Los Angeles Catastrophic Injury Attorneys
Helping Seriously Injured Victims Throughout Los Angeles
Suffering any type of injury is a traumatic and frightening experience to go through. However, when the effects of your injury are permanent, it can be absolutely devastating. Injuries that will affect the victim for the rest of their lives are known as catastrophic injuries. In the case that the injury occurred because of the negligent behavior of another, you may be entitled to financial compensation.
Catastrophic injuries include the following:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Loss of limb
- Serious burns
- Intense scarring or disfigurement
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Nerve injuries
- Loss of hearing or sight
- Internal organ damage
Share the details of what you are going through with our Los Angeles catastrophic injury lawyer. Contact Omega Law Group Injury & Accident Attorneys at 866-942-3881.
What Is Considered A Catastrophic Injury?
For anyone who has been injured in an accident that was not their fault, every injury will be serious to them. But that does not mean that the injury is catastrophic by medical or legal definitions. Typically, an injury is considered catastrophic if it causes the victim to suffer a disability to a limb or an organ, if it is clearly life-threatening, and/or if it is capable of causing a permanent scar or disfigurement.
The definition of a catastrophic injury can seem a bit subjective, but it might play an important role in your claim. If a doctor has noted that our injuries are catastrophic, then it will act as a clear indicator to the insurance company handling your claim that you are not exaggerating your injuries and that the case might need to settle for a larger amount than they first anticipated.
Permanent Brain & Spinal Cord Injuries
Brain and spinal cord injuries are arguably the most dangerous and severe types of catastrophic injuries. When even a slight amount of damage happens to either of these crucial body parts, the victim can suffer immediate disabilities and consequences that are incurable. Damage to the brain and spinal cord is usually permanent because the nerves in the spinal cord and the neurons in the brain are so slow to regenerate that the damage usually worsens quicker than the cells can heal.
Permanent consequences of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can include:
- Speech impediments
- Memory loss
- Learning disabilities
- Mood swings, anxiety, and depression
- No control over certain bodily functions
- Sensory loss, like deafness or blindness
Spinal cord damage can result in permanent paralysis, which can be partial or total. Due to the order of the nerves and spinal discs, a spinal cord injury victim will suffer more paralysis depending on how high up the injury has been suffered. A wound to the top of the spinal cord can cause full-body paralysis or quadriplegia.
What Is The Average Time To Settle An Injury Lawsuit?
As someone who is suffering from a catastrophic injury, you will undoubtedly be wondering when your claim will come to an end. Every day that goes by without fair compensation can be a day that you are feeling financially stressed. How long will you need to wait for a settlement offer, then?
Unfortunately, there is no way to accurately predict how long it will take to reach a fair settlement for your claim. In straightforward cases without complicated questions of liability, it can still take several months before the insurer wants to finalize a settlement agreement. Catastrophic injury claims will only delay this process, though. The significantly increased amount of compensation required will make the insurance company all the more hesitant to admit any liability.
With an experienced Los Angeles catastrophic injury lawyer representing you, though, it might be possible to convince the insurer to both escape liability and offer a fair settlement amount. Reaching this negotiation middle ground can help move the entire process along sooner and smoother.
