Catastrophic injuries encompass a wide array of losses, including spinal cord damage, severe burns, paralysis, and loss of limbs. Other significant impairments such as loss of vision or hearing and brain damage are also considered devastating injuries. While some of these injuries may improve with time, some people are left permanently disabled.
Treatment for catastrophic injuries can be expensive, incurring substantial medical bills and often requiring a patient to leave work temporarily or even permanently. In addition to monetary losses, people suffering from traumatic harm also experience severe pain, suffering, disfigurement, or decreased quality of life.
An experienced lawyer in Parker could seek financial recourse on behalf of the catastrophically injured claimant. This could include economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. Economic damages can include:
- Wage loss
- Property damage
- Hospital bills
- Assistive medical devices, such as wheelchair
- In-home care
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Emergency room bills
- Surgical expenses
In addition to compensation associated with someone’s out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident, a person may also recover considerable non-economic losses. These non-economic forms of compensation could cover losses such as the individual’s future lost earning potential, loss of consortium, emotional anguish, and diminished the quality of life.
The third and final category of potential compensation, punitive damages, is not available in all cases. Punitive damages may be awarded if the defendant acted maliciously or egregiously. These awards aim to punish the defendant.