Most injuries heal with time, but catastrophic injuries are severe and often permanent. When you have sustained a catastrophic injury, you might wonder how you will earn a living or enjoy the things in life that once brought you pleasure. Along with the pain of the injury, you and your loved ones may be in emotional turmoil. Add to this the stress of medical bills piling up, and even the strongest among us could easily become overwhelmed.
A Richland catastrophic injury lawyer can investigate the facts of your case, explain your options, and give you a sense of what your claim is worth. While no one can change the past, careful handling of your claim by a compassionate personal injury attorney could greatly improve your future.
Catastrophic injuries fundamentally alter a person’s life because they are severe and often permanent. Examples of these injuries include:
From a legal standpoint, the designation of an injury as catastrophic is important because the available monetary damages are generally much higher than in other types of cases.
Catastrophic injuries can result from any accident and are commonly attributed to auto accidents, pedestrian collisions, fires and explosions, workplace accidents, and slip-and-fall accidents. Whatever the cause, a Richland attorney can assess whether it qualifies as a catastrophic injury and advise on the next steps.
A person who sustained a catastrophic injury due to someone else’s negligence may be entitled to economic and noneconomic damages.
Economic damages compensate for those expenses that can be calculated, including medical bills, treatment costs, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, lost wages, and lost earning capacity. Noneconomic damages compensate the injured person for the physical pain and mental anguish caused by the injury.
Both economic and noneconomic damages are known as compensatory damages because they attempt to compensate the injured person for their loss. As such, damage awards and settlements arising from catastrophic injury claims often involve very high dollar amounts.
Even someone who believes they are partly responsible for their accident should speak to a Richland catastrophic injury attorney because they may still be entitled to a substantial award. In a state that follows the pure comparative negligence doctrine, when the injured person is found to share a percentage of the negligence causing the accident, their recovery is reduced by that exact amount per Revised Code of Washington 4.22.005. Even when the injured person is found 99% at fault, they can still recover 1% of their total damages. A partial recovery can still be significant in a case dealing with high dollar amounts.
Loss of consortium is a claim made by a member of the injured person’s family (usually a spouse) for the damage to the relationship caused by the accident. The claim seeks compensation for care, intimacy, support, and companionship, which can all be severely impacted by a physical injury. Claims for loss of consortium are significant in catastrophic injury cases, where family members often aid in the care of the injured person while simultaneously losing the care that person once offered to them. Loss of consortium is a form of noneconomic damages, and a catastrophic injury lawyer in Richland knows to consider the possibility of such damages when reviewing a particular case.
While a catastrophic injury marks a definite change in life, it is not the end. At the beginning of the recovery journey, it can be difficult to see better days ahead. But there is always hope for a better tomorrow, and a Richland catastrophic injury lawyer can help you get there. Call today for an initial consultation with an attorney who is ready to win for you.