San Antonio Catastrophic Injury Settlements
Following catastrophic injuries, you may pursue compensation from the party that caused your accident in order to manage the expenses that go along with the accident. San Antonio catastrophic injury settlements can include compensation for many of the financial and non-financial losses you faced. However, navigating the claim process effectively can prove critical to ensuring that you receive fair compensation. Our catastrophic injury attorneys could help you understand the process and your legal options.
Arriving at a Settlement
Reaching an agreement for a catastrophic injury settlement in San Antonio can take time. A lawyer can help individuals with catastrophic injuries navigate that process.
The Demand Package
A catastrophic injury lawyer can help the injured person put together a demand package that lays out the damages they suffered because of the accident. Those may include:
- Current medical expenses
- Future anticipated medical costs for the treatment of those catastrophic injuries
- Wage losses
- Lost earning potential
- Pain and suffering
Because of the severe losses often suffered in catastrophic injury cases, an individual who sustains those injuries may need to include considerable losses as part of the demand package.
Negotiation
In many cases, catastrophic injury claims will involve several rounds of negotiation. The insurance company will issue an offer that it deems fair—often without taking the full extent of the injured person’s losses and needs into account. The injured person and their legal team will then come back with an offer that they find fair based on their losses and needs and taking into account what the insurance policy covers. Negotiation may take several rounds before the insurance company issues an offer that the injured individual finds fair.
Mediation
If the injured person and the insurance company cannot come to a fair agreement about a settlement offer, the final step before going to court is mediation. During mediation, both sides will sit down with a mediator—often a judge or former judge—who can provide them with more insight into what the court might award in those cases. Often, an insurance company and injured individual will settle during mediation to avoid further court costs and expenses.
Factors to Consider in Settlements for Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries often have severe impact on the injured individual’s quality of life. When considering settlement offers for a catastrophic injury, the injured person should work with their San Antonio lawyer to evaluate:
- Changes to the individual’s ability to work and bring in income, particularly in the field they worked in before the accident
- What follow-up procedures, care, and medical equipment they need because of their injuries
- The ongoing cost of managing catastrophic injuries, including the cost of renovations to homes or vehicles because of the accident
- Changes in relationships, including friendships and family relationships, because of the accident
- Decreased enjoyment of life
Catastrophic injuries do not just mean short-term expenses or medical needs. Often, they mean long-term or even permanent losses. A lawyer can help the injured person get a better idea of what those challenges will look like so that they can ensure a settlement fits their needs.
Contact an Attorney About San Antonio Catastrophic Injury Settlements
San Antonio catastrophic injury settlements end the claim process and allow the injured person to recover compensation for their losses. However, without a lawyer on your side, you may end up struggling to get the full compensation you deserve. At Felix Gonzalez Law Firm, we help individuals who have sustained severe injuries seek the full compensation they deserve for those losses. Contact us for your free consultation.
