A catastrophic injury is any injury that prevents a victim from ever returning to their pre-injury way of life. While catastrophic injuries often impact two of the most sensitive parts of the body—the brain and spinal cord, they do encompass any injury that permanently affects a victim.
Below, our Mississippi personal injury attorneys discuss common examples of catastrophic injuries.
What is a Catastrophic Injury?
The consequences of a catastrophic injury include those that permanently prevent an individual from performing any gainful work. Often, catastrophic injury victims require lifelong treatment and can never return to work or support themselves.
This is one reason why catastrophic injuries are so named—their potential to cause permanent harm to a victim in more ways than one.
Catastrophic injuries can happen in a variety of circumstances, including the following:
- Auto accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Sports accidents
- Assaults
The most commonly known catastrophic injuries include traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and spinal cord injuries, due to the sensitive nature of these body parts and the potential for long-lasting damage.
There are, however, other types of catastrophic injuries that can be just as devastating to a victim, including the following:
- Burn injuries
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Injuries requiring amputation
- Catastrophic internal injuries
- Diseases including cancer
Recovering Damages After a Catastrophic Injury
There is no doubt that a catastrophic injury can leave a victim and their family in physical, emotional, and financial turmoil. Not only does the victim lose the ability to care for themselves and earn an income, but the family is deprived of a potential breadwinner.
Add to that the monumental costs in medical bills and rehabilitative care that catastrophic injury victims require, and these families may never recover financially.
At Richard Schwartz & Associates Injury Lawyers, P.A., we make it our mission to hold negligent parties accountable for their actions and help catastrophic injury victims recover the following damages:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
