The definition of a catastrophic injury is a harmful, damaging or traumatic experience that has a negative and enduring impact of the individual involved. These types of life-changing injuries typically lead to permanent physical disability and/or permanent psychological damage. Catastrophic injuries may include injury to the spine, spinal cord or brain and the loss of eyesight or hearing. After a life-changing catastrophic injury both the victim and the people in their lives, who love and care for them, endure heartbreaking hardship.
Individuals faced with a serious long-term injury will likely experience difficulty performing everyday tasks like eating, maintaining personal hygiene and returning to work. Extended consequences are felt by family and loved ones from loss of income, accumulating medical expenses and future care needs. From the life adjustments required to assist them in their recovery and adapting to an often permanently-altered life, seeking compensation for medical and other expenses including long-term care is essential.
If you or a loved one has suffered from a serious, catastrophic injury, it is important to contact a catastrophic injury attorney in Utah. Wasatch Defense Lawyers have the experience and resources to win a settlement that is rightfully yours. Contact us at 801-845-3509 for your free, no-obligation case review.
What Causes Catastrophic Injury?
While devastating catastrophic injury can occur while playing contact sports or by accident at home like a fall, they are often the result of another person’s negligence. Life-altering injuries can be incurred as a result of negligence in the workplace like a construction site fall, a vehicle or motorcycle accident, vicious acts of violence, fire or medical malpractice.
Injuries that are Considered Catastrophic
According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research (NCCSIR), catastrophic injuries are classified based on the outcome:
- Fatal Catastrophic injury results in severe, permanent functional disability. This classification is also given to severe trauma to the head or neck without permanent disability.
- Indirect Nonfatal Catastrophic Injury results from exertion during an activity causing systemic failure from dehydration, heat illness, hyponatremia or cardiovascular conditions.
- Indirect Fatality is generally caused by cardiovascular conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Life-Changing Injuries severe enough to be classified in one of the above catastrophic injury categories may include:
- Spinal Cord Injuries – Spinal cord injuries usually result from neck and back trauma and may limit a victim’s mobility from permanent paralysis.
- Brain Injuries – Brain injuries are the most serious catastrophic injury depending on the severity of the trauma and can cause permanent physical and/or mental impairment.
- Vital Organ Damage – Serious bodily injury can puncture or traumatize the heart, lungs and other vital internal organs causing severe impairment.
- Amputations – The amputation of limbs or other extremities causes physical disability and may lead to psychological maladies like phantom limb syndrome that require counseling.
- Loss of Vision – Severe injury causing partial or complete vision loss may result in limiting abilities to perform self-care and an inability to rejoin the workforce.
- Burns – Catastrophic burn injuries include irreparable severe skin damage, scarring, nerve damage, disfigurement, and chronic pain.
- Loss of Hearing – Temporary or permanent hearing loss as a result of trauma or noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) causing ear pain, tinnitus, and/or vertigo.
- Multiple Fractures – Recovery from multiple fractured bones is difficult and may lead to chronic pain and a permanent reduction in mobility and strength.
Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries in Utah
When another person’s actions result in or contribute to catastrophic injury, you are entitled to economic damages for loss of income, medical expenses and non-economic damages to compensate you for the destruction of your quality of life. A successful wrongful death case in Utah will award the recovery of damages intended to compensate the deceased individual’s heirs and estate for both economic and non-economic losses related to the loss of their loved one. In the state of Utah, damages may include:
- Pain and Suffering from physical pain and mental anguish.
- Medical Expenses from initial emergency care, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
- Financial Loss for future wages and benefits.
- Punitive Damages may be awarded by the court as a punishment for negligent actions of another.
Contact an Experienced Catastrophic Injury Attorney in Utah
Choosing representation by an experienced catastrophic injury attorney will help ensure you have an advocate on your side to determine negligence and prepare the legal actions necessary to make sure you are awarded the maximum compensation available. Call Wasatch Defense Attorneys at 801-845-3509 for your complimentary case review. We offer affordable payment plans and are proud to provide discounts to members of the US Armed Forces.
