What Is a Serious and Catastrophic Injury Claim? How Does It Differ from Other Types of Personal Injury Claims?
Almost any personal injury can have a significant impact on your life. In fact, injuries commonly perceived as minor or insignificant, such as cuts, scrapes and bruises, can be extremely debilitating while they are healing.
There are, however, certain types of personal injuries, typically referred to as “serious and catastrophic” losses, that typically alter your life dramatically, either permanently or for a lengthy period of time. With those types of injuries, you’ll typically want representation from a knowledgeable and proven lawyer, someone who has successfully handled such claims in the past.
What Is a Serious and/or Catastrophic Injury?
Though there is no concrete definition, serious and/or catastrophic injuries are generally that permanently change the victim’s life, typically in one of the following ways:
- Making it impossible for them to work again in their chosen field
- Requiring ongoing medical attention for the rest of their lives
- Preventing them from engaging in the ordinary functions of daily life, or from doing things that brought them happiness, joy or fulfillment before the injury
- Living with permanent chronic physical and/or mental pain
- Making it difficult or impossible to have close personal relationships with family members
What Are the Common Types of Serious and Catastrophic Injuries?
The following injuries are typically categorized as serious and/or catastrophic:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)—Any bump or blow to the head that has long-term consequences
- Spinal trauma or injury, often resulting in some form of paralysis or restriction of mobility
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Amputation or loss of limb
- Burn injuries
- Wrongful death
How Does a Serious and Catastrophic Personal Injury Claim Differ from Other Personal Injury Lawsuits?
A serious and/or catastrophic injury claim will typically be filed in exactly the same way as any other personal injury lawsuit. The differences between these two types of cases then become obvious almost immediately:
- Serious and/or catastrophic injury claims typically involve more substantial losses
- A significant part (often the bulk) of the damages recovered are usually for future losses
- Serious and catastrophic injury claims commonly include significant non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of companionship/consortium
- Both liability and damages typically require expert witness testimony
- Settling a serious and/or catastrophic injury claim is a far more complex process
Contact the Proven Personal Injury Attorneys at Bailey & Galyen
At the law offices of Bailey & Galyen, we have more than 40 years of experience helping personal injury victims across Texas get full and fair compensation for the carelessness or negligence of others, including people who have suffered any type of serious or catastrophic injury. In our decades in practice, we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for victims of personal injury. We will aggressively help you pursue full and fair compensation when you have been hurt in any type of accident. Contact us by e-mail or 844-402-2992 call our offices at one of the convenient locations listed below. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
