Catastrophic car accident injuries should be compensated in proportion to the damage they inflict, both in the short term and long term.
One of the worst outcomes of a car accident is being left with a catastrophic injury. As its name suggests, it’s an injury that affects you seriously, and should be compensated in proportion to the damage it inflicts, both in short term and long term.
What Is Considered a Catastrophic Injury?
Some of the injuries that can be sustained by car accident victims can fall into this category. The definitions of a catastrophic injury indicate personal damage with a permanent or long-term effect on the victim’s life.
Here are some of the most common examples of what makes a catastrophic injury:
- Neck, spine, and head injuries that require medical assistance beyond first aid. Because they affect such important parts of the body, they are considered catastrophic, even when they don’t cause permanent damage.
- Amputations, paralysis, incapacitation
- A major impact on one of the body’s major systems
- The inability to have any gainful work
- Injuries leading to death or a terminal condition
- Permanent disability
Examples of catastrophic injuries include TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), spinal cord injuries, amputations, paralysis, severe burns, loss of one of the senses, internal injuries, and multiple bone fractures.
How Is Compensation Calculated for a Catastrophic Injury?
When you or a loved one have suffered from this type of injury, it’s important to be legally represented by a good St. Louis car accident attorney who has had previous experience with such cases. Calculating the damage done by a catastrophic injury can be complicated. A claim like this can take a long time and could be compromised by insurance company tactics.
Measuring loss when the victim goes through such a traumatic event must be done by taking many variables into account, and making estimates based on hard evidence regarding the person’s health and well being in the future. Medical records, treatment, pain, and suffering, lost wages, and other sources of income are just the tip of the iceberg in what needs to go in your claim.
Both economic and non-economic damages should be taken into account when determining the compensation you will get. Besides the costs of immediately dealing with an injury, like medical investigations, treatments, and interventions, you also have to show how the accident impacted your life. Damages can also represent increased house maintenance costs, babysitting, special furniture, or devices you have to use because of your condition, and so on.
Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, depression, loss of relationships, and decreased quality of life. These damages are not easy to calculate, and they are usually determined as a percentage of the economic damages you have. Depending on the severity of your injuries, they can increase your claim by 2, 3 times, or more.
Discuss Your Claim With an Experienced Attorney
Have you or a loved one suffered from catastrophic injuries caused by a car accident? Speak with an experienced St. Louis auto accident lawyer as soon as you can, and ensure your legal right to compensation is protected.
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