Many people tend to think that “a catastrophic injury” is an injury sustained in a plane crash or some other catastrophic event, but it is not entirely true. In reality, a wide range of injuries fall into the “catastrophic” category.
You may have heard the term “catastrophic injury” or “catastrophic accident” before, but what is the meaning of this? In reality, there is no universally accepted legal definition of what makes an injury or accident catastrophic.
However, our Los Angeles catastrophic accident attorney from the Compass Law Group, LLP says that there is actually one widely-used legal definition of a catastrophic injury that is accepted by most courts in California.
The meaning of ‘catastrophic injury’
A catastrophic injury is an injury that prevents an individual from maintaining a job and enjoying his or her daily activities for a prolonged period of time or for the rest of his/her life. In other words, if your injury permanently affects your ability to perform your job and earn a living, you have a catastrophic injury and are entitled to much more compensation than you think.
A catastrophic injury falls into two subcategories:
- An injury that makes it impossible to return to your pre-injury job but is not severe enough to undertake retraining and learn new employment skills within your current limitations
- An injury that prevents you from maintaining any employment at all because of the severe physical and cognitive damage it caused.
Seeking compensation after a catastrophic accident
A catastrophic injury is one of the most devastating things that can happen to you, because it turns your life upside down and causes not only physical harm, but also emotional trauma (inability to support yourself and your family takes a toll on any person’s emotional health).
Losing a lifetime of wages, and, in addition to that, having to deal with overwhelming medical expenses must be compensated fairly. Hiring an experienced catastrophic accident lawyer in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California is the first step you should take after being diagnosed with this type of extreme injury in order to obtain compensation for your limitations, impairments, and suffering.
Types of injuries caused by catastrophic accidents
Some of the most common types of catastrophic injuries that affect one’s earning capacity are:
- Brain injury
- Back and neck injury
- Severe burns
- Bone fractures
- Amputations
- Organ damage or failure
- Exposure to toxic and dangerous materials, substances, chemicals, and other agents
These injuries can occur as a result of just about any accident. Here at the Compass Law Group, LLP our best personal injury lawyers in California handle all types of such accidents, including but not limited to car accidents, truck accidents, slip and fall accidents, construction accidents, medical malpractice, injuries caused by defective or hazardous products, and many others.
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Due to the devastating consequences of a catastrophic injury, a plaintiff with this type of extreme and severe injury is entitled to obtain a large settlement or verdict that would compensate for all the harm and damage caused by the defendant.
In fact, multi-million settlements and verdicts in lawsuits involving catastrophic accidents are not uncommon in California. But here is the problem: determining liability after a catastrophic accident is not always easy. That is why you should seek legal help from our Los Angeles catastrophic accident attorney.
