Florida Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

In the most general sense, a catastrophic injury is any injury that can result in serious and permanent effects. Common injuries of these types include traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, amputation, organ damage, or severe burns are all considered to be catastrophic. While no injury is good, the long-term ramifications of these more severe injuries mean that a victim may be impacted by their suffering for the rest of their lives. You may need legal assistance from a West Palm Beach catastrophic injury lawyer to seek the monetary compensation you deserve. En Español.

Causes of Catastrophic Injuries

A catastrophic injury may be thought of as a severe injury with long-lasting effects. Well-known examples would include paralysis from a spinal or brain injury, amputation of a limb, severe burns, and damage to bodily organs.

Catastrophic injuries may be caused by many incidents, including construction accidents, consumer products that break or malfunction, motor vehicle accidents, falling accidents, and even mistakes by a healthcare provider. Regardless of the cause, a West Palm Beach catastrophic injury lawyer with experience handling catastrophic injury cases could provide thorough advice regarding whether an individual may be entitled to compensation.

Unique Aspects of Severe Injury Cases

The two aspects of catastrophic injury cases that distinguish them from other kinds of personal injury cases are the quantity of the damages and the nature of those damages. With truly catastrophic injuries, there are often much more significant and widespread damages, such as loss of bodily function, paralysis, and severe cognitive impairment.

Regarding the nature of the damages, there will be medical bills, both past and future, lost ability to earn money, and potentially continuing care costs. Some people who are catastrophically injured are unable to care for themselves and will need things like one-on-one nursing, extensive medication, orthotics if they are an amputee and many follow-up visits with doctors.

In order to calculate lost earning capacity in the future, experts are often used to determine how much the person would have made but for the injury. Not only are the damages in these injuries more significant, but the nature and types of damages are a lot broader in what the person has suffered and what they need to be compensated for.

Compensation Available After a Catastrophic Injury

While the medical bills that come along with a catastrophic injury are often enormous, medical expenses are not the only unwanted effect that may result from such an injury. For one thing, the person suffering the injury may not be able to work for a significant period of time and may never be able to perform the same type of job as in the past.

In addition, there is often a need to make modifications to the home and hire someone to help with day-to-day tasks. These types of effects have an economic cost that can be measured in monetary terms, so these would be considered economic damages in the context of a potential civil settlement.

Those suffering from catastrophic injuries also commonly experience daily pain, as well as significant lifestyle changes that affect every moment of their lives. Compensation is often available to provide some measure of reparation for these kinds of intangible effects of an injury. Since they cannot be measured in economic terms, these are known as non-economic damages.

Recoverable Damages

Overall, a West Palm Beach catastrophic injury lawyer could help someone suffering a catastrophic injury recover damages for numerous losses and injuries, including but not limited to:

• Medical bills, past and future
• Costs associated with medical needs such as travel expenses and equipment
• Past and future income loss
• Diminished future earning capacity
• Rehabilitation and therapy
• Pain and suffering
• Mental distress

Elements to Remember When Seeking Local Legal Counsel

One important thing family members of injured and incapacitated persons should know when seeking legal help for their injured loved ones is that in order to employ a lawyer, in order to actually have a contract with them, the injured party must be the one to sign and enter into the contract. The only way this may be avoided is if a family member is granted power of attorney. Once retained, a local catastrophic injury lawyer could work to prove that a person’s injuries were caused by another’s negligence or recklessness. The victim may be able to recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, and much more.

What if a Victim is Incapacitated?

Often, in situations where a person is catastrophically injured or incapacitated with reduced brain functionality, loss of speech, or they are immobilized, it is important for family members to act on their behalf. The best way for them to do that is to obtain what is called a power of attorney, which allows the family members to act on the victim’s behalf.

A Local Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Could Help

You or your injured loved one does not necessarily need to physically travel to an attorney’s office in order to seek a consultation. If someone is unable to travel or unable to move because of their injury, the lawyer can go and meet the person wherever they are whether it is the hospital, their home, or the home of a family member. To start seeking the compensation you or your loved one deserves, contact a dedicated West Palm Beach catastrophic injury lawyer. Reach out right away to start building a strong case.