While some victims of highway vehicle accidents may not sustain any injuries or will only have less severe ones that they can recover from, other victims won’t be as fortunate. Numerous individuals may get severe wounds that render them fully or partially incapacitated.
*Due to the exorbitant expense of the victim’s medical treatment, salary loss, and constant need for support, this not only permanently alters their own life but also that of their family. If a motorist’s negligence led to the victim’s catastrophic injuries, that driver may be liable for paying the victim’s past and future damages.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at five of the most common catastrophic injuries that occur from highway car accidents.
What is a Catastrophic Injury?
Catastrophic injuries often have life-altering effects and long-term repercussions for the person and often occur unexpectedly and without warning.
While paraplegia and quadriplegia are sometimes thought of as the most common catastrophic injuries, they are just the tip of the iceberg. Other accident related catastrophic injuries include loss of hearing or sight, traumatic brain injuries, loss of a limb, and serious birth injuries. Catastrophic injuries can occur quickly and without warning. Your life might be perfect one moment and completely different the next.
There are also a wide array of causes of catastrophic injuries. Serious car accidents may result in serious and catastrophic injuries. Accidents involving semi-trucks and heavy rigs can be particularly disastrous. Catastrophic injuries can also occur in industrial accidents, boating accidents, and trampoline mishaps. Below are a few examples of the catastrophic injuries that may result from a high-speed vehicle accident.
Is a Lawyer Necessary for a Catastrophic Injury Case?
The short answer is yes. Just as you would never attempt to perform surgery on yourself or a family member with no medical experience, it is foolish to attempt to handle your own catastrophic injury case if you are not an attorney with experience in this area.
The law is extremely complex, and you will be up against massive insurance companies with unlimited resources, their highly experienced lawyers, as well as their hired experts who will fight every aspect of your case. You need a seasoned injury lawyer on your side.
5 Serious Injuries That Occur From Highway Vehicle Accidents
The blunt impact of an auto accident, which can occur when the vehicles are moving at a relatively modest pace, can result in catastrophic injuries. Some of the ways that drivers harm victims include texting and driving, driving while intoxicated, driving too fast, and disregarding the weather when they are out on the road. A catastrophic injury may, in the worst scenarios, result in the victim’s demise. The following are examples of typical catastrophic injuries.
Injuries to the Head and Brain
Both the physical force of the accident and item penetration into the skull and brain can result in brain and head trauma. A person might sustain severe brain injuries, skull fractures, or brain hemorrhages. The person’s ability to walk, communicate, reason, focus, and many other things may be negatively impacted by these injuries, which might result in lifelong brain damage.
A person may get bruises, scratches, and lacerations in small collisions if their head strikes the windshield, steering wheel, side glass, or another auto component or interior object. Closed head injuries, concussions, traumatic brain injury, and lifelong brain damage can occur in more serious incidents.
Spinal Injuries
Spine damage from a vehicle collision is a major personal injury that might have a profound impact on one’s life. The spinal cord may be damaged or severed in cases of trauma to the cervical, lumbar, or thoracic spine, leading to paralysis from the neck down or from the waist down. The cause of about 40% of these injuries is auto accidents.
The portions of the body below the injured place on the spine often suffer the effects of this injury. This is why injuries high up on the spine, particularly those that are close to the neck, can be quite deadly. Quadriplegia or paralysis from the neck down might develop from them. If an auto accident victim believes they may have sustained this injury, it is critical that they seek prompt medical care and treatment.
Severe Burns
Some of the most excruciatingly painful and serious wounds a person may sustain are burns. Large areas of the body with third- and fourth-degree burns pose a life-threatening risk. All layers of the skin as well as the tissue underneath are affected by these burns. Skin grafts, plastic surgery, and rehabilitation are frequently needed for burn victims to heal.
Accident victims may experience persistent nerve damage even after receiving therapy. In addition, scarring and deformity are possible. This may cause a loss of mobility and persistent discomfort for the rest of one’s life.
Amputation or Loss of Limbs
In an automobile collision, an amputation can happen in a variety of different ways. An arm, hand, or leg might be severed as a result of the power of the hit. Other times, the bones may be crushed or otherwise fractured severely enough that an amputation of the affected body part is likely to be required. While bruising and scratches to the arms and legs are the most frequent injuries to the extremities in automobile accidents, broken bones and amputations can also occur often.
Death
A wrongful death happens when someone dies from injuries brought on by the reckless behavior of a driver of a vehicle. The legislation permits certain parties to bring a lawsuit on behalf of their deceased loved one and seek compensation in wrongful death instances. It’s crucial to discuss your rights and alternatives with a lawyer since wrongful death laws are complex.
Our Chicago Catastrophic Injury Attorneys Are Here to Help
The Chicago catastrophic injury attorneys at Drake & Collopy, P.C. are highly experienced in cases involving catastrophic injury in the wake of an accident. Get in touch with our team as soon as possible by giving us a call at (312) 262-4872. Our Chicago catastrophic injury attorneys are ready to put their knowledge and experience to work for you.
