Every year, victims in California suffer severe injuries due to slips and falls and traffic accidents. If you have been injured in an accident, you might be entitled to compensation from the responsible party. Your best choice for financially supporting your treatment is to file a claim for catastrophic injuries. An accomplished personal injury lawyer in California will help you navigate the nuances of your head injury accident case and get you the money you deserve.
Find a Catastrophic Injury Attorney after a life-altering accident.
Catastrophic injuries can take many forms.
Injuries to the spinal cord
The most common causes of spinal cord injury (SCI) are motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, falls, acts of abuse, or medical malpractice where infections are not detected or treated in a timely manner. SCI is a sudden and drastic illness that affects about 12,000 people each year, with about 1,000 of them in Southern California. The ramifications are life-altering, affecting the injured person and his or her family and loved ones.
What are some of the most common causes of injuries to the spinal cord?
Spinal cord injury can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Medical malpractice
- Accidents in automobiles
- Accidents at work
- Violence
- Slips and Falls
- Polio and spina bifida and other diseases
- You could have a case if you or a family member has been paralyzed as a result of medical malpractice or neglect.
What is a spinal cord injury, and how does it happen?
Damage to the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal causes loss of function, such as mobility and/or sensation. SCI also results in long-term changes in intensity, feeling, and other body functions below the injury site.
The backbone provides excellent protection for the spinal cord. The backbone's resilience can be surpassed by external trauma. In a medical situation, various factors may increase pressure on the cord, including diseases that take up room, direct compression from ill-placed instruments, and, on rare occasions, surgeons inadvertently cutting through the cord. Although it is possible to learn that a person's spinal cord has been "severed," this is only true in the case of a knife, gunshot, or gross surgical negligence. The cord is pinched, scratched, or its blood flow is otherwise disrupted in most cases of SCI.
These mechanisms interfere with the transmission of commands from the brain to the muscles below the injury site through the nerves and sensory signals from the body to the brain. When this occurs, the injured person loses the ability to move or control the damaged muscles or organs.
Spinal cord injuries come in a variety of types
- The cervical (top), thoracic (middle), lumbar (lower-middle), and sacral (bottom) spines are divided into four parts (bottom). What section of the body is affected depends on where the damage is on the spine.
- Injuries to the cervical spine. Quadriplegia, or paralysis or weakness in both arms and legs, may result from cervical injuries. At or below the extent of injury, all parts of the body can be affected. Numbness, respiratory issues, bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction are also possible side effects of cervical injuries.
- Injuries to the lungs. Since the rib cage serves as a kind of defense, thoracic injuries are less frequent. Paraplegia (leg paralysis), numbness, and bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction may all result from thoracic spinal injuries. In most cases, the hands and arms are unaffected by this type of injury.
- Injury to the lower back. Paraplegia may result from lumbar injuries. Numbness, as well as bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction, are possible side effects. The role of the shoulders, arms, and hands is normally unchanged.
- Injuries to the sacrum Sacral injuries are most often associated with bowel and bladder dysfunction and sexual dysfunction. The hips and legs may become unstable or paralyzed as a result of these injuries.
Losses from an injury are determined by the level and seriousness of the injury.
The severity of the injury is a significant determinant in SCI. This is significant because a spinal cord lesion's position affects the functions that an individual would expect to maintain.
The feeling, movement, and regulation of bodily functions such as bowel and bladder functions are all affected by spinal cord injury. The more severe the impairment, the further up the spinal cord the injury occurs. Quadriplegics (plegia, or paralysis in four levels), or quads for short, are people who damage their spinal cords in the neck area and seriously weaken all four limbs. Paraplegics, or paras, are people who have lower (thoracic) or even lower (lumbar) SCIs and still have control of their arms.
A very high cervical injury, such as the C2 injury suffered by actor Christopher Reeve, affects breathing and necessitates mechanical ventilation. Except for piloting his power wheelchair with a sip and puff joystick, Reeve was unable to move or feel any part of his body except his head; he needed assistance with feeding, dressing, bathing, and grooming. When people like Reeve are hurt only a few spines lower on their backbone – a matter of inches – they maintain the ability to move their arms and possibly fingers, allowing them to care for themselves and gain independence.
Total spinal cord injury vs. partial spinal cord injury
There are no two spinal cord injuries that are the same. Two people with the same degree of injury to their cord may have very different outcomes. One may regain some walking ability while the other is unable to move a muscle below the injury site. Aside from the severity of the injury, the degree of cord damage is another important factor in functional failure. What was the extent of the cord's squeezing, crushing, or bruising?
Doctors will assess the injured individual using a comprehensive chart called the ASIA Impairment Scale to evaluate residual motor (movement) function. The physician calculates the patient's motor score by measuring ten muscle groups in the elbow, forearm, fingertips, hips, knees, ankles, and toes. The examining physician will also use light contact or pinprick to assess sensation and assign a score to each of the body's 28 sensory zones.
A total injury occurs when a person loses all motor and sensory control. Partial injury can come in a variety of forms. Many people with SCI develop after their initial diagnosis. However, after 6-18 months, most people's progress plateaus.
How can a spinal cord injury lawyer assist you with your case?
If you're thinking about filing a lawsuit to get justice for your injury, you can start looking into the facts of the case as soon as possible to maintain evidence, gather details when memories are still new, and stop losing your right to file a lawsuit. Ask your personal injury lawyer if you have uncertainties.
You have the right not only to be compensated for your pain and suffering as well as the lack of enjoyment of life, but you also have the right to be free of your current financial difficulties. You may be unable to work to support yourself and your family, pay for mounting medical expenses, or bear the additional costs of hiring help to do the tasks you can no longer do around the house.
In most cases, though, you will be up against an army of people who will fight you tooth and nail to stop paying you the money you desperately need. In other words, their whole emphasis is on avoiding lawsuits or settling with you for as little money as possible.
Injuries to the brain
Brain damage is estimated to affect 8 million Americans per year. Two million of these people will be permanently disabled, which will alter their lives.
Serious brain injuries can result in significant loss of mobility, balance, and the ability to talk and think. These injuries can result in paralysis as well as cognitive impairment. The consequences for the injured person and his or her family may be devastating. You could be entitled to compensation if your brain injury was caused by the negligence of another individual or organization, and an experienced personal injury lawyer may help you understand your options.
Brain injury misdiagnosis
It is not always clear that a traumatic brain injury has occurred, particularly when the injury appears to be mild. It is not necessary to lose consciousness for a major brain injury to occur. After a knock or fracture to the head, many people claim to feel completely fine and refuse medical treatment, which can have severe consequences. This would not absolve those in charge of behaving in the injured party's best interests in obtaining medical treatment.
Brain injury symptoms can occur days or weeks after the injury, making it difficult to link the incident to the injury. For a variety of causes, children are especially vulnerable to brain damage, including the fact that their heads are slightly heavier than the rest of their bodies (making their center of gravity higher). Children's everyday falls, and bumps can cause brain damage, which is often misdiagnosed in emergency rooms.
Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury
Some brain injury symptoms are subtle and may be mistaken for other causes, particularly if there is no apparent head injury. The following are some of the most common signs and symptoms of a brain injury:
- Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, and blurred vision
- Persistent headache
- Fatigue, anxiety, and memory loss
- Mood shifts or swings
- Inability to focus or a decline in cognitive function
Additionally, children with a brain injury can show the following symptoms:
- Irritability
- Vomiting
- Loss of skills such as toilet training and sentence formation
- Loss of balance and difficulty walking.
- There is no desire to engage in normal sports or play with favorite toys.
- alterations in food or sleeping habits
- a drop in school grades or results
If you or a loved one has suffered any of the following symptoms as a result of an injury, we suggest that you see your doctor right away. We will connect you with a personal injury lawyer if you wish to seek compensation for your injuries.
Brain injuries are caused by a variety of factors:
- There are a variety of forms that a brain injury that can occur, including:
- Automobile collisions
- Accidents including scuba diving, surfing, and swimming
- Malpractice in the medical field
- Misconduct in the HMO and medical industry
- Birth-related accidents
- Medical devices that are defective
- Accidents involving planes
- Accidents such as falls
To file a complaint, you must adhere to strict deadlines. These deadlines are complicated, and the courts strictly enforce them. It is in your best interest to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Though we appreciate that this is a very trying time for you, please be mindful that if you are considering filing a complaint, it is important that you conduct an investigation into the facts of the case as soon as possible. It's also important to act quickly in order to protect evidence, obtain information while memories are still new, and avoid losing the right to file a lawsuit.
Why Should You Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
You are not only entitled to be compensated for your pain and suffering as well as the lack of enjoyment of living, but you are also entitled to be cured of your current financial difficulties. You may be unable to work to support yourself and your family, pay for mounting medical expenses, or bear the additional costs of hiring help to do the tasks you can no longer do around the house. Payment for your or a family member's injury is always vital to the survival of your family.
In most cases, though, you will be up against an army of attorneys, an entire insurance department, and the finances of a mega-corporation battling to keep you from getting the money you desperately need. In other words, their whole emphasis is on avoiding lawsuits or settling with you for as little money as possible.
Injuries from Car Accidents
Auto accident injuries can result in death, permanent paralysis, loss of control, and permanent, serious injuries that can change a victim's life and the lives of those around him or her for the rest of their lives. In 2017, over 3,600 people died in traffic accidents in California, with thousands more seriously injured.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident, you have rights that must be secured, and an experienced personal injury lawyer will assist you. You may be unable to operate, function in your household and day-to-day tasks, and face high medical expenses or even a lifetime of rehabilitation and extra medical procedures.
What if I'm involved in a car accident?
The first step is to determine the health of everyone in your car and call 911 if there are any injuries that need medical attention. Obtain the insurance documents from the other person involved in the crash, as well as the names, addresses, and phone numbers of any eyewitnesses, if possible. Obtain the police officer's badge number from the scene. Take photos of the cars, skid marks on the road, vehicle locations, road building, and anything else that you think is relevant if you are willing. If you've been badly hurt, the first thing you can do is get a full medical examination. You should tell the doctor that you were in a car accident. The next step is to hire a personal injury lawyer to assist you with the process.
The importance of a medical test
A medical examination is necessary both to protect your health and to record any injuries caused by an accident. Your doctor may suggest that you be evaluated again after a certain amount of time has passed so that any delayed injuries can be reported. Following a car accident, you owe it to yourself and your families to investigate your choices.
While this is an extremely difficult time for you, please be mindful that if you are considering filing a lawsuit, it is important that a car accident attorney conduct an investigation into the details of the case as soon as possible. This is important in order to protect facts, obtain information when memories are still new, and prevent losing the right to sue.
A case can only be filed after a certain amount of time under the constitution. These deadlines are complicated, and the courts strictly enforce them. It is in your best interests to contact a personal injury attorney right away.
What exactly is a tort?
A "tort" is an act (or omission) that causes injury to another person and is considered a legal wrong for which the at-fault party is liable. In an injury car accident, a tort gives the injured person the unrestricted right to bring a case against the negligent party.
If the insurance firm makes a settlement bid, don't accept it immediately.
A car accident can be perplexing for those who are involved, particularly if the accident is serious. This is why hiring a personal injury lawyer who is familiar with Los Angeles legal system will save you money. The other driver's insurance provider will frequently offer a settlement in return for a waiver of liability. Accepting the offer can be enticing when faced with a drop in income and could medical bills. Any unsolicited offer to settle is normally a sign that the other driver's insurer is trying to reduce their financial risk because they believe they will have a tough time fighting a personal injury claim, according to personal injury lawyers.
After a car accident, can I hire a lawyer?
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car accident, it is important that you hire an experienced car accident lawyer to represent you. When substantial medical attention is required, the injured person is unable to function or is left with impairments or visible disfiguring scars, compensation for damages should be sought by an auto accident lawyer who would demand the highest amount of compensation available – and who has a track record of performance.
Injuries from Motorcycle Accidents
One of the most dangerous forms of motor vehicle incidents is a motorcycle crash. Motorcyclists have a substantially higher incidence of serious injuries as a result of collisions because they are significantly less safe than car drivers. A motorcycle accident can cause a great deal of stress and disruption in your life, health, and finances. As a result, it is important that you contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible if you or a loved one is involved in a motorcycle accident.
Motorcyclists are more vulnerable to severe injury in a collision because they lack the safety of an enclosed car. Unfortunately, many motorcycle accidents are caused by other drivers who fail to see the motorcycle on the road and disregard the rider's right-of-way.
Motorcycle crashes often result in injuries to the extremities, especially bone fractures, as well as serious head, chest, and abdominal injuries. Following a serious motorcycle accident caused by a careless driver, our prescreened motorcycle accident lawyers will assist you in obtaining the compensation you need to get your life back on track.
What factors contribute to motorcycle accidents?
Accidents involving motorcycles can happen for a variety of reasons:
- Drive while inebriated
- Driving when tired
- Driving while distracted
- Speeding or careless driving
- Climate conditions that are hazardous
- Roadblocks
- Motorcycle parts/build that are defective
- Lack of visibility for other drivers.
While the motorcyclist may be at fault in some situations, there are many outside causes of danger that can place the motorcyclist in danger with little time to change direction.
If the accident was caused by a mechanical motorcycle malfunction or failure, the manufacturer could be held liable.
Identifying Who to Blame
Our prescreened California personal injury lawyers will work closely with you to gather the information needed to determine who was at fault in your motorcycle accident. Your account of the crash, witness statements, police reports, weather and road reports, and medical records are all sources of this material. In your personal injury lawsuit, there are four possible liable parties:
- Another driver or a group of drivers This is the most obvious liable party, but in the case of rear-end collisions and incidents involving improper passing, other drivers may even be at fault.
- Automobile producers. If a fault caused the accident, the vehicle or equipment manufacturer might be held liable. If a tire fails, for example, both the motorcycle manufacturer and the tire manufacturer may be held liable.
- Dealerships for motorcycles If the accident was caused by a fault, product liability law requires the motorcycle dealership to join the case.
- Entities of the government. Your accident may have been caused by or contributed to by road conditions. Some examples of government error include road building, rough road surfaces, and unmarked road obstructions. Suing a government entity for this form of liability is difficult but not impossible since they are covered to some degree by legislation. A veteran motorcycle accident lawyer who is familiar with the local laws is needed to navigate these channels.
Accidents on Public Transportation Injuries
Planes, trains, buses, scooters, ride-sharing systems, and subways are all used by a large number of people today. More people are taking advantage of reliable, widespread ground transportation systems as a result of rising fuel costs and parking issues. Unfortunately, since public transit vehicles are often larger than other vehicles when they crash, they can cause significant harm.
Public transportation vehicles are common carriers, which means they must adhere to strict safety regulations. A passenger who is injured in a public transportation accident may be entitled to sue the common carrier for compensation. Determining liability, on the other hand, can be challenging and time-consuming.
Accidents involving public transportation may result in serious injury, involving a large number of individuals, various organizations, and a variety of issues. Passengers, workers, and witnesses are all possible victims.
Is it necessary for me to file a lawsuit?
Suppose you or a member of your family has been injured in a public transportation accident, whether as a passenger or bystander. It may result in serious or permanently debilitating injuries or even death. You may be facing a loss of income in addition to medical problems. Your life, as well as the lives of those in your family, could be permanently altered.
Simultaneously, you'll almost certainly be up against very large insurance firms, each of which employs armies of attorneys whose duty it is to save their clients money by doing whatever they can to avoid paying claims or settle them for as little as possible.
While insurance providers should pay claims immediately, and those payments should be sufficient to cover all of your medical expenses, missed wages, and whatever else is required to make you as a whole as possible after your accident, the fact is that these for-profit businesses will do anything possible to ensure that this does not happen. You'll need your own legal team if they have an army of lawyers fighting for them.
Claims examples include:
- Accidents involving buses
- Train accidents
- Accidents involving planes
- Accidents on the subway
- Accidents involving light rail
- Accidents in parks and leisure areas
- Accidents involving county vehicles
- Accidents involving ride-sharing services
- Manufacturer Liability
The amount of time you have to file a case is limited by statute. These deadlines are complicated, and the courts strictly enforce them. Proof can be lost over time, and memories can fade. You can't afford to wait if you're facing hospital bills and lost wages as a result of a serious accident. It is in your best interests to contact a personal injury attorney right away.
Injuries in the schoolyard and at amusement parks
School-related injuries are more common than you would expect. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 200,000 children are treated in emergency rooms in the United States each year for playground accidents, the majority of which occur at schools or daycare centers.
Falls, equipment failures, and children colliding on the playground are all common causes of schoolyard injuries. These injuries might have been avoided in certain situations if there had been proper adult supervision. If your child has been involved in a schoolyard accident as a result of the negligence of another person, our prescreened personal injury lawyers will assist you in obtaining the compensation you and your child deserve.
Amusement parks and playgrounds provide a safe environment for children to play and enjoy themselves. Fortunately, the majority of visitors to an amusement park or playground have a good time, and injuries are uncommon, but they do happen.
On merry-go-rounds, swings, slides, and teeter-totters in playgrounds, children and even adults sustain severe injuries. Every year, a small number of people are killed or seriously injured on the park and fair rides such as roller coasters, Ferris wheels, carousels, bumper cars, and other more exotic rides. Many that survive these injuries will face a lifetime of high medical bills and an inability to work.
Accidents at amusement parks can result in catastrophic, life-altering injuries and even death. You would need to file a lawsuit if you or a family member was injured in an amusement park or playground accident.
Personal injury lawsuits are filed for a variety of reasons:
After a serious accident, patients can face new physical and financial challenges, such as being unable to function to support themselves and their families, pay mounting medical bills, or afford the additional costs of hiring help to do the things they can no longer do around the house.
Payment for your or a family member's injury or wrongful death is always vital to your and your family's future, but in most instances, you would be up against an army of attorneys who will fight tooth and nail to prevent you from getting what you are due.
Insurance firms and businesses devote whole divisions and significant resources to battling you in order to stop supplying you with the funds you need. Their whole emphasis is on avoiding lawsuits or settling with you for as little money as possible. Consider one of our prescreened California Lawyers in your Cal Bar Attorney Search.
You'll need the assistance of an experienced personal injury lawyer. After a life-changing injury such as a spinal cord injury, brain injury, birth trauma, amputation, or the need for life-long treatment such as dialyses, settling for less may mean the difference between years of debt to pay off medical bills, failure to get required therapies and medical care, and higher health insurance costs.
Catastrophic Injuries Damages
The awards listed below are eligible to reimburse you if you have suffered a serious injury.
Medical Costs: The grant can include, among other things, the cost of long-term hospitalization, physical or occupational therapy expenditures, and prescription/drug costs.
Loss of Earnings/Wages: An allowance that compensates you for missed wages as a result of a traumatic accident that prevented you from working.
Loss of Earning Capacity: A monetary reward that compensates you for your inability to work as a result of a serious accident. Following a traumatic injury, you may be entitled to compensation for past and future physical discomfort, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, physical disability, inconvenience, sorrow, anxiety, embarrassment, and/or emotional distress.
Wrongful Death: Compensation for financial assistance, if any, the decedent would've provided; funeral and burial expenses; the fair value of household services; loss of caring, companionship, and comfort; and more.
Punitive Damages: Damages awarded to punish egregious conduct and/or gross indifference (in addition to basic compensation awards).
What if it Leads to Wrongful Death?
Wrongful death is described by California law as a death "caused by the wrongful act or negligence of another." 377.60 California Code of Civil Procedure This gives you the legal right to sue a medical provider if your loved one died as a result of insufficient treatment.
In California, who will bring a wrongful death lawsuit?
Specific individuals have the legal right to file a wrongful death case under California law. Just one wrongful death lawsuit can be filed, and all other parties who are entitled to compensation can be listed as claimants. In California, those who have legal standing to file a wrongful death lawsuit include:
- The spouse of the deceased
- Domestic Partner
- Children
- If the deceased person's children have died, the deceased person's grandchildren will inherit the estate.
- If there is no living spouse or children, the parents or siblings will be contacted.
- Stepchildren or other minors who were financially dependent on the deceased for at least half of their help
- Other people who may be eligible to inherit from the deceased under California's intestate succession law
What is the difference between a survival action and a wrongful death claim?
The family is paid for its damages in a wrongful death lawsuit. The state requires a decedent's estate to compensate for injuries or damages sustained by the decedent shortly before death in a survival action.
Plaintiffs who seek damages that cover "the loss or harm that the decedent suffered or caused before death, including any fines or punitive or exemplary damages that the decedent would have been entitled to recover, had the decedent lived, but do not include damages for pain, distress, or disfigurement," according to the California survival action statute. (377.30 of the Code of Civil Procedure)
A survival suit, in other words, helps the victims to recover the damages that the deceased would have been entitled to if he or she had survived the incident. The following are examples of possible damages:
- Health-care costs
- Wages that have been lost
Pain and distress arguments are not permitted in survival acts. On the other hand, punitive damages are allowed and are meant to compensate the wrongdoer for his or her negligence.
Find a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in California
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