West Lake Hills Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
Any injury caused by someone else acting carelessly or recklessly can be a frustrating disruption to your daily life, but prompt medical care and proactive legal action to demand civil restitution should generally be enough to restore you to your pre-accident condition. Sometimes, though, someone else’s negligence causes an injury so severe that no quantity or quality of medical treatment will ever completely undo the damage.
In these situations, demanding fair financial compensation with a seasoned personal injury attorney’s help can be crucial to protecting yourself in the long term and improving your quality of life. A capable and compassionate West Lake Hills catastrophic injury lawyer could work diligently on your behalf to get you paid fairly for the impact that your accident will have on the rest of your life.
What Makes an Injury Catastrophic?
Colloquially, legal professionals and court authorities refer to catastrophic injuries as injuries that will impact an individual’s entire remaining life, usually causing significant disfigurement or disability for that person. One of the most common examples of a catastrophic injury is spinal cord trauma that results in some form of permanent paralysis. However, other injuries can be severe enough to be considered catastrophic, including severe brain trauma, high-degree burns, any injury causing deafness or blindness, and any injury resulting in or necessitating limb amputation.
Notably, a catastrophic injury is not legally distinct from any other type of personal injury in terms of the rules that govern filing a lawsuit. When seeking compensation for a catastrophic accident, the injured plaintiff will still generally need to prove that a specific negligent act by the defendant they are suing was the direct and primary cause of their injury. A knowledgeable attorney in West Lake Hills can help with establishing negligence and holding the right defendant accountable after a serious accident and catastrophic injury.
Recovering for Long-Term Forms of Harm
In practice, a catastrophic injury claim must have a completely different focus compared to a standard personal injury case: rather than trying to reimburse the plaintiff entirely for their injury-related losses, the claim’s goal should instead be to minimize the negative effects of their injury in the months and years to come. By definition, a catastrophic injury will have irreversible and lifelong effects, so the damages sought in a lawsuit or settlement demand must take those effects into account.
This usually means demanding restitution for both economic and non-economic losses, including:
- The costs of emergency medical care, future rehabilitative/therapeutic treatment, and assistive equipment like wheelchairs
- Lost ability to work and/or lost income
- The cost of home/vehicle modifications
- The costof in-home assistance
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Psychological anguish and trauma
- Lost enjoyment of life
- Lost consortium
Since the two-year filing deadline established under Texas Civil Practices & Remedies Code still applies to catastrophic injury claims, assistance from a seasoned lawyer in West Lake Hills can be essential to identifying all compensable losses and quickly building a comprehensive claim after a serious accident.
Consider Working with a West Lake Hills Catastrophic Injury Attorney
Catastrophic injuries are life-altering, and the person who caused this uniquely severe harm should be the one who primarily bears the costs associated with it. Without experienced legal representation, your chances of achieving a favorable and beneficial outcome from this kind of civil claim are slim.
Thankfully, a West Lake Hills catastrophic injury lawyer can be an irreplaceable ally from beginning to end of your legal proceedings. Reach out today to learn more about filing a claim.
