Examples of Common Catastrophic Injuries
A catastrophic injury is considered any severe injury that impairs a person’s ability to function, often leading to permanent disability. On average, 2.35 million people suffer permanent injuries or disabilities from motor vehicle accidents each year. Given the fast-paced society that we live in, nobody is immune from experiencing a catastrophic injury. While many people require ongoing medical care, many individuals do not survive.
At Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC, our Greenville personal injury attorneys have seen the toll that a catastrophic injury can have on an individual and their family. Our legal team is dedicated to helping victims of catastrophic injuries recoup their financial, emotional, and physical losses. Let us help you feel whole again.
Abdominal Injuries
While both our heart and lungs are protected by the rib cage, our abdominal organs do not have the same protection. Front seat occupants are most likely to sustain liver and spleen damage. Although profuse bleeding can occur, symptoms are often subtle, causing a delay in diagnosis. Symptoms of abdominal damage may include lightheadedness, cramping, and fatigue. If a diagnosis is delayed, a person may experience shock due to massive blood loss.
Spinal Cord Injuries
With roughly 250,000 to 500,000 taking place worldwide annually, more than one-third of spinal cord injuries are attributed to road traffic accidents. Common symptoms of a spinal cord injury are pain and pressure in the head, neck, or back, loss of bladder or bowel control, weakness, and paralysis. If you suspect that you may have suffered a spinal cord injury, it is important that you seek medical attention immediately.
Traumatic Amputations
Given the high impact of most collisions, vehicle occupants may experience a severed limb, finger, or toe. A traumatic amputation can impede a person’s ability to bathe, feed, and dress themselves, taking an emotional toll on an individual. While it may be possible to reattach a severed appendage or digit, there is no guarantee that full function will be completely restored.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Any jolt or blow to the head can impede normal brain function, causing a traumatic brain injury or TBI. Whereas traumatic brain injuries are common in motor vehicle crashes, they can occur in slip and falls, sports injuries, and other personal injury cases. While symptoms may vary depending on the site of injury and severity, TBI victims will often experience headaches, confusion, difficulty with fine motor skills, and language deficits. While the prognosis for the majority of mild cases is encouraging, 57% of individuals who experience a moderate or severe TBI experience permanent disability.
Severe Burns
Whether it be an airbag overinflating, an electrical fire, or overheating metal, car accident burns can be deadly, with severe burns causing infections, scarring, and organ failure. When burns cover more than 80% of a person’s body, the mortality rate is typically greater than 90%. Besides the obvious health implications, serious burns frequently result in disfigurement, inhibiting a person from living a normal life.
Advocating for Your Interests in the Face of Adversity
Unlike typical personal injury cases, a catastrophic injury is accompanied by future damages. These future losses can be challenging to estimate, but it is essential to do so that you receive the compensation you deserve. Examples of future damages in a catastrophic injury case may include loss of future earnings and future medical expenses.
At Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC, we cannot deny the devastation that a catastrophic injury has on you and your loved ones. You have worked hard to achieve your dreams, which is why our legal team is not willing to let another person’s negligence strip you of it. Given the high costs associated with a catastrophic injury, we will pursue numerous avenues to ensure that your current and future needs are satisfied.
Speak with Our Greenville Catastrophic Injury Lawyers Today
No matter what the cause, healing from a catastrophic injury is often an arduous process. You may feel like your progress comes in waves, with simple tasks taking longer than you expected to achieve. At Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC, our legal team understands the frustration of recovering from a traumatic injury.
Our legal professionals have helped individuals who have experienced catastrophic injuries obtain financial and emotional peace. If you are interested to learn more about our services or to schedule your free consultation, contact us online or give us a call at (864) 432-1796 today.