What Are Some Examples of Catastrophic Injuries and How Can They Affect My Life?
Generally, a personal injury lawsuit is designed to hold at-fault parties financially responsible for your injuries. When these injuries occur on a construction site, they can include many conditions, many of which are catastrophic and can change your life forever.
Commonly, with most personal injury claims, the victim recovers from their injuries and goes back to their everyday life; however, with a catastrophic injury, this is not typically the case.
“Catastrophic injury” is a term that describes any personal injury case in which you, as the victim, have suffered severe, long-term, or life-altering injury.
These problematic cases are distinguished from other personal injury cases because they result in considerable loss, for which total compensation is paramount.
Some examples of catastrophic injuries that may occur on a construction site are:
- Spinal cord injuries, partial or total paralysis, paraplegia, and quadriplegia.
- Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which can cause permanent brain damage.
- Disability or disfigurement that may be permanent.
- Organ damage, vision, or hearing loss.
- Amputation or the loss of one or more limbs.
- Multiple broken bones inflicting dire orthopedic injuries
- Severe burn injuries, scarring, and much more.
As a construction worker, you should be aware that many construction accidents occur on construction sites, and even if the site is run per OSHA regulations, it’s always dangerous.
The significant distinction, both to your life and in litigating these cases, is that catastrophic injuries are distinct in that they can result in nearly incalculable financial, physical, and emotional loss to you and those you love.
Of course, these injuries vary greatly, as does their successful litigation. This is due to the nature and severity of injuries. When you’re the victim of a catastrophic injury, you will often endure severe pain, prolonged recovery time, the need for long-term rehabilitation, and possibly life-long medical care. Still, you also need the usually high compensation required to deal with these factors.
The effect of these severe injuries on you and your family will surely disrupt your lives in profound and permanent ways.
To effectively deal with the complex yet critical litigation these cases demand, you must seek the knowledgeable, highly experienced, empathetic, yet aggressive legal help of a genuinely well-versed Raleigh catastrophic injury law team.
Why Do Catastrophic Injuries Require More Compensation and Litigation Than Other Types of Injuries?
Any personal injury lawyer will explain that compensation is essential in any case. However, the stakes are significantly higher when victims endure long-term or life-long losses. So, when litigating these cases, the term “recovery” consists of much more than recompense; it requires a critical source of funding sufficient for a lifetime of expected expenses.
You must note that all insurance companies and corporations that face these high-value injury claims will do anything to pay victims as little as possible. These companies only want to protect their bottom line. This fact increases the type and amount of challenges your lawyer will face from the defense, as they will always dispute their liability and the extent of your damages.
In a catastrophic injury case, everything depends on a successful claim. Therefore, as the victim, you must ensure that the catastrophic injury lawyer you choose has the valuable experience, knowledge, negotiating skills, and resources these critical cases demand.
Why Construction Workers Are at A Higher Risk of Catastrophic Injury.
Almost all construction workers work every day in a high-risk environment. This annually leads to numerous severe injuries and even fatalities. Due to the difficulty and in-depth investigation necessary to litigate these cases, your personal injury lawyer must be a specialist in advocating for victims of these catastrophic accidents.
This is the only way to ensure that you, as the victim, receive the comprehensive legal support you must have during such challenging times.
If you’ve ever been on one, construction sites are fraught with hazards that can potentially cause a wide array of injuries, some minor, but many life-altering.
Some of the most common causes of injuries workers face every day are:
- Ladder and scaffolding accidents – Falls from ladders or unstable or malfunctioning scaffolding.
- Equipment and tool defects – Malfunctions cause severe or fatal injury.
- Slips and falls on the sites – This includes falls from great heights, causing severe injuries.
- Heavy equipment injuries – Mishandling, poor training, and malfunctioning of heavy machinery.
- Falling Objects – This is a common cause as even a small tool dropped from a height can cause significant injury.
The above are only a few of the ways construction workers can be injured, and they face these dangers daily.
Also, securing compensation for construction injuries is very often legally complex. These cases can involve multiple parties, such as construction site owners, subcontractors, contractors, manufacturers, etc.; all these parties usually have lawyers already in place. Each claim and entity may be subject to different legal rules, and your case may have to be litigated in various courts.
So, not only do these cases usually involve high settlements, but the amount needed to care for you after a catastrophic injury is mandatory for your and your family’s future. So, choosing your personal injury law team is critical not only for your success but also for your future life.
Why Is Having the Right Lawyer Critical To Getting Compensation for My Catastrophic Injury?
If you’re injured in a construction accident in Raleigh, there usually are two potential options for getting the financial help you need for the injuries sustained. You can file a personal injury or workers’ compensation case. You may sometimes have to go down both legal paths to get the necessary compensation.
The constant fight with insurance companies, your employer, etc., to pay for your injuries is not only stressful but time-consuming as well; while you get well, your lawyer will work for you.
Also, time is not on your side. If you don’t file in time, your opportunity to file a personal injury lawsuit could expire, and you would get nothing.
You should also note that the laws pertaining to personal injury accidents are strict in North Carolina. One small mistake can jeopardize the entire attempt to get needed funds. Your skilled, thorough, and highly experienced Raleigh personal injury lawyer will not let this happen.
Due to the complexity and significance of these cases, your Raleigh construction accident lawyer will explore and fully explain precisely what legal options you have.
Having a lawyer present and on your side is always in your best interests at this critical time. They will fight for your rights, ensure they’re protected, and fight tirelessly so that you receive the compensation you and your family deserve.
I’ve Been Severely Injured On My Construction Job; How Should I Proceed?
If you’ve suffered a catastrophic injury on a construction job (or anywhere else), you may have the right to seek compensation for your injuries.
Usually, the more severe your injuries, the more compensation you may be able to claim, but the legal complexity of successfully litigating your case also increases exponentially.
Most victims need help understanding the potential value of their personal injury claims and, of course, in litigating them successfully.
The personal injury lawyers at O’Malley Tunstall PC fully understand the debilitating nature of catastrophic injuries. Call them today at 919-277-0150 for a free consultation on your case. Don’t hesitate, as your and your family’s future is on the line.