Helping Clients Affected by Profound & Permanent Injuries
If you or your loved one has suffered severe or life-altering injuries, it is more important than ever to make sure you have knowledgeable, experienced legal representation on your side. Catastrophic injuries are unlike any other type of injury, and the lawsuits that result from them are equally unique.
At Pacific Cascade Legal, our attorneys are skilled at handling catastrophic injury claims. We can help you understand your legal rights, guide you through the process, and work to obtain the maximum recovery you are owed. While we know that no amount of compensation can make you whole again, it can help you move forward following such a life-altering injury.
Call (503) 427-9033 or contact us online for a free initial consultation.
What Are Catastrophic Injuries?
Catastrophic injuries are severe, life-threatening injuries that cause long-term or permanent problems and impairments. These types of injuries always require immediate medical attention, and victims often need ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.
Catastrophic injuries may be either physical or mental and often affect multiple systems and parts of the body. They can involve injuries to the nervous system, the muscular system, the skeletal system, or the psychological system. Because they are so severe and life-altering, catastrophic injuries can result in temporary or permanent disability, loss of bodily function, and loss of cognitive ability.
Examples of catastrophic injuries include:
- Amputations
- Burn injuries
- Complete organ or organ system failure
- Eye injuries/loss of vision
- Internal bleeding
- Loss of hearing/deafness
- Paralysis, including paraplegia and quadriplegia
- Severe head, brain, or traumatic brain injuries
These are just examples. Catastrophic injuries can take many other forms, including physical damage to the body and/or damage to the brain and spinal cord.
Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries
Individuals can suffer catastrophic injuries at any time and in any place. While some professions are more dangerous than others, you never know where and when a catastrophic injury will occur.
Some of the most common causes of catastrophic injuries include:
- Auto accidents, including those caused by distracted driving and drunk driving
- Motorcycle and bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Boat and other water-related accidents
- Slip and fall/trip and fall accidents
- Construction and worksite accidents
- Defective products
- Toxic exposure to hazardous materials/substances/chemicals (often due to environmental or workplace negligence)
- Birth injuries
- Medical malpractice
What Are the Long-Term Costs of Catastrophic Injuries?
Catastrophic injuries are among the most expensive types of injuries. This is because, as mentioned, they cause severe long-term or permanent problems and impairments for victims. As a result, victims usually require costly medical treatment and around-the-clock care.
Faced with overwhelming medical expenses, the last thing that most families want to think about is legal action. However, if another person or party’s negligence or wrongful acts led to the catastrophic injury, pursuing a personal injury lawsuit may be the only means of obtaining the justice and compensation that is needed.
When calculating the value of a catastrophic injury claim, you must consider all potential costs, both present and in the future. These costs may include:
- Medical bills and costs
- Prescription medication costs
- Surgeries or other medical procedures
- Medical equipment and mobility aids
- Ongoing/rehabilitation therapy
- At-home care and nursing services
- Home modifications and accommodations
- Pain and suffering
- Current and future lost income or wages
- Reduced/lost earning ability or potential
- Loss of quality and enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages (limited to certain cases; may be awarded to punish a defendant for egregious negligence, such as cases involving drunk driving or sexual assault)
In addition to being costly, catastrophic injuries are also complicated. These types of injuries often require a medical expert’s testimony. They may also require evidence regarding damages, both economic and non-economic, potentially far into the future. As such, it is important to work with an experienced attorney who can successfully navigate the complexities that invariably arise in catastrophic injury cases.
Permanent Disability, Loss of Independence, & More
As their name suggests, catastrophic injuries cause life-altering impairments and problems. Because these types of injuries are so debilitating, victims often experience significant, if not complete, loss of independence. This can drastically lose a person’s quality of life, among other problems.
A catastrophic injury victim may lose their independence to do things like:
- Dress themselves
- Eat, drink, or use the bathroom
- Get around on their own (walk, run, etc.)
- Drive or participate in their pre-injury forms of transportation
- Maintain full or partial employment
- Engage in hobbies and pastimes
- Carry on a conversation without assistance
In addition to the loss of independence, catastrophic injuries can involve total or partial paralysis; limit or prohibit a person’s ability to care for their children or engage in other relationships; and cause severe physical, emotional, and psychological trauma, among other long-term problems.
How Our Firm Can Help
If you have suffered a serious or life-threatening injury, you need a serious attorney who can protect your rights. At Pacific Cascade Family Law, we advocate for individuals seriously injured by the negligence or wrongful acts of others.
Our firm has obtained favorable results for numerous clients who have come to us suffering from severe and/or debilitating injuries. We understand this is a difficult time for you and your family, which is why we offer caring, compassionate legal counsel as well as aggressive representation.
When you hire our firm, you get the benefit of:
- Promptly returned calls
- Caring and compassionate legal services
- Trial-ready representation
- Skilled and committed negotiators
- Proven litigators
- Step-by-step guidance throughout the process
Get in touch with a Salem catastrophic injuries lawyer today; call us at (503) 427-9033 or send us a message through our online contact form.