Jersey City Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
While any injury can change your life, some injuries are so substantial that the law considers them catastrophic. These injuries are long-term, create significant hardships, and significantly disrupt lives. While the term can apply to various injuries, the injury must be severe, often leading to medical complications that can trigger further health issues. Plus, these injuries tend to have a ripple effect, changing not just the victim’s life but also the lives of their loved ones. They can strain family relationships, affect romantic connections, cause depression or anxiety, and often contribute to addiction or substance abuse issues.
If you have suffered a catastrophic injury, the economic and non-economic damages you are facing can seem overwhelming. You may worry about meeting your immediate and long-term needs. After a catastrophic injury, you may require lifelong medical care, be unable to work, and may need to hire people to handle duties you once handled. In many instances, you might even need a caregiver. A Jersey City catastrophic injury lawyer could help you understand the remedies available to help you meet your current and future financial needs. Our personal injury attorneys are ready to handle the legal work while you focus on recovery.
Defining Catastrophic Injuries
One of the most challenging aspects of catastrophic injury law is that the state does not explicitly define them. While it is challenging because it requires proving that even extreme injuries qualify as catastrophic, it is also friendly to those injured. By not listing potential catastrophic injuries, the legal system can broadly interpret the phrase by examining the injury’s severity and its effects on health, work capacity, and daily life. Catastrophic injuries are particularly debilitating and prevent a person from returning to work and everyday activities.
Understanding the types of catastrophic injuries can help a person understand whether their injuries may qualify. Some examples include:
Is the injury permanent? Does it prevent the person from working? Will the injury impact quality of life? What type of impact will the injury have on personal relationships? Answering those questions can help a person, their Jersey City attorney, and those assessing the severity of the injury determine whether it is catastrophic.
Damages for Catastrophic Injuries
It is not unusual for these injuries to lead to millions of dollars in lifelong costs. However, an injured person may not understand the potential costs, which can lead to insurers offering lowball settlement offers. A catastrophic injury lawyer in Jersey City will use their experience, local settlement amounts, medical experts, and costs of care to determine a fair settlement amount and develop an effective legal strategy.
Economic damages address financial losses directly or indirectly caused by the injury, such as medical bills, lost wages, and loss of earning capacity. These are measurable costs that can be linked to the injury. Non-economic damages compensate for intangible losses without a set monetary value. They include things like pain and suffering, loss of consortium, or emotional trauma. These intangible damages are more subjective.
Speak to a Jersey City Catastrophic Injury Attorney
While there is no single definition of a catastrophic injury, if an injury has permanent and devastating effects, it may be a catastrophic injury. In addition to the physical and emotional harm, these injuries can be financially devastating for victims and their families. They can lead to hundreds of thousands or even millions in medical bills, lost income, therapy and adaptive costs, caregiving, and more. Schedule a consultation with a Jersey City catastrophic injury lawyer to learn more. Our firm is ready to help you secure the compensation you deserve.