While any injury from an accident can cause physical, emotional, and financial hardship, eventually the victim does recover and is able to go about their daily life once again. But this is not the case with catastrophic injuries. Although there is no real legal definition for a catastrophic injury, the consensus by attorneys, judges, and insurance companies is that it is an injury that permanently affects the victim’s ability to work and/or enjoy life.
When a victim has suffered a catastrophic injury in an accident caused by another party or parties, they may legally be entitled to substantial financial compensation because of the gravity and depth of loss the injury has on their life. In most cases, the victim will require ongoing medical care. Depending on the extent of the injury, they may need ongoing personal care, as well. Many victims are unable to work at the occupation they had prior to the injury or are unable to work at all. Their quality of life is forever changed and is often replaced with chronic pain and suffering. All of these factors entitle a victim of catastrophic injuries to substantial compensation.
The five types of catastrophic injuries that a Virginia personal injury attorney can help victims get the damages they deserve are:
- Brain injury: Any kind of trauma to the head, such as a concussion or fractured skull, can cause a brain injury. A severe brain injury can leave the victim with permanent problems with their memory, cognitive abilities, speech, vision, and bodily functions.
- Loss of limb: Limbs can be severed in an accident or if there is so much damage, there is no choice but to amputate the limb. The severity of the impact the limb loss has on them depends on what limb and how much their life has been affected by the injury.
- Organ damage: When one of the body’s organs are injured or ruptured, there is often internal bleeding. If this injury is not caught and treated right away, the victim can lose part or all of the organ. There is also a high risk of infection that can leave the victim with permanent disabilities.
- Spinal cord injuries: The extent of the permanent disability a victim is left with depends upon where the injury is on the spinal cord. The higher up the spinal cord the injury is, the more severe and greater part of the body will be affected. Spinal cord injury victims are often left with the loss of feeling, paralysis, and inability to control bladder and bowel functions.
- Severe burns: When a victim suffers third-degree burns in an accident, they are usually left with a lifetime of chronic pain, loss of sensation, disfigurement, or disablement of that part of the body that was burned.
Contact Our Office Today
If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury as a result of another party’s negligent or reckless actions, contact a Virginia personal injury attorney from Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp. Our firm has aggressively advocated for victims and their families for more than three decades and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
It is critical to remember that Virginia has placed a statute of limitation for how long victims have to file a claim for damages against those responsible for their injuries, so do not delay. Failure to file before that legal deadline could mean you lose any chance of ever filing your claim or getting justice against the person responsible for your or your loved one’s injuries.
Contact our office today to set up a free and confidential case evaluation with one of our dedicated Virginia accident attorneys and find out how we can help you get the financial justice you deserve.
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