Catastrophic Injuries

Injuries happen in many ways and to many degrees. However, the word “catastrophic” is used for injuries that change lives forever. These types of injuries

Types of Catastrophic Injuries

• Loss of Limb: The loss of any portion of an arm or leg is a life-altering event. For example, many victims of the Boston Marathon bombing struggled to overcome many hurdles due to their injuries. Though prosthetics have come a long way, these only ease the significant burdens.
• Paraplegia / Quadriplegia: Whether it happens in an industrial accident, car accident, or due to the negligence of a doctor, significant spinal injuries cause loss of function. Whether you lose the ability to walk or lose the ability to control everything from the neck down, you’ll need constant care from trained professionals for the rest of your life.
• Traumatic Brain Injuries: The worst types of catastrophic injuries are the invisible ones. When someone loses a limb or is confined to a wheelchair, everyone knows that there is a disability, and they will treat you accordingly. With a brain injury, it’s not obvious to anyone else that you are limited. This makes navigating your daily life excruciatingly difficult.

Elements of a Catastrophic Injury Claim

The elements of almost every claim are made up of Medical Bills, Lost Earning Capacity (Lost Wages), and Pain and Suffering. However, with a catastrophic injury, there are many more moving parts to this claim.

• Medical Bills: With most catastrophic injuries, Medical Bills can be in the millions. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that there is enough insurance available to pay for them. At the same time, it’s also important to be able to prove the future medical needs that a victim will require. This often means hiring multiple experts to determine what kind of care will be required and how much it will take to pay for the treatment.
• Lost Wages: One of the goals after every catastrophic injury is to be able to go back to work. This is because working gives a sense of normalcy, even if it’s in a different capacity than before the injury. However, even for those who go back to work, a victim’s earning capacity is significantly limited. This means that experts will be necessary to establish (1) what type of work a victim can do, (2) the types of jobs available to someone with those limitations, and (3) the amount of lost earnings this will cause.
• Pain and Suffering: Pain and suffering is the way your life is affected on a day to day basis. It involves not only your pain and limitations, but also how those things have changed your life. Whether it’s working, leisure activities, or chores around the house, there are many things that people with catastrophic injuries can no longer do.

Experienced Catastrophic Injury Attorneys

If you’ve been catastrophically injured, it’s important that you focus on your recovery. You likely don’t have time to worry about filing insurance claims and pursuing lawsuits. At Marcotte Law Firm, we have decades of experience representing victims who are seriously and catastrophically injured. We understand what you are going through, and we do everything in our power to show the insurance company and jury what you are going through.

If you or a loved one were catastrophically injured, call the experienced Personal Injury Attorneys at Marcotte Law Firm for a free, no obligation consultation.