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The Costs of a Catastrophic Injury
Many people who suffer car accidents or falls are fortunate enough to walk away unscathed or with only minor injuries. Even serious injuries may heal with time and the right treatment plans, allowing accident victims to go back to their usual lives. However, some accidents victims are not nearly so lucky. Instead, catastrophic injuries completely disrupt their lives.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries
A catastrophic injury leaves life-altering damages on the victim, such as:
- Severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Spinal cord injuries causing paralysis
- Severe burns that cause significant disfigurement
- Amputations
Such injuries can derail almost every part of a person’s life and can result in devastating losses for victims and their families. The following briefly describes the losses that victims may incur during the months and years after a catastrophic injury.
Medical Treatments
People with catastrophic injuries will always require immediate medical attention. More often than not, the apparent severity of their injuries will result in transportation in an ambulance to the hospital for emergency trauma care. Often, the hospital will admit them, and they may have to stay for an extended period of time, possibly even in the intensive care unit.
For example, a severe TBI may place a victim in a coma for an extended period of time. Even a victim who wakes may end up in a medically induced coma to reduce brain swelling. A severe spinal cord injury will require stabilization and monitoring by medical professionals for quite some time, which requires hospitalization.
Once the hospital releases a patient with a catastrophic injury, years—or a lifetime—of treatments may lie ahead. This can include rehabilitative therapy, testing, medical equipment, medications, and much more. You can only imagine the medical bills in this situation.
Lost Earnings
If you are hospitalized with a catastrophic injury, you obviously cannot work. Upon release, a catastrophic injury may leave you with impairments, disabilities, or disfigurements that prevent you from returning to your job. Victims of such injuries may have to seek out different—and possibly lower-paying—careers. In many situations, they may never work again. The lost wages and lost future earning power can overwhelm them.
Contact a Brandon, Florida, Personal Injury Attorney as Soon as Possible
At the Lawler Firm, P.A., we have seen the pain, suffering, and extensive losses that can come with catastrophic injuries. We stand up for the rights of injury victims to ensure they recover what they deserve from any parties that caused their accidents. If you or a family member was injured, please call a Brandon personal injury lawyer for a free consultation at (813) 413-8828 or contact us online for help.
