When a person is involved in a major accident, their whole world changes. For some accident victims, the change is temporary, and life begins to return to normal after a relatively short period. It may take weeks or months, or in some cases a year, but after time their lives, for the most part, are the same as before the accident. But for the most serious of injury victims, also known as catastrophic injuries, life will never look the same again.
Catastrophic Injuries – What are they?
Injuries that stay with a person long after an accident are often referred to as “catastrophic injuries.” A person who suffers from a catastrophic injury is left with permanent impairment. He or she cannot return to their previous form of employment, and in many cases, the person has a permanent disability that makes gainful employment impossible. Injuries that are often considered to be catastrophic include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Loss of a limb
- Damage to vital organs
- Exposure to hazardous chemical substances
- Multiple bone fractures
- Severe burn injuries
What this means is that two people can suffer catastrophic injuries that are very different in terms of injuries but what makes them both catastrophic is the severe impact the injuries have on their day to day lives.
How do catastrophic injuries occur?
Just like there is no one type of catastrophic injury, there is also not a single cause of a catastrophic injury. Catastrophic injuries often result from serious accidents, such as a car, truck, bus, motorcycle, or even a bicycle accident. But other types of accidents can also result in these severe injuries as well, including:
- Construction site accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Fire or explosion
- Swimming pool accidents
- Sports or recreational related accidents
- Violent crime
- Falls from a significant height
- Medical malpractice
- Birth injuries
But accidents are not the only causes of these injuries. A catastrophic injury can also be the result of a defective consumer product, a defective medical device or drug, or even due to medical negligence.
Why do catastrophic injury cases require an experienced personal injury attorney?
Due to their very nature, catastrophic injury cases are very different from other types of injury cases. Victims have extensive injury-related expenses, and these expenses will continue for the rest of their lives. For example, if a baby is injured at birth, the full extent of his or her injuries may not be fully known for years to come. Calculating an appropriate compensation award requires a skilled attorney who can anticipate future expenses and losses. Expenses related to a catastrophic injury can include:
- Emergency medical expenses
- Continued medical care (additional surgeries, etc.)
- Medications
- Physical therapy
- Counseling services
- In-home nursing care
- Medical equipment such as a wheelchair, etc.
- Costs related to retrofit a home for disability (wheelchair accessible, etc.)
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
In addition to the above expenses, an injury can also seek out compensation for disfigurement, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and a shortened life expectancy.
If you or a loved one suffered a catastrophic injury after being involved in an accident, it is vital to your recovery to speak with skilled Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys as soon as possible. Only an experienced Injury Attorney can determine whether you may be able to hold another party responsible for your injuries. The attorneys at the Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. have helped countless injury victims, in both Kansas and Missouri, obtain compensation. Our compassionate team of attorneys will fight for your rights and hold the wrongdoers accountable. To schedule an initial consultation with one of our Injury Attorneys, contact Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. today at (816) 472-4673.