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A serious or catastrophic injury causes severe bodily harm, leading to temporary or permanent disability or death. It usually occurs suddenly (often due to an accident).
If you or a loved one suffered a serious or catastrophic injury, you likely have significant medical expenses and must take time off work to heal. You may also face ongoing medical treatments and changes to your daily life. A personal injury lawyer in Rutherfordton with our firm may be able to help you recover monetary resources you can use to care for yourself or your hurt family member. Read on to learn more.
Examples of Serious and Catastrophic Injuries
Serious and catastrophic injuries cause severe bodily harm and long-lasting or permanent symptoms and side effects that interfere with your life and ability to work.
Though not an exhaustive list, examples of serious and catastrophic injuries include the following:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Loss of hearing, sight, or speech
- Severe scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of limbs
- Loss of bodily functions
- Internal organ damage
- Severe burns
- Severe back and neck injuries
- Severe bone fractures
- Nerve damage
- Loss of movement or paralysis
Common Causes of Severe and Catastrophic Injuries
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), motor vehicle accidents, falls, and poisonings caused over 80 percent of accidental, preventable deaths in the United States in 2021. The leading causes of nonfatal emergency department visits also include falls (33 percent), poisonings (9 percent), and auto accidents (8 percent), as well as struck-by/against accidents (11 percent).
A personal injury attorney with our law firm can help if you sustained a serious or catastrophic caused by one of the following:
- Car wreck
- Motorcycle accident
- Truck or commercial motor vehicle accident
- Bus collision
- Bicycle accident
- Pedestrian accident
- Workplace accident
- Construction accident
- Dog bites or animal attack
- Assault or violence
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Medical Treatment for Serious and Catastrophic Injuries
Serious injuries usually require extensive medical care. If your injury is catastrophic, you may have lifelong medical expenses. Treatment for severe and catastrophic injuries may include the following:
- Emergency transportation and treatment. Severe injuries usually need immediate medical attention. Your injuries may have needed stabilization at the accident scene. You may also have required ambulance transportation and emergency department treatment.
- Hospitalization and surgery. You may have needed emergency surgery and require ongoing medical procedures. You may also need to stay in the hospital while you recuperate.
- Follow-up care. You will likely visit your doctor frequently as you heal or learn to cope with the ongoing side effects of a severe or catastrophic injury.
- Medications, medical devices, and medical equipment. You may need prescription medications, mobility aids, and medical equipment to make your home or vehicle disability-accessible.
- Rehabilitation and therapy. Recovering as fully as possible from a serious injury often requires physical therapy, occupational therapy, or cognitive rehabilitation.
- Nursing services. You or your injured loved one may need long-term nursing and assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). You may need to hire in-home health care services or permanently or temporarily relocate to a nursing or rehabilitation facility.
Serious or Catastrophic Injury Compensation
Current and ongoing medical expenses can cause significant financial hardships for serious and catastrophic injury victims. Often, being unable to work compounds this financial stress. If the accident that caused your injury resulted from another party’s negligent or wrongful actions, you can seek compensation to pay for your losses.
Economic and non-economic damages you may be able to recover after a severe or catastrophic personal injury include the following:
- Current and future medical bills resulting from your accident injury
- Medical travel expenses
- Long-term care costs
- Lost wages and employment benefits
- Loss of your future earning capacity
- Personal property damages
- Household services
- Medically necessary home or vehicle modifications
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment
- Wrongful death damages on behalf of a deceased loved one’s estate and survivors
How Long Do You Have to Pursue Personal Injury Damages?
How long you have to seek injury compensation will depend on where you live. We serve clients in North and South Carolina.
In North Carolina, the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits is three years, according to N.C. Gen. Stat. §1-52. You have two years to sue for wrongful death under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-53. In South Carolina, S.C. Ann. § 15-3-530 allows three years to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
If you do not file a lawsuit before these deadlines expire, you could be left without compensation and have no options for legal recourse.
Should You Hire a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer?
If another party’s negligent or wrongful behavior hurt you or your loved one, you deserve help paying for medical treatment and related losses. Our personal injury law firm can explore your options for recovering financial damages and do the work needed to build your case so you can focus on your health and family. Our legal team can:
- Investigate the cause of your injury and identify liable parties
- Collect evidence to support your personal injury claim
- Identify and calculate your current and future damages
- Hire and consult with doctors, economists, and other case experts when needed
- Prepare and file your insurance claim or lawsuit
- Handle paperwork, case-related communications, deadlines, and other details
- Aggressively negotiate for fair compensation
- Represent you at trial if necessary
Contact Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC for Help With Your Catastrophic Injury Case Today
A serious or catastrophic injury can upend your life, but help is available. A personal injury lawyer with Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC can fight for economic justice, so the cost of your accident and injuries do not cause further stress and suffering for you and your family.
Contact us today for a free case review. We offer immediate assistance via our 24/7 helpline. Our catastrophic injury attorneys take cases on a contingency basis, meaning we charge nothing upfront or out-of-pocket for our services. We only collect attorney fees once we obtain compensation.
