Columbus Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

The American Medical Association (AMA) defines a “catastrophic injury” as a severe injury to the spinal cord, spine, or brain. However, that definition is quite narrow. Most people involved in the personal injury field define “catastrophic injury” much more broadly – amputation, paralysis, burns, electrocution, traumatic brain injuries, and disfigurement. A catastrophic injury, including illness, typically occurs suddenly, without warning, and can leave people suffering from permanent disabilities for the rest of their lives. If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury as the result of a personal injury or an accident, let the Columbus catastrophic injury attorneys at Malek & Malek Law Firm help.

Catastrophic injuries are really any injuries that have serious, long-term effects on the victim. Catastrophic injuries can often put nearly-unbearable stress on the victim’s friends and family because the victim may often need constant supervision or assistance for the rest of their lives, as well as a lifetime of rehabilitation and medical bills.

What Makes an Injury Catastrophic?

It can be reasonably argued that whether or not an injury qualifies as catastrophic depends on the individual circumstances; in other words, who suffered the harm, and the impact of the injury on that person’s life. For example:

• If a single mother with children suffers from injuries that prevent her from working or caring for her kids; that kind of harm would likely be deemed catastrophic in terms of the impact on her life.
• If a professional basketball player suffers a severe knee injury during a game, and the strength and stability of his knee never returns to pre-accident form, this injury would be categorized as catastrophic.

Types of Catastrophic Injuries

Catastrophic Injuries include a wide variety of injuries, some of which are:

• Disfiguring burn or physical injuries,
• Internal organ damage,
• Concussions/traumatic brain injuries (TBIs),
• Multiple, complex bone fractures,
• Arm amputations,
• Leg amputations,
• Spinal cord injuries,
• Partial or total paralysis,
• Electrocution,
• Birth Injuries,
• Loss of hearing or sight,
• Eye injuries
• Facial injuries,
• Nerve damage,
• Brain injuries,
• Neurological damage, and
• Crush injuries.

Catastrophic Injuries include a wide variety of illnesses and mental health trauma; including:

• Memory loss, 
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts,
• Depression, including prolonged sadness,
• Anxiety,
• Low self-esteem and a questioning sense of self,
• Alcohol and drug abuse, and
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts. If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-(800)-273-8255.

Accidents Causing Traumatic Harm

Catastrophic injuries are commonly caused by various types of unfortunate events, including:

• Slip and Fall Accidents. Property owners owe a duty to visitors, which varies according to what kind of visitor you are (e.g., guests, tenants, business patrons, trespassers) to keep their property in a safe condition. When they do not make proper repairs or inspections, this can lead to accidents that cause catastrophic injuries.
• Car Accidents. Automobile accidents, including truck accidents, commonly result in catastrophic injuries because of the high speed and negligible time to slow down before the point of impact.
• Pedestrian Accidents. When a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, this often results in catastrophic injuries for the pedestrian who is unprotected from vehicles weighing several tons.
• Medical Malpractice. Although we generally trust health care providers to care for us in a competent manner, some of these providers act carelessly in a manner that results in a catastrophic injury. Many catastrophic injuries occur when doctors operate on the wrong patient, perform surgery on the wrong body part, or leave a medical device inside a patient.
• Work-Related Accidents. Many catastrophic injuries occur in the workplace where conditions are often inherently dangerous.

Columbus Personal Injury Claims for Accidents Resulting in Catastrophic Injuries

If through the negligent or intentional act of another, a person suffers a catastrophic injury, a personal injury claim by the victim will be a fundamental factor in determining his or her quality of life in the future, including the quality of the medical care and support he or she will receive. Because of the huge financial implications, a catastrophic injury has, one of the most important aspects of bringing a personal injury claim is the determination of the value of such a claim.

In many ways, catastrophic injury claims are similar to other personal injury claims, in that they are controlled by the same basic fault rules, legal procedures, and deadlines. However, there are some key differences between personal injury claims involving mild or moderate injuries and those involving catastrophic injuries.

Compensation for Medical Bills and Expenses

Notably, with catastrophic injury claims, the lion’s share of the victim’s damages will be in the form of future medical expenses, diminished earning capacity, the loss of the enjoyment of life, and pain and suffering. These damages are inherently difficult to calculate. Defendants and insurance companies commonly attempt to undervalue these types of damages. Because of the amount of money involved, insurance companies are extremely aggressive in defending catastrophic injury claims. 

The Columbus personal injury attorneys at Malek Law Firm understand this better than typical law firms. At Malek Law Firm, we do the hard work and research into every detail of your injuries, and develop your claim beyond what is necessary for an easy and undervalued settlement, and fight for every dollar you are entitled to. We understand that this is your only chance to recover everything you’ll need to make it through these catastrophic injuries.

Let the Columbus Catastrophic Injury Attorneys at Malek Law Firm Help

Catastrophic injuries often lead to serious, life-long difficulties for the injured person and those who care for him or her. What you can claim for your injuries will determine your quality of life for a long time, or even forever, and your claim will be your only chance to recover for all of your damages, both presently and in the future. 

If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury, let the Columbus personal injury attorneys at Malek Law Firm help. Call us toll-free at 888-444-7440 or contact us online for more information and to speak with a lawyer about your potential case.