A catastrophic accident is one in which the injuries are unavoidable and the injuries are potentially permanent hardships to the plaintiff. Such injuries usually involve vast amounts of medical treatment, life-long pain, and long-term hospitalization and rehabilitation. Many catastrophic injuries include paralysis or major burns.
Some of the most common catastrophic injuries include: accidental amputation, serious head trauma, multiple bone fractures, eye injury, foot injury, back injury, neck injury, brain injury, severe burns, organ damage, spinal cord and neurological disorders, which can result in paralysis, paraplegia, and quadriplegia.
Due to their grave nature, catastrophic injuries often require a lifetime of ongoing medical treatment and personal care, especially if the accident victim is disabled and in need of permanent personal assistance. These types of injuries can be overwhelming to a family and many times result in the need for 24-hour upkeep and support of the victim by hired professionals and family members.