Seeking Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries

 Posted on September 08, 2016 in Personal Injury

Sustaining an injury in a car accident as a result of another person’s negligence can be stressful and overwhelming; especially if the injury is a catastrophic injury. Catastrophic injuries include a wide range of serious injuries, such as spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, or any other injuries that are permanent in nature. In some cases, the injuries sustained may not be noticed until after the accident, which can lead to the injury getting worse and more difficult to treat.

Unnoticed Problems Go Untreated

A delay in seeking medical attention is sometimes caused by the lack of symptoms following an accident. For example, a person who suffers a traumatic brain injury in a car accident may not think to seek medical attention if all they have is a slight headache at the scene of the crash. They may think that they can take a painkiller, get some sleep and be okay. However, concussions and traumatic brain injuries are not always immediately symptomatic. Indications that a serious injury has occurred may not be seen until hours or days after the accident, which may cause the brain injury to become worse, or may cause death.

Mounting Expenses

The kind of continued medical treatment a catastrophic injury requires often lasts for the rest of the injured person’s life. Not only can this get expensive, it can cause other issues, such as depression or anxiety to arise. The medical expenses are usually compensable, as is pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. Loss of enjoyment of life can encompass all manner of activities, from taking a walk to paragliding, which a person can no longer engage in due to the injuries suffered.

Mental and Psychological Effects

Not all catastrophic injuries are physical. A person who is involved in a serious car accident may suffer severe mental or psychological injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), that can affect him or her forever. The psychological injuries may be more difficult to demonstrate as there is no physical proof of it. However, the effects of a psychological injury can last years and negatively affect a person’s life in many ways. Such injuries are usually proven through the use of expert witnesses, and people suffering from them may receive compensation just as with physical injuries.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney

If you have suffered a physical or psychological catastrophic injury, you should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer for more information on how you may seek compensation for your injuries. Compensation from the negligent party that caused your injuries may greatly assist with the continued cost of medical treatment and loss of wages. For a free consultation, contact the dedicated Hinsdale personal injury attorneys at Martoccio & Martoccio. We are proud to assist injured clients in and around DuPage County, Illinois.

Source:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/basics/definition/con-20029302