Consult a lawyer for an estimate of the compensation you deserve for the specific injuries you suffered in your accident. An attorney can help put together an estimate that includes:
Your medical expenses. Following a catastrophic accident, you may have significant medical expenses. In the case of some injuries, including traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage, you may also face ongoing, long-term medical costs. Amputees may need to replace their prosthetic devices regularly, especially if they participate in athletic pursuits. In filing a personal injury claim after a catastrophic accident, an attorney will generally include both current medical expenses and future anticipated medical expenses as part of your claim.
Your lost income. Catastrophic injuries can make it difficult, if not impossible, to go back to work. You may find yourself missing work throughout your recovery, for procedures and treatments, and even for therapy once you return to work.
Lost earning potential. Many victims of catastrophic accidents cannot return to their former occupations. If you cannot return to your job after your accident, your attorney may include lost earning potential as part of your claim.
Pain and suffering. Catastrophic injuries may cause significant emotional distress alongside staggering physical pain. You may miss out on activities that you once enjoyed or struggle to spend time with friends and loved ones socially. An attorney learns about these struggles to gauge an appropriate amount of money to seek as pain and suffering damages.
Compensation for the tasks you once performed around the home. As part of the compensation for your direct economic losses following a catastrophic accident, your lawyer may include miscellaneous expenses incurred because of your injuries. For example, if you needed to hire someone to provide childcare or care for an elderly loved one, to take care of cleaning services, or to provide services you once performed for yourself, your lawyer may include those expenses as part of your personal injury claim.
The amount of money you should receive and the amount of money you can reasonably expect to receive may differ, however. The value of a personal injury claim also depends, to some degree, on the financial resources (through insurance or assets) of the party with a legal liability to you. Contact us for more information about your legal right to compensation after a catastrophic accident.