How Catastrophic Injuries Affect Your Personal Injury Claim

When a plaintiff files a personal injury claim, the ultimate goal is to recover compensation for their injuries. This compensation, otherwise known as damages, is meant to return the plaintiff to the position they were in before the accident.

Damages typically cover things like past and future medical expenses, mental healthcare bills, lost income, pain and suffering and more. However, there are some situations in which the plaintiff has been so severely injured that they’ll never completely recover. These are often considered catastrophic injuries.

What are catastrophic injuries?

Catastrophic injuries refer to severe, life-altering injuries that have an enduring impact on someone’s physical, emotional and cognitive well-being. These injuries typically result from accidents or events that cause extensive damage to the body or brain, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, severe burns and amputation.

Catastrophic injuries often lead to long-term or permanent disabilities, requiring extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation and sometimes lifelong care. Victims of catastrophic injuries may experience significant challenges in daily life, including limitations in mobility, loss of independence and emotional distress.

How does a catastrophic injury affect personal injury damages?

Plaintiffs with catastrophic injuries seek higher levels of compensation to cover the immense costs associated with medical care, ongoing therapy, assistive devices and necessary accommodations to improve the injured person’s quality of life.

In addition to economic damages, these injuries frequently result in non-economic damages like pain and suffering, emotional distress and a diminished quality of life, which can be more challenging to quantify. Due to the severe and lasting nature of these injuries, future medical costs, lost earning capacity and the need for lifelong care or assistance may also be factored into the damages sought. Personal injury claims involving catastrophic injuries often result in far higher settlement demands or jury awards.

If you’ve suffered a catastrophic injury, working with an attorney is critical. Contact the trusted personal injury attorneys at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP today.