Catastrophic Injuries: A Closer Look!

In the perfect world, a motor vehicle accident victim will only sustain minor injuries that heal quickly and require the most minimal amount of medical attention.

For instance, if you or someone you love was involved in a ‘fender-bender’, it’s safe to assume that you’ll likely need days, not months, or years, to recover from the situation itself.

Sadly, in many motor vehicle accidents, victims will suffer injuries so severe they require emergency medical care, surgery or surgeries, an extended stay in the hospital, and continued medical treatment(s) and therapy as their lives go on.

Even worse, some victims of motor vehicle accidents will suffer from permanent or life-altering injuries. The purpose of this blog post is to look at what’s classified as a catastrophic injury – read more below.

Unfortunately, not everyone involved in a motor vehicle accident walks away with minor injuries.

What Makes an Injury Catastrophic?

In the world of personal injury law, there is no true definition of what a catastrophic injury is – which can make it quite difficult to determine if the injury you’ve sustained is more typical, or far more serious in nature.

Every situation our attorneys see is unique, and the specific factors of each play a key role in determining what is catastrophic.

Here’s a good way of thinking about it:

• Any injury that has significant, long-term effects, that strongly impair a person’s ability to live life in a “normal”, pre-injury fashion will most likely be considered catastrophic.

With that said, it’s important to note that every broken bone does not constitute a catastrophic injury label. From a more granular perspective, this is because these injuries typically heal completely over time with the proper medical treatment.

However, if a fracture is severe enough, it could force an individual to suffer from serious long-lasting effects – this would be considered to be catastrophic, as per the example above. Here’s some more information:

• Infections: Without the proper medical treatment, fractures may possibly lead to serious and even fatal infections. Some of those may even end up requiring a partial or total amputation of a specific limb – these types of injuries are almost always labeled catastrophic.
• Acute Compartment Syndrome (ACS): Often severe fractures can lead to acute compartment syndrome (ACS) – which is when the restricted blood flow in a person leads to increased pressure in their muscles. Sadly, this can lead to a delayed healing process.
• Child Fractures: Whenever a child suffers a broken bone resulting in an injury to their growth plate, the results can be debilitating for the rest of their life. While this scenario is rare, these types of injuries a generally considered catastrophic.
• Comminuted Fractures: A comminuted fracture can occur when a bone breaks into three or more pieces. These are most frequently found in ‘crush’ accidents, where a bone is crushed between two objects. These are very difficult to heal and may not heal at all.
• Restricted Mobility: If a broken bone restricts mobility, you or a loved one may experience a large variety of related complications that can label an injury catastrophic. This can include but is not limited to blood clots, bedsores, and more.
• Compound Fractures: Also known as an ‘open fracture’, a compound fracture can occur when a bone punctures a person’s skin. These types of fractures involve damage to tissue, which can lead to infection.

Catastrophic Injuries & Insurance Companies:

If you or a loved one finds themselves as a victim of a catastrophic injury, it’s safe to assume there are astronomical medical bills attached to the injury itself – these may include an ambulance bill, doctors’ visits, surgery/surgeries, hospitalizations, medication, physical therapy, as well as further testing/mental therapy.

Many victims can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as they’ve gone through an event that results in a life-altering injury.

Victims in these scenarios have the legal right to receive compensation for their lost wages as a result of remaining unable to work due to the injuries they’ve sustained. In addition to that, these same people often suffer severe pain which can increase the amount of compensation the settlement package offers. Speaking with an experienced attorney can help ensure that calculations for pain and suffering are fair.

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If you or a loved one has suffered from a catastrophic injury anywhere in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Virginia please use the form below to sign up for a free consultation with our law firm.

We thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your accident and aggressively pursue the maximum compensation possible for your injuries. Call us today at (855) 435-7247 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.

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