Lake Charles Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

As we age, we hope we can avoid major tragedies, illnesses, injuries, and more. But sometimes we’re dealt a hand that changes our lives forever—a catastrophic injury. In some cases, wounds heal, bodies and minds mend, but sometimes there is no healing, no cure, and no opportunity to resume life as it was before. If you have suffered an injury like this, you need to talk with a Lake Charles catastrophic injury lawyer to determine if you can recover compensation.

These situations are usually caused by catastrophic injuries and can result in mobility loss that may require round-the-clock medical care and the need to supplement lost income.

If you’ve been in a motor vehicle accident or other catastrophic accident, the injury lawyers at the Cox Law Firm in Lake Charles can help. Call 337-436-6611 to schedule a free consultation or contact us online.

We have the experience and skills you need to pursue the compensation you deserve.

Catastrophic Injury Support in Calcasieu Parish

A catastrophic injury can require months to years of recovery, along with long-term care and medical support. Some people are never able to work again. These injuries are frequently painful and mentally exhausting, and they can be even more overwhelming when the accident was preventable. When another party is at fault for the injuries that you or a loved one is suffering, you can recover compensation through a personal injury claim.

At the Cox Law Firm, our team is proud to represent injured clients in Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana. Our attorneys have 135 years of collective experience in personal injury claims, including injuries that are considered catastrophic. We understand the unique requirements in these cases and the high level of compensation required to care for the aftermath of a catastrophic injury.

A catastrophic injury can prevent you from working, denying yourself and your family essential financial support. When your injuries are someone else’s fault, you should not suffer the financial burden of medical costs, long-term care, and loss of income. Unfortunately, after an injury, there can be a short timeframe to file your claim. It can be frustrating or even impossible to file this claim while injured. You need supportive and effective attorneys to file and negotiate your claim on your behalf.

If you or a loved one has suffered a severe and disabling injury, bring your claim to the experienced team at the Cox Law Firm. We can review the accident to determine if you have the grounds for a personal injury claim or other avenues of compensation.

Types of Catastrophic Injury

A catastrophic injury is a form of personal injury that permanently affects a person’s life. This is typically a long-term injury that impacts a person’s cognitive function, mobility, or other vital day-to-day functions. It may also prevent a person from engaging in gainful employment and result in significant psychological harm. Some examples of catastrophic injuries may include:

• Brain Injuries: A traumatic brain injury usually occurs when the brain strikes the inside of the skull, but it can also be caused by other types of head trauma. These commonly happen in vehicle accidents. A traumatic brain injury can result in headaches, memory loss, and cognitive decline. In severe cases, a person may be unable to speak or control their movement. A person with a severe brain injury may need constant in-home medical care for the rest of their life.
• Dog Bite Injuries: Dog bite injuries and other animal attacks can cause lacerations, puncture wounds, injuries to internal organs, PTSD, infection and other diseases, fractured bones, and crushing injuries. Dog bites, in particular, are more likely to harm children and the elderly. In severe cases or cases where an individual cannot receive medical attention quickly enough, they can cause lifelong injuries, including scarring, nerve damage, and loss of mobility.
• Neck and Back Injuries: Neck and back injuries may include herniated discs and vertebrae injuries. Other neck and back injuries include whiplash, fractures, muscle strains, sprains, and dislocation. These injuries can result in long-term and chronic pain, nerve damage, and other harm.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Spinal cord injuries can result in long-term or permanent full or partial paralysis. Those suffering from spinal cord injuries may require years of physical therapy to regain partial function of movement.
• Severe Burns: Severe burn injuries can result from electrical and other fires, chemical burns, and explosions. These injuries are more common in dangerous lines of work, like on offshore rigs or in industrial plants. They can cause severe nerve damage, significant physical pain, limited movement, and severe scarring and disfigurement. Victims also have a higher risk of infection.
• Loss of Limbs: Certain accidents can result in limb loss. In others, an injury can be so severe that a limb must be surgically amputated to prevent the injured person from dying. Amputation of a limb is traumatic and requires the patient to relearn many activities and aspects of their life. These injuries can result in significant physical damage as well as mental and emotional harm.

What Makes Catastrophic Injuries Different?

A catastrophic injury does not have a specific definition under state law, but it is commonly considered to be a severe injury that impacts a vital part of your body or causes physical or mental disability. The injury affects the rest of a person’s life and their quality of or their ability to enjoy life. Some factors that influence whether an injury is considered a catastrophic injury include:

• Severity and Cost of Damages: A catastrophic injury results in severe damages that are much more expensive for the victim, both financially and emotionally. Catastrophic injuries may require someone to receive 24/7 care or frequent in-home assistance. These injuries permanently alter a person’s way of life, and the initial surgeries and long-term treatment requirements can be incredibly expensive. The cost of this medical treatment and rehabilitation is much more than for other injuries.
• Time to Recover: Catastrophic injuries can require months or years to recover from, and even their highest point of recovery may never be a full recovery. The inability of the person to have gainful employment means that they may never be able to pay for their medical costs, which can, in turn, worsen the mental and emotional burden of the injuries. A victim of a catastrophic injury may spend the rest of their life recovering from the injury and be unable to ever live their life the way they did before.
• Long-Term Trauma: The physical, psychological, and emotional trauma of catastrophic injuries are often much more significant. It can take years of counseling, medication, and other treatments to help an injured individual mentally recover.

These severe damages, when they are caused by another party, can be legally compensated. If you are suffering from a catastrophic injury, this can enable you to cover medical bills and recover lost income.

Catastrophic Injuries Need the Best Representation

In legal terms, a catastrophic injury permanently disables an individual, preventing them from supporting themselves and their family through regular gainful employment.

The range of catastrophic injuries can be quite broad and can include illnesses or injuries incurred while on the job or injuries from an accident.

There’s a saying that goes “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Common sense and awareness of your surroundings can go a long way toward preventing catastrophic injuries that occur from falls, unsafe properties, and some dangerous sporting accidents.

Even if you take every precaution, there’s still a chance to be injured because of someone else’s negligence. Unfortunately, there’s no way you can predict or prevent what another person will do. It’s important to note that negligence can be both intentional and unintentional. Emotions can cause people to act erratically and commit an intentional act of violence or negligence, even if they wouldn’t normally behave that way.

Proving Negligence in a Personal Injury Claim

In a civil claim, the most common reason for someone to be at fault for an injury that you suffered is through the theory of negligence. To hold someone liable for your accident through negligence, the following elements must be provable:

1. Duty: The party owed you a duty of care to behave with reasonable consideration to your well-being and avoid causing harm.
2. Breach: The party’s actions or inactions were negligent and breached their duty of care.
3. Causation: The accident and injury were a direct result of this breach of care.
4. Damages: You suffered injuries, financial losses, and other forms of recognizable damages.

An attorney is helpful for investigating your accident and finding proof of these elements while you recover. Another party could also be found liable for an accident that they caused due to intentional misconduct. Actions that are considered grossly negligent may make your claim eligible for additional damages.

How Much Is a Settlement for a Catastrophic Injury?

The value of a final settlement in a catastrophic injury claim is typically much higher than the average personal injury claim due to the severity of the damages. Once you can prove that another party is at fault, they are liable for the entirety of your losses in the accident. A catastrophic injury settlement will rely on the economic and noneconomic damages you suffered.

Economic damages are calculable losses, with set financial values. Receipts and essential paperwork can show these exact values for past costs, and future costs can be calculated by healthcare and financial professionals. Economic damages include:

• Current and anticipated medical and long-term care costs, including the cost of mobility devices and medical equipment
• Lost wages as you recover
• Lost earning capacity if you are permanently disabled and unable to work or do so full-time
• Property damage
• The cost of hiring others to complete basic at-home services or daily care

Noneconomic damages do not have a set value. However, they are still legally recognized damages that a person can suffer after a significant injury. These damages are much harder to determine, as they can be very subjective. An attorney has the resources and experience needed to fairly calculate your noneconomic damages. These damages include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of full enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Disability

Noneconomic and economic damages are compensatory, reflecting the losses you suffered. In some catastrophic injury claims, the court will also assign punitive damages. This occurs when the actions of the at-fault party are considered grossly negligent. These damages exist to punish the at-fault party for what they have done and prevent future negligence of the same kind. An attorney can help calculate your damages and determine if your case is likely to qualify for punitive damages.

Common Types of Accidents That Cause Catastrophic Injury Claims

A catastrophic injury can happen in many scenarios. Some of the most common include:

• Car Accidents: Car accidents are one of the most common causes of personal injuries and can range from minor accidents to serious collisions. In severe car accidents, you may suffer paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, burns, amputation, and other catastrophic injuries. When another driver or party is at fault for the accident, you can file a car insurance claim or personal injury claim to recover your damages.
• Truck Accidents: Accidents between large commercial trucks and smaller vehicles are much more likely to cause catastrophic injuries and fatalities. This is due to the size and weight of commercial vehicles and the likelihood that multiple vehicles may be caught in an accident. These claims are especially complicated when considering the number of parties who could be liable and the in-depth investigation that is required to determine fault.
• Motorcycle Accidents: Motorcyclists have fewer safeguards and less personal protection, leaving them much more vulnerable to catastrophic injuries if they are in an accident. This is especially true if they are in an accident with a passenger car or larger vehicle. Motorcycle accidents can result in severe burns and scarring, amputation, eye injuries, brain injuries, and damage to the spine and spinal cord.
• Maritime and Offshore Accidents: Although any workplace has the potential for accidents, maritime and offshore worksites are some of the most dangerous locations, and employees are more likely to suffer catastrophic injuries. These worksites can see fires, chemical spills, malfunctioning machinery and vehicles, explosions, extreme weather, and day-to-day hazards of the job. Employees may be able to recover compensation under workers’ compensation insurance, the Jones Act, or other avenues.
• Construction Accidents: Construction work is another incredibly dangerous form of employment. Employees use dangerous machinery, tools, and vehicles daily. They also deal with heavy and sometimes hazardous materials. Employees can suffer burns, electrocution, and crushing injuries. Catastrophic injuries can result from high falls, falling objects, building or trench collapse, and explosions. These injuries can also occur to bystanders, contractors, and other third parties.

Catastrophic injuries can also result from violent crime, medical malpractice, plane crashes, and malfunctioning products. It’s important to find an attorney who has experience with your type of accident or your type of injury. That way, they can better understand the requirements of your case, how to investigate it, and the likely long-term medical consequences you may face.

How Does a Catastrophic Personal Injury Attorney Help Me?

An attorney can help you in many ways, including:

• Determining if you have a viable claim under workers’ compensation, a civil claim, or other forms of compensation
• Guiding you through the legal process of filing a claim
• Investigating the cause of your injury, the cause of the accident, and the parties that may be at fault
• Gathering evidence to prove liability
• Filing your claim properly and within the legal time limit
• Using resources, such as financial, medical, and other relevant professionals, to determine fault and the severity of your injuries
• Determining the full value of your claim, including both current and future losses
• Negotiating for you to reach a fair settlement with the at-fault party
• Resolving your claim more efficiently and with a higher likelihood of obtaining maximum compensation

When you are not at fault for the catastrophic injuries you have suffered, you should not have to carry the burden of medical costs, income loss, and emotional hardship. Although compensation will not fix your losses, it can enable you to take some control of your future and relearn how to navigate your life.

Contact Our Catastrophic Injury Attorneys at the Cox Law Firm

So, what happens when you or a loved one lose your ability to support yourself due to a catastrophic injury or illness?

You may not have all the answers right away, but one of the best ways you can prepare for the worst is to have a good relationship with an experienced personal injury attorney.

The catastrophic injury attorneys at the Cox Law Firm are here to fight for your financial compensation. We won’t stop until you have what you need, and we won’t ask for payment until you’ve received the maximum amount of compensation you’re entitled to. Learn how we can help, call us today at 337-436-6611.