How Much Can I Recover After a Catastrophic Accident?
Catastrophic accidents are injuries so severe that they can permanently alter a victim’s quality of life. From being unable to go to work or take part in the types of activities that once filled your life, a catastrophic injury is generally grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. Hiring a Los Angeles catastrophic accident lawyer with experience handling these types of injury lawsuits is a solid approach for ensuring you get what you need to cover your injuries.
Catastrophic injuries usually involve permanent disabilities or otherwise serious injuries that will require costly medical treatment such as surgery, and ongoing rehabilitation and medical care. Some of the most common catastrophic injuries include spinal cord injuries, amputations, severe burns, brain injuries, and paralysis. Usually, catastrophic injuries are the byproduct of car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bike accidents, truck accidents, construction site accidents, and medical malpractice. No matter what caused your catastrophic injury, dealing with this life-altering injury is costly and emotionally consuming. As such, California law allows victims of catastrophic injuries to recover monetary damages that will both cover their medical expenses and lost earnings, in addition to providing compensation for their suffering.
Understanding Damages for Catastrophic Injuries in California
When a person’s catastrophic injuries are caused by someone else’s carelessness, they are entitled to file a lawsuit against that person. In addition, catastrophic injuries are unique because they rarely affect just the person who has suffered the accident and resulting injury. Instead, because catastrophic injuries are so severe, leaving the victim helpless and unable to care for themselves without help, the victim’s family members are often adversely affected. Not only are they now responsible for caring for their loved one around the clock, but the household may be suffering financially due to the victim’s lost earnings. For example, imagine a family of four where the father is the primary breadwinner. If the father is catastrophically injured, the family must now manage their expenses without their primary source of income while additionally managing mounting costs for medical care and finding themselves unable to take on extra work because caring for their family member has become a full-time job.
Damages can either be economic or non-economic, which the law defines differently. Your Los Angeles catastrophic accident lawyer can advise what you may be entitled to receive. Economic damages are those damages that the victim can obtain to cover their medical expenses and lost earnings. Non-economic damages are damages meant to award the victim money in the hope that the funds can somewhat compensate for the pain and suffering that they are experiencing. For example, many victims and their spouses sue for loss of consortium when the catastrophic accident has caused them to lose the ability to have sexual relations. In addition, punitive damages may be available when it can be shown that the person who caused the accident acted so recklessly that they should pay additional damages in order to deter such wrongdoing in the future.
Hire a Los Angeles Catastrophic Accident Lawyer to Help You After a Serious Injury
If you’re dealing with the aftermath of a catastrophic injury and are considering filing a lawsuit, you will want to hire a Los Angeles catastrophic accident lawyer who has experience going to trial to argue this type of case. They will ensure you are able to recover what you deserve. Contact our office today.