When someone involved in an accident suffers a physical injury, they can file a lawsuit against the person at fault for the accident and seek reimbursement for expenses stemming from their injury. Unfortunately, some accidental injuries are so severe that no amount of money can restore a person to their pre-accident condition. In cases like these, the civil recovery process becomes less about reimbursement and more about maximizing long-term quality of life.

However, lawsuits based on these catastrophic injuries can be uniquely challenging to pursue. Often, it takes an experienced personal injury attorney with unique experience and skills to achieve a positive and fair outcome from this type of claim. An Erlanger catastrophic injury lawyer from our firm can provide this level of compassionate and tenacious legal representation. We are ready to fight tirelessly on your behalf for the compensation you deserve.

What Makes an Injury Catastrophic?

In purely legal terms, there is no distinction made between a standard personal injury and a catastrophic one. Instead, legal professionals and court authorities use the term catastrophic injury to refer colloquially to injuries that can be expected to cause a long-term or permanent loss of bodily function in the affected person. Typical examples include spinal cord trauma resulting in paralysis, moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries, and any injury resulting in the loss or necessitating the medical amputation of a limb.

As our Erlanger catastrophic injury attorneys can explain, holding someone else civilly at fault for a catastrophic injury works the same as with any other injury. You are the plaintiff seeking restitution for specific losses stemming from the injury, and the defendant you are suing is the person you claim is directly responsible for causing your injury through a specific reckless or careless act. Where things get complicated, however, is in the nature and value of the compensable damages you may need to factor into your lawsuit or settlement demand.

Long-Term Losses in Catastrophic Injury Claims

A catastrophic injury will almost invariably require emergency medical attention and several weeks away from work during the initial recovery period, and it will likely cause significant pain and suffering, as well. These are all losses that can be incorporated into an ensuing civil claim. Additionally, since injuries like this typically have permanent and debilitating consequences, it will be vital to recover for expected future losses, including:

  • Costs of rehabilitative and therapeutic medical care
  • Disability management expenses for wheelchairs, home modifications, etc.
  • Lost working and earning capacity
  • Psychological anguish and trauma
  • Lost enjoyment of life

Identifying and valuing these future losses is one of the most difficult aspects of this type of case. Fortunately, the catastrophic accident lawyers at our Erlanger office can provide invaluable help with navigating this challenge.

Contact Our Erlanger Catastrophic Injury Attorneys for Help

If you recently suffered a life-altering injury by no fault of your own, you already know better than most how comprehensively an experience like this can change your life. However, dedicated legal counsel can help you mitigate or even eliminate many of those changes, ensuring you receive the medical treatment and additional support you need to live the best life possible despite the harm you have unjustly sustained.

When you work with an Erlanger catastrophic injury lawyer from our firm, you have considerate and dependable assistance with every aspect of the legal process, from collecting evidence to negotiating final payment terms for a private settlement or, if necessary, a civil damage award. Contact us today to learn what we can do for you and your family.

Busald Funk Zevely PSC

Busald Funk Zevely PSC
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