether you were injured in a car accident, workplace incident, assault, or other type of serious accident, our experienced attorneys can help you through the entire process of holding the responsible party accountable for their actions.
Contact a Greensboro personal injury attorney at our law office today to learn more about the benefits of retaining our legal services. Our North Carolina law firm offers consultations to prospective new clients interested in retaining our legal services. In your no-obligation case evaluation, we will go over your options and the basics of the legal process. We look forward to speaking with you.
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 claims 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 today to discuss your personal injury case in more detail.
What Causes Serious 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:
- Assaults
- Bicycle accidents
- Car accidents and commercial truck accidents
- Construction 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 claims
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Premises liability accidents
- Railroad accidents
- Slip and falls
- Workplace accidents
Whatever the cause of your severe injuries, be it an auto accident, construction site accident, premises liability incident, or something else entirely, our experienced lawyers are here to represent your legal rights in pursuit of fair compensation. We fully understand that catastrophic injuries can be life-altering, impacting not just the accident victim but also their family, their income, and their careers. Our highly skilled attorneys have a keen understanding of various catastrophic injury conditions, the medical procedures necessary to treat them, and the medical terminology used by professionals. By gathering evidence to support your claim, we can hold any party who has a legal responsibility of reasonable care accountable for their actions in pursuit of the maximum compensation for your personal injury case.
Why Should You Hire an Experienced Greensboro Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Catastrophic Injury Claim?
North Carolina is a contributory negligence state. Under North Carolina 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 Greensboro Personal Injury Attorneys 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 compensation for the following:
- Funeral, burial, and memorial expenses in the event of a fatal accident
- 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
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation services
- Property damage
- Workers’ compensation benefits
Non-economic damages may help compensate you for the following:
- Disfigurement, dismemberment, and disability
- Emotional suffering and psychological distress
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Lost quality of life
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death benefits, including funeral expenses, hospital bills from before death, lost benefits, lost wages, pain and suffering, and the emotional trauma suffered by surviving family members
In some extreme cases, such as instances of wanton negligence, malicious intent, or egregious wrongful conduct, a judge may also award punitive damages. The purpose of punitive damages is to punish the defendant and deter others from committing similar acts of negligence or malicious conduct. To recover punitive damages, the accident victim and their legal representative must provide convincing evidence of aggravating factors such as extreme recklessness, fraud, or malice by the defendant. Punitive damages cannot be guaranteed in any personal injury legal matter. As your legal representation, we will explore all options to help you recover the maximum compensation possible for your case.
What Factors May Influence the Value of Your Personal Injury Claim?
Catastrophic injury cases can be more complicated than most typical personal injury cases if for no other reason than the severity of the injuries and the potential for long-term future medical expenses. Your Greensboro personal injury attorneys will work with other professionals to determine the value of your catastrophic injury claim.
Potential factors that could influence the total compensation recoverable in a catastrophic injury case include the following:
- The severity of the injury. Typically, the worse the injury, the more costly and long-term the medical treatment. Many catastrophic injuries require extensive medical care, long-term rehabilitation, adaptations for new disabilities, and other forms of ongoing care. If medical professionals anticipate that a catastrophic injury will have a long-lasting impact on the victim’s life, this will likely influence the total value of the personal injury claim
- Liability. The degree to which the at-fault party is held accountable for their actions (or inaction) can play a significant role in determining the value of your personal injury claims. It’s also worth remembering that North Carolina operates by a contributory negligence understanding of personal injury law, which bars accident victims from recovering compensation if they were partially at fault
- Financial losses and economic damages. Out-of-pocket expenses, medical bills, and projected future costs for medical treatment, rehabilitation, and therapy may all influence the maximum compensation you stand to recover. Additionally, lost wages and lost income-earning capacity may qualify as recoverable damages
- Non-economic damages. These types of damages are the most difficult to put a price tag on. Non-economic damages refer to losses suffered by the injured party, such as physical pain and suffering, emotional trauma, loss of consortium, and diminished quality of life. Non-economic damages do not have a true monetary value, but your attorneys will collaborate with other professionals to come up with a fair settlement number
Every catastrophic injury case is different, and no two accident victims are exactly alike. What one victim may recover in their personal injury lawsuit may not directly reflect what you stand to recover.
What is the Statute of Limitations for Filing Catastrophic Injury Lawsuits in Greensboro, North Carolina?
There is a strict time frame within which personal injury victims and their representatives can take legal action in pursuit of justice and financial recovery. This time window, known as the statute of limitations, prevents personal injury lawsuits from being filed long after the accidents occurred.
In North Carolina, personal injury lawsuits must be filed within three years of the date of the injury. If you do not file your catastrophic injury lawsuit within the allotted three years, you will likely be barred from claiming compensation for your accident.
There may be certain exceptions to the rule. For example, product liability cases involving dangerous and defective products have a statute of repose that is added to the three-year deadline. For product liability cases, you may have up to 12 years from the initial purchase of the item to take legal action. Additionally, the deadline may be tolled or paused for accident cases involving serious injuries to minors. It’s also worth noting that the time window for pursuing compensation may be smaller in some cases, such as claims against government entities.
Discuss Your Personal Injury Case in a Consultation with Our Greensboro Catastrophic Injury Lawyers 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. Our personal injury law firm, led by former District Court judge Jonathan G. Kreider, brings a unique legal perspective to the proceedings of personal injury claims 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.
You can contact our Greensboro personal injury lawyers at 336-770-2017.