The Difference Between A Catastrophic Injury Claim And A Standard Personal Injury Case

Most accident-related injuries, while painful and at least temporarily disabling to some degree, do heal after a period of treatment and rest. Those who sustain these kinds of injuries should, of course, be compensated accordingly for their medical bills and lost wages, which will hopefully allow them to eventually return to a normal life. Full recovery from a catastrophic injury, on the other hand, is usually more difficult and could even be impossible. Many catastrophic injuries, for instance, are so severe that the victim will require round-the-clock care or may suffer from permanent disability. In either case, catastrophic injuries are almost always life-changing, so the amount of compensation necessary for a family to regain a pre-injury quality of life will probably be relatively high.

There is a lot at stake in these kinds of cases, so if you or a loved one sustained a catastrophic injury as a result of someone else’s negligence or carelessness, it is important to speak with an experienced Fort Lauderdale catastrophic injury lawyer for help.

The Financial Consequences of a Catastrophic Injury

The biggest difference between a catastrophic injury case and a regular personal injury claim is the severity of the injuries and the amount of damages being pursued by the plaintiff. Someone who suffers a catastrophic injury, for instance, may have to make a number of permanent life changes, including:

• Leaving the workforce;
• Obtaining frequent and expensive treatment and care;
• Relocating to a long-term care center;
• Paying for long-term home-based nursing assistance;
• Purchasing a specialized vehicle for transportation; and
• Modifying his or her home to account for the disability.

These are only a few of the quantifiable costs of suffering a catastrophic injury. These losses tend to be significant and can quickly exceed the limits of a standard insurance policy, in which case, an accident victim will likely need to attempt to hold the at-fault party personally liable in court.

The Non-Economic Consequences of Catastrophic Injuries

Catastrophic injury cases are often less about the physical trauma sustained by a victim and more about the impact that that trauma had on a person’s family and life. Unfortunately, the non-economic losses suffered by a catastrophic injury victim, however, are much more difficult to measure. The quality of life of the victim of a catastrophic injury, for example, will likely never be restored and no amount of monetary compensation could replace his or her passions, hobbies, or relationships. There is a stark difference between the types of damages that a person who is permanently disabled can recover. The spouses and dependents of many accident victims, for instance, are often entitled to loss of consortium damages, which are intended to compensate the uninjured partners of accident victims for the changes that their relationship will necessarily undergo.

Recovering Compensation for Your Catastrophic Injuries

The outcome of a catastrophic injury case can play a critical role in determining whether a family will receive the compensation that they need to move on with their lives. Please contact the dedicated catastrophic injury lawyers at Boone & Davis by calling 954-566-9919 for help with your case.