There are countless injuries a person may suffer, but some are undeniably more severe than others. Catastrophic injuries are those that seriously harm the victim, affecting many or all areas of his or her life.
Catastrophic injuries can occur many ways — in car accidents, playing sports or workplace accidents, among others. In each case, it is important to properly prepare using all the information you can gather to ensure a strong strategy and fair resolution.
If you believe you recently suffered a catastrophic injury, then you should seek medical care before doing anything else. Even if you don’t know entirely who will end up paying for the treatment, that is not a good reason to endanger your own quality of life or your life itself.
Identifying a catastrophic injury
When you suffer an injury, you have a few legal options available. Many individuals who suffer a very painful injury wonder whether or not theirs qualifies as catastrophic. Depending on whether you’re speaking with a doctor, an attorney or an insurance representative, you may receive three different answers.
Technically speaking, catastrophic injuries involve damage to a person’s spine or brain, since these control the functions of the rest of the body. However, depending on the severity of the injury, a person could suffer a catastrophic injury that doesn’t harm his or her spine or brain.
This might involve extensive or severely broken bones or damage to musculature and organs, for instance. In some cases, severe burns might also qualify as catastrophic injuries.
Creating a path to recovery
Whatever your injury is, you deserve quality medical care and ongoing treatment that addresses your injury until you reach the fullest recovery possible. In most cases involving a serious personal injury suit, focusing on your recovery is more than enough for one person.
It is always wise to consult with an experienced attorney once you stabilize after proper medical treatment for your injury. An attorney with in-depth knowledge of Ohio court rulings and settlements in similar cases can help you pursue all the compensation you deserve.
It is also valuable for any attorney representing you in a catastrophic injury case to know the practices of insurance providers, to help avoid setbacks they may pose to your receiving fair compensation.
However you choose to proceed, do not settle for subpar medical care or professional guidance. You’ve already suffered enough, it’s about time for others to help you carry these burdens so that you can train your attention on recovering from your injury and getting back to living your best life.