Suffering any type of personal injury is hard on accident and medical malpractice victims and their families. Going through medical treatments, dealing with pain, struggling with recovery, missing work, and losing income are all factors that can result in great physical, emotional, and financial hardship.
Sometimes, however, the level of personal injury an accident victim suffers crosses over into the category known as a catastrophic personal injury. In these cases, the pain, suffering and loss become so deep that they have a lifelong impact on the victim and their entire family. While every personal injury interrupts a person’s life, a catastrophic personal injury permanently changes a person’s existence in ways that had once been unimaginable.
If you or a family member have suffered a catastrophic injury because of another’s negligence, you have the right to seek damages from those who were at fault. Even though no amount of money can fix the damage that has been done, you deserve to have your needs or the needs of your family members competently and compassionately taken care of for life.
It is important to consult with a Minneapolis catastrophic injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident that gave rise to the injury occurred. There are strict time limits—called statutes of limitation—for filing lawsuits. If you miss the deadline, you will be forever barred from recovering damages.
What is a catastrophic injury?
Typically, to be considered a victim of catastrophic injury a person must have been harmed in such a way that the repercussions are permanent and disabling. Victims with catastrophic injuries have lifelong issues and require constant care and attention to ensure that their physical, emotional, and/or financial needs are met. They often suffer through ongoing medical treatments, such as multiple surgeries, that cause them great pain. Even when they have access to the best care, those living with catastrophic injuries can feel isolated and disconnected from family and friends. Once independent people find themselves constantly calling upon others to help them accomplish the simplest activities of daily living. Recovery can be extremely difficult. Disability from catastrophic injuries is usually permanent and often cuts the victims life short by years or even decades.
Some of the most common types of catastrophic injury are:
- Amputations or dismemberment
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Paralysis, including quadriplegia
- Severe burns
- Significant or multiple bone fractures
- Neurological injuries
- Damage to internal organs
Catastrophic personal injuries have additional consequences. For instance, victims can suffer from:
- An inability to communicate
- A reduction in cognitive abilities
- A loss of movement and sensation
- Respiratory and circulation problems
- Gastrointestinal ailments
- Nerve damage
- Emotional disorders
- Significant and permanent scarring
- Blindness
- Hearing loss
In many cases, a person with catastrophic injury will never be able to work in a way that allows them to earn adequate wages and be self-sufficient.
For a legal consultation with a catastrophic injury lawyer serving Minneapolis, call 612-349-2729
How do people end up with catastrophic personal injuries?
Any incident that results in physical trauma has the potential to cause catastrophic injury. The most common traumatic events are motor vehicle accidents, such as car, truck, and motorcycle crashes.
Catastrophic personal injuries also often result from:
- Medical malpractice, including provider errors and pharmacy errors
- Defective medical devices
- Defective consumer products
- Slip and fall accidents
- Boating accidents
- Swimming pool accidents, including drowning
- Construction accidents
- Car and other motor vehicle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Accidents at work
- Violent crime and aggressive behavior
How will my family be able to cope?
As you already know, the person suffering with a catastrophic injury is not the only one whose life is forever altered. The pure emotional exhaustion that comes with caring for a disabled loved one is immense. Accepting and adjusting to the new normal of a lifetime of care and coping is overwhelming, especially given the fact that the injury usually occurs suddenly and without warning.
If you have taken on the new role of caregiver, you probably have had to leave your job, perhaps adding to the financial strain for the whole family. You may not be equipped to handle the care on your own, and the expense of bringing in home health care, reconfiguring a home for a disabled person, and acquiring a vehicle that can transport your loved one may also be weighing heavily on your mind and your pocketbook.
You are going to need help and lots of it. Thankfully, the legal system is designed to find justice for people just like you. Our Minneapolis catastrophic injury lawyer can guide you in filing a lawsuit so you can hold those who are at fault responsible.
Minneapolis Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Near Me 612-349-2729
What type of compensation could I be entitled to?
Once you retain Madia Law as your catastrophic injury attorney, we will set about analyzing your case, including calculating the damages to which you may be entitled. If necessary, we will put together a team of people to help. Catastrophic injuries often take a group of professionals—actuaries, accountants, financial planners, and others—to determine the cost of the care that will be required for an entire lifetime.
You may be entitled to recover for all of your quantifiable economic damages, including:
- All of your medical bills, now and into the future
- Any lost wages and all your losses in future earning capacity
- The cost of any assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, walkers, etc.
- The cost of any prosthetics that may be required
- The cost of counseling and emotional support
- The cost of physical therapy
- The cost of occupational therapy
- The cost of home health aides and caregivers
In addition, you may be entitled to recover for other non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering, loss of marital relations, and loss of the ability to participate in activities that were once enjoyed.
How will I know if I have a case to seek damages for catastrophic personal injury?
Each case is different and comes with its own unique set of facts and issues. The best way to explore whether or not you are entitled to damages is to talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer. You have the right to legal counsel, and Madia is prepared to help you defend your rights. You deserve an advocate who can investigate your case, determine liability, and maximize compensation in a personal injury lawsuit.
Contact Madia and our Minnesota catastrophic injury lawyer, today.
Call 612-349-2729 or complete a Case Evaluation form
