Getting in an accident is often stressful, and if you’ve been seriously hurt, that only adds to your concerns. How do you determine the severity of your injury? What happens next? You might be wondering if your injury counts as “catastrophic” and what that means for your recovery and your legal rights. Let’s look at what a catastrophic injury is and what you can do to protect yourself.
What Is a Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury is any injury that leaves you with permanent disabilities or long-term effects that stop you from living your life the way you did before. These injuries change how you can work, take care of yourself, or enjoy daily activities.
Think of it this way: If your injury means you can’t go back to your old job, need help with basic tasks, or face ongoing medical treatments, it might fit the meaning of a catastrophic injury. You should talk to an experienced attorney who can evaluate your specific situation to determine if your injury is catastrophic.
Catastrophic Injury Examples
Looking at examples can help you define “catastrophic injury,” figure out if your injury qualifies, and find the help you need. Here in Las Vegas, we see all sorts of catastrophic injury claims – here are some of the most common.
Spinal Cord Injuries
A spinal cord injury can happen when your spine takes a hard hit or gets twisted the wrong way. In Las Vegas hotels, this might happen from a fall in a poorly lit stairwell or a slippery pool area. It could also happen in a car accident on Las Vegas Boulevard or a fall from hotel construction scaffolding.
These injuries are especially damaging because they can leave you paralyzed below the point of injury. Some people lose the use of their legs (paraplegia), while others might lose function in both arms and legs (quadriplegia). Your life changes completely – you might need a wheelchair, home modifications, and daily help with basic tasks. This almost certainly counts as a catastrophic personal injury.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries can happen from any blow to the head, whether you hit your head on the ground in a casino slip-and-fall, get in a car crash on the way to the airport, or are injured in a construction accident. What makes brain injuries so serious is how they affect everything from your memory to your personality.
You might have trouble with basic things like remembering appointments or controlling your emotions. Some people can’t work anymore or need help managing their daily lives. Even a seemingly mild head injury can turn out to be a catastrophic injury, with long-lasting effects that don’t show up right away.
Amputations
Losing a limb can happen in severe incidents like motorcycle accidents or industrial accidents. Sometimes it happens right away in the accident, and sometimes doctors have to amputate later because they can’t save the limb.
After an amputation, you’ll need prosthetics, physical therapy, and maybe changes to your home and car. Many people have to find new ways to work or give up their careers entirely. Plus, prosthetic limbs need regular replacement and maintenance throughout your life. Your catastrophic injury compensation should take into account these long-term costs.
Severe Burns
Burn injuries can happen if there’s a fire, a kitchen accident, or even from cleaning chemicals that hotel housekeeping uses. These injuries aren’t just painful – they can leave permanent scars and nerve damage that affect you forever.
With severe burns, you often face months or even years of treatment. You might need skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, and intensive physical therapy and face ongoing issues like limited movement and temperature sensitivity. The emotional impact can be just as hard as the physical pain, especially when burns change how you look or limit what you can do. These catastrophic injury cases are some of the most serious we see.
Chronic Pain Conditions
Sometimes catastrophic accidents lead to pain that never goes away. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and other chronic pain conditions can start after what seems like a minor injury, like a slip and fall accident or car crash that doesn’t look that bad at first.
Living with chronic pain means you might not be able to sleep well, work regularly, or enjoy time with your family. Some people need ongoing medical treatment and pain management for the rest of their lives. It’s not just about the pain – it’s about how the catastrophic injury changes every part of your day.
Organ Damage or Failure
Serious accidents can damage your internal organs, leading to long-term health problems or organ failure. This type of catastrophic injury often happens from crushing accidents, bicycle accidents, auto accidents, or medical malpractice.
When your organs are damaged, you might need ongoing treatments like dialysis or even organ transplants. Some people need medication for the rest of their lives just to keep their bodies working properly. These injuries often mean frequent hospital visits and careful monitoring by doctors, and that’s why they qualify as catastrophic.
Blindness or Vision Loss
Losing your sight can happen from head trauma, chemical exposure, or direct injury to your eyes. Everything from explosions of faulty equipment at shows, accidents with cleaning chemicals at hotels, or trauma from car accidents can cause vision loss.
When you lose your vision, you have to learn new ways to do almost everything. Your home might need special modifications, and you’ll probably need help getting around. Many people have to give up driving and find new ways to work. If you’ve completely or partially lost your vision, you could be catastrophically injured and should talk to a lawyer as soon as you can.
Deafness or Hearing Loss
Hearing loss or deafness can come from loud explosions, head trauma, or exposure to very loud noises. This type of injury can happen at concert venues, from equipment malfunctions, or in vehicle accidents. It’s also a very common workers’ compensation claim, as it often happens over time in certain work environments.
Living with hearing loss means learning to communicate differently. You might need hearing aids, cochlear implants, or to learn sign language. It can affect your job, your relationships, and how you handle everyday situations. Whether you want to file for workers’ comp or pursue catastrophic injury litigation, it’s worth talking to an attorney.
How Catastrophic Injuries Affect Victims
When you have a catastrophic injury, it touches every part of your life. Your medical bills pile up fast, sometimes reaching millions of dollars over your lifetime. You might not be able to work anymore, or you might have to take a lower-paying job. Your family members often become caregivers, which changes your relationships.
These injuries also affect how much money you can get in a legal case. You’ll need money for:
- All your medical bills, including future care
- Lost wages and reduced earning ability
- Changes to your home or vehicle
- Medical equipment and supplies
- Help with daily activities
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
An experienced personal injury lawyer will know how to calculate the amount of compensation you deserve, and help you file a catastrophic injury claim to get it.
When to Seek Help from a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been badly hurt and are wondering what is considered a catastrophic injury, talking to a lawyer should be high on your list – right after getting medical care. Here’s why: Insurance companies often try to settle fast and for much less than you deserve. They might offer you money before you even know how bad your injuries really are. A lawyer who knows catastrophic injury cases will look at not only your current medical bills, but everything you’ll need for the rest of your life.
It’s also important to know that most lawyers work on what’s called a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t pay anything upfront, because the law firm only gets paid if they win money for you. Usually, this is a percentage of what they recover.
If you’ve suffered a catastrophic injury, you’ll need compensation to rebuild your life. The Blackburn Wirth Injury Team has helped many people in Las Vegas who’ve suffered catastrophic injuries get the money they need to move forward. Our catastrophic injury lawyers will look at your case, figure out who’s responsible, and fight to get you every dollar you deserve. Contact us for a free case evaluation today.
