Catastrophic Injuries Information Center
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Frequently Asked Questions about Catastrophic Injuries
Q: What is a "catastrophic" injury?
A: Injuries are often called "catastrophic" when the physical injuries to a person are especially severe, and require extensive medical treatment. The injuries may involve damage to a person's central nervous system, and this may affect other bodily systems or functions.
Q: Are catastrophic injuries permanent?
A: Not all catastrophic injuries are permanent. Those injuries that are not permanent will usually take a very long time-months, or years-to reach a full recovery. In some cases, especially those involving children, the actual extent of the injury may not be known until much time has passed after the accident. Emotional injuries may also be a problem for a long time after the physical injuries have healed. The effects of a catastrophic injury may linger for a long period of time.
Injuries that are considered catastrophic, due to the enormous impact they have on the lives of the individuals who experience them, include the following: brain injury, spinal cord injury, accidental amputation, severe burns, multiple fractures, or other, neurological disorders.
Catastrophic injuries involve substantial short and long-term costs of injury victims. In order to ensure our clients recover damages proportional to the total financial impact of a serious injury, our attorneys consult experienced medical economists and life care planners. Taking into account the cost of surgery, hospitalization, in-home nursing care, equipment, and lost wages, we provide cost data analyses grounded in known costs associated with head, neck, back, and spinal cord injuries. For more information regarding our practice and how we can help you, contact personal injury attorneys at Ostrer & Hoovler today.
Catastrophic Injuries - An Overview
A catastrophic injury or illness usually occurs suddenly and without warning. Injuries that are considered catastrophic (due to the enormous impact they have on the lives of the individuals who experience them) include brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, severe burns, multiple fractures and neurological disorders. If you or your loved one has suffered catastrophic injuries as the result of an accident, consult an attorney to learn your rights to compensation. A lawyer experienced in catastrophic injury litigation can help you learn what your rights are.
Who Is Responsible?
Determining who is responsible for catastrophic injuries can be difficult. There typically is one party directly involved at the scene. However, there may be several other less obvious parties whose conduct played a role in causing your injuries. Catastrophic injuries usually cause the victim to suffer extensive monetary damages. It is important to identify everyone who may be responsible so that complete justice may be done.
Specific Types of Catastrophic Injuries
What follows is a brief discussion of some of the more common, devastating, injuries that necessitate the expertise of an attorney, knowledgeable in catastrophic injury claims, to obtain adequate financial compensation for the injured individual.
Informed Consent in Cases of Medical Malpractice
If you were injured as the result of a medical procedure or medication, the concept of informed consent will likely arise in any claim for your injuries that you bring against a medical professional. In many situations where medical care or treatment is provided to an individual, medical professionals are required to obtain the patient's "informed consent." Although the specific definition of informed consent may vary from state to state, it means essentially that a physician (or other medical provider) must advise a patient of all of the potential benefits, risks and alternatives involved in any surgical procedure, medical procedure or other course of treatment, and must obtain the patient's written consent to proceed.
Motorcycle Accidents: Helmet Laws
A helmet is by far the most important and most effective piece of protective equipment a motorcycle rider or passenger can wear. Helmets save lives by reducing the extent of head injuries in the event of a traffic accident. A helmetless motorcyclist involved in an accident is three times as likely to suffer a brain injury as a motorcyclist wearing a helmet.
Motorcycle Accidents: Protective Equipment
The best way to avoid litigation for the devastating injuries that can result from a motorcycle accident is to never be injured in a motorcycle accident in the first place. Easier said than done? Well, the bad news is that motorcycle riders involved in accidents face a much greater risk of injury than automobile drivers, and motorcycle riders can never be kept completely safe from injury in an accident. The good news is that developments in protective equipment can make motorcycle riders much safer than in the past, provided they take advantage of those developments.
Catastrophic Injuries Resource Links
Injuries, Illness, and Fatalities page of Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities (IIF) program provides annual information on the rate and number of work related injuries, illnesses, and fatal injuries, and how these statistics vary by incident, industry, geography, occupation and other characteristics.
Injury, Violence and Safety Topics
Injury and violence prevention page. Features View by Topic.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety / Highway Loss Data Institute
Features vehicle ratings, safety facts, publications and more.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Information from the NHTSA about automobile recalls, product safety and auto research.
National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF)
Features patient safety literature.
