If you or a family member suffered a catastrophic injury that was not your fault, a Brandon catastrophic injury lawyer could help you seek the compensation you deserve from the negligent party. Just “Ask Dave” about your personal injury case. You can focus on getting better and adjusting to your new normal while we handle the legal details.
How a Catastrophic Injury Could Change Your Life
Unless they have walked this path themselves, most people have no idea what drastic changes a catastrophic injury could impose on their lives. Here are just a few examples of how your life could be different after suffering a life-changing injury.
Mobility Issues
Depending on the type of devastating injury, lasting impairment could make tasks that used to be simple now impossible or extremely challenging. If the injury leaves you with mobility issues, simply getting out of a chair and walking across the room could be a struggle. Paralysis or weakness in your arms or legs could mean you will need help dressing, bathing, and eating.
Lack of Free Time
Before the accident that left you with lifelong challenges, you might have enjoyed an active lifestyle, playing with your children, going out with friends, or attending sporting events. After a catastrophic injury, you might not have time for those activities.
Frequent visits to multiple specialist doctors and your general practice physician, physical therapy sessions, and other medical treatments can monopolize your time.
Chronic Pain
Most people are not surprised that life-changing injuries cause pain at the moment of the accident. However, they might not realize that after devastating injuries, many people never break free of the shackles of chronic physical pain. Depending on the type of injury, this pain can be beyond the comprehension of someone who has not experienced it.
Financial Worries
Many people barely survive financially after suffering a catastrophic injury. They might not have the time or functional ability to earn a living anymore or have to try to live on a drastically reduced income.
Compounding this financial struggle is the fact that many people have several hundred thousand dollars in medical expenses after a severe accident requiring surgeries, long hospital stays, and ongoing care.
Emotional Distress
Accidents that cause life-changing physical injuries can also inflict emotional trauma on the victim. Chronic depression, fear, anxiety, anger, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can leave the injured person unable to get a decent night’s sleep because of night terrors and other sleep disorders. PTSD can isolate the victim because of its impact on close relationships and the ability to work for a living.
The person who caused the catastrophic injury through negligence should be the one to pay for these impacts on the injured person’s life. As soon as you reach out, a Brandon catastrophic injury attorney can get started on your claim or lawsuit.
The Definition of a Catastrophic Injury
There is no single universally accepted definition of a catastrophic injury. NeuLife Rehabilitation, a residential provider of specialized post-acute treatment programs for many different catastrophic injuries, offers a common definition: a catastrophic injury is “a severe injury to the spine, spinal cord, or brain, and may also include skull or spinal fractures, loss of a limb and severe burn injuries that [lead] to a permanent or long-term severe functional disability or disfigurement.”
A catastrophic injury lawyer in Brandon, FL could help you pursue the monetary damages you deserve from the at-fault party. You might need months of rehabilitation treatment, multiple surgeries, and other medical interventions. The recovery process from catastrophic injuries and the many needed medical treatments can be long and difficult. Usually, a person in the situation will face a lifetime of medical treatment.
What Type of Lawyer Handles Catastrophic Injury Cases?
You can turn to a catastrophic injury attorney in Brandon, FL for help with your personal injury case. At Dismuke Law, our catastrophic injury lawyers know how to handle these claims. You should not have to battle the insurance company alone while trying to recuperate from your devastating wounds.
We can deal directly with the defendant’s insurance company and negotiate to settle your claim fairly. If the insurer will not pay the amount you deserve, we could take your case to court and ask a judge and jury to decide.
The Filing Deadline for a Catastrophic Injury Lawsuit in Brandon, Florida
Unfortunately, as soon as you are involved in an accident that causes a catastrophic injury, the clock starts ticking on the time Florida gives you to pursue monetary damages for your injuries. If you do not file a lawsuit before the filing deadline, Florida law could forever bar you from seeking compensation for your losses from the careless party who injured you.
Under Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a), you only have two years from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit. If your loved one did not survive their catastrophic injuries, Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(d) limits you to only two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Common Types of Recoverable Damages in Brandon Catastrophic Injury Claims
There are two primary categories of recoverable damages in catastrophic injury claims in Florida.
Economic Losses
The category of economic losses encompasses your medical expenses, including:
- The initial treatment you needed following the accident
- Post-crisis rehabilitation
- Specialized medical interventions
- Follow-up procedures
- Surgeries
- Medical equipment
- Prescription drugs
- Pain management
Your lost wages and decreased future wages also fit into the category of economic losses.
Non-Economic Losses
Non-economic damages are intangible losses like pain and suffering for your physical discomfort, emotional distress, and inconvenience. This category also includes things like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life.
We could seek additional compensation for the family through a wrongful death claim if your loved one did not survive their catastrophic wounds that someone else caused through negligence.
Getting Started with a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Serving Brandon, FL
Reach out to us today at Dismuke Law to start the process of holding the negligent party accountable for the harm they caused you. Your initial consultation is free, with no obligation.
We handle catastrophic injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not owe us any legal fees until you win. If your Brandon catastrophic injury lawyer does not win your case, you will not owe us any money for attorney fees. You have nothing to lose, so contact us and “Ask Dave” about your case now.