An unexpected accident can leave victims with permanent, long-term consequences in their spines, back, spinal cords or brains. Since these devastating injuries leave individuals needed life-long medical attention, physical therapy and sometimes assisted living arrangements, expenses will quickly multiply.
If the person is unable to work again due to their injuries, he or she may never afford to pay down the expenses. At the time of insurance settlement, the catastrophic injury victims do not know the extent of the lifelong impacts. If the catastrophic injury resulted from someone else’s negligence, willful misconduct or medical malpractice, the victim might choose to consult a personal injury attorney as soon as possible, to maximize compensation recovered.
Common causes of catastrophic injuries
Catastrophic injuries may originate from a variety of accidents and events. Some common causes include:
- Workplace accidents
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Defective medical devices
- Bicycle accidents
- Violent crime
- Fires
- Slip and falls
- Medical malpractice
- Trampoline accidents
- Construction accidents
- Sport injuries
Related expenses
Catastrophic injuries pose a tremendous financial burden on the victims and their families. Those suffering from the debilitating lifelong effects of catastrophic injuries may struggle to do basic daily tasks and hold a job. As such, some of the lifelong costs associated with a catastrophic injury include:
- Mental health counseling
- Pain and suffering
- Emergency medical costs
- Continuing medical care
- Assisted living care
- Visiting nursing care
- Medical equipment
- Diminished earning capacity
- Lost wages
- Physical and/or occupational therapy
Since personal injury victims must file their lawsuit within a certain time frame of the accident, working with a skilled attorney soon after the accident may help them recover a fair amount of compensation for the ongoing medical damage.
