Any accident that leaves you severely injured can interfere with your life both now and in the future. If you were seriously hurt, you might have substantial medical bills and be dealing with both physical and psychological trauma. If your injury is so severe that it leaves you permanently disabled or disfigured, your life will likely be changed forever. You might not be able to return to the same quality of life, and you will likely need substantial compensation to keep up with your medical bills.
In these scenarios, guidance from a dedicated personal injury attorney can be key to preserving your future prospects and overall quality of life. By working closely with a compassionate Hutto catastrophic injury lawyer, you can give yourself the best possible chances of obtaining compensation for all of the ways that the accident has impacted your life.
In colloquial terms, a catastrophic injury is one that is expected to last for the injured person’s entire life and result in a significant loss of sensory, motor, and/or cognitive function. Spinal cord trauma that causes paralysis is an excellent example of a catastrophic injury, and other injuries commonly categorized this way include traumatic brain damage, high-degree burns, internal organ trauma, limb amputation, and any injury or illness causing deafness or blindness.
Because catastrophic injuries are permanent and debilitating by definition, it is vital when filing a civil claim to account for various future forms of harm that a plaintiff is likely to experience long after their legal proceedings conclude. Potential financial compensation after a serious injury could include repayment for:
In purely procedural terms, state law does not treat catastrophic injuries any differently from less severe personal injuries. As an attorney in Hutto can explain, a plaintiff who wants to hold someone else legally accountable for causing a catastrophic accident must prove that another person was legally negligent. A defendant must have done something irresponsible which violated a duty of care and served as the direct and primary cause of the injuries in question. Our legal team can help prove this negligence.
Another way that state law applies equally to catastrophic injury cases as it does to all other personal injury claims is in the modified comparative fault system followed by state courts. Under this framework, a person found partially to blame for causing or worsening their losses through their own negligence may collect less compensation or be barred from recovery at all. For example, if a person is partially responsible for causing the car wreck that led to their catastrophic injury, they would likely have their compensation award reduced by their percentage of fault.
Additionally, Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §16.003 establishes that most catastrophic injury plaintiffs need to file their claim within two years of the accident in question. Support from a skilled lawyer in Hutto can be crucial to respecting this deadline and making sure that allegations of comparative fault do not derail a case.
Any injury that causes life-changing harm can be challenging to handle. If you were seriously hurt, you might find it difficult to communicate the full extent of your setbacks and pursue the compensation you deserve. However, guidance from capable legal counsel can increase your chances of getting the case result you deserve.
A Hutto catastrophic injury lawyer can discuss your situation and possible recovery options in detail during a confidential consultation. Reach out today to get started on your case.