Any injury caused by someone else acting recklessly or carelessly around you can interfere with your short-term plans, burdening you with extra bills and personal losses you did not budget for. However, when a personal injury is so serious that it permanently impacts your life, recovering compensation for short-term expenses will not lessen the severity of the harm you suffered.
In a situation like this, seeking help from our personal injury attorneys experienced with handling high-stakes cases like yours, can be especially crucial. With a dedicated Fowler catastrophic injury attorney on your side, you will have a much better chance of getting fair financial compensation from the person or people who caused your accident.
When Does an Injury Qualify as “Catastrophic”?
While the term “catastrophic injury” does not have a specific definition under California state law, it is virtually always used in civil litigation to refer to injuries expected to last for the rest of the injured person’s life. These injuries often prevent an injured person from holding gainful employment or performing day-to-day tasks.
Common examples of “catastrophic injuries” that may stem from another person’s misconduct include:
- Spinal cord trauma resulting in paralysis
- Brain trauma resulting in physical or cognitive dysfunction
- Traumatic or surgical amputation of a limb
- Internal organ trauma
- Severe burns
- Injuries resulting in deafness or blindness
- Car, truck, or motorcycle accidents
Outside of the choice of terminology, catastrophic injury claims are essentially a lot like standard personal injury claims in legal terms. Generally, a catastrophic injury victim can only recover compensation for the effects of that injury when they can prove that another person was legally negligent—in other words, that they directly caused the injury by violating a “duty” they owed the injured person to act responsibly. A compassionate attorney in Fowler can assist in constructing a strong case against the negligent party following a devastating injury.
Demanding Compensation for Long-Term Forms of Harm
Because catastrophic injuries invariably have lifelong and debilitating effects, it is crucial when seeking civil restitution for one to account both for losses that have already occurred at the time of filing and for losses that will not fully manifest for years and decades to come. For example, in addition to expenses related to emergency medical care immediately after a catastrophic accident, a comprehensive civil claim should also account for expected costs of future care, including rehabilitative therapy, assistive equipment, and in-home assistance.
Likewise, it can be essential to factor non-economic losses such as physical discomfort, psychological distress, and lost quality of life into a settlement demand or lawsuit. Assistance from a skilled lawyer in Fowler can be critical to efficiently identifying and accurately valuing losses caused by a catastrophic injury.
Get in Touch with a Fowler Catastrophic Injury Attorney Today
Catastrophic accidents can happen anytime without warning and often entirely due to another person’s irresponsible actions. Fortunately, if you can establish that someone else’s negligence was the primary and direct cause of your injury, you can hold them financially accountable for every physical, financial, and personal loss you experience due to their misconduct.
Our seasoned Fowler catastrophic injury lawyers can discuss your options in detail and offer preliminary guidance about possible next steps during a private meeting. Call our legal team members today to schedule yours.
