Catastrophic Injuries

A catastrophic injury is a severe physical or emotional injury that can have harsh physical, emotional and financial consequences on injury victims and their families.

The injury may require extensive medical treatment, keep a victim from working and trigger psychological problems. When another person’s careless conduct has caused a catastrophic injury, it’s important for the injured person or a family member to seek experienced legal assistance right away.

The personal injury lawyers of Glover Law Firm understand the special challenges that severely injured individuals and their families face. We work hard to help catastrophic injury victims and their families throughout Elizabeth City, the Outer Banks and surrounding areas to obtain the compensation they are due when their injuries occurred because of someone else’s negligence or recklessness.

A catastrophic injury changes the victim’s life and the lives of all those who are close to the victim. It also results in extensive medical treatment and accompanying bills. The injury victim may not recover sufficiently to ever return to work. Such an injury can financially ruin a family.

Catastrophic injuries occur in car, truck and motorcycle crashes, in slip-and-fall accidents or because of dog attacks or bicycling accidents. The many types of catastrophic injury that can occur in an accident include:

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – A blow to the head or a severe jolt in a fall or a car crash can cause traumatic brain injury. TBI is brain damage. Even a mild concussion leaves the victim’s brain more susceptible to injury. A severe TBI is debilitating. TBI victims may require surgery and need continuing medical care, medication and personal assistance.
• Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) – Injury to the spinal cord or vertebrae can result in a loss of motor function or feeling, or paralysis. Depending on where along the spinal cord the injury occurs, the victim may suffer partial or complete paralysis of the legs (paraplegia) or paralysis of all four limbs, the abdomen and chest (tetraplegia or quadriplegia). Spinal cord damage cannot be reversed. A spinal cord injury victim may require a walker, wheelchair or personal assistance for the rest of his or her life.
• Organ damage – The crushing impact of a car crash, such as a driver being slammed into the steering wheel or pinned in a rollover or a pedestrian or bicyclist being hit by a vehicle, can rupture internal organs. Damage to the heart, liver, bowel, kidneys and/or other vital organs can be fatal. Typically, this requires surgery to repair. If organ damage is not detected or corrected soon enough, leakage from torn organs can cause bacterial or microbial infections, which can be life-threatening.
• Amputation – A car accident, dog attack or other accident can sever fingers, toes, hands, feet or even an entire limb. Sometimes, surgical amputation is required to prevent further injury or to save an accident victim’s life. Even with the advancement in prosthetic limbs, loss of a limb is permanent disfigurement and disability.
• Vision / hearing loss – Trauma to the eyes caused by flying glass or other sharp objects in a motor vehicle crash or an accident such as a fall through a glass door can cause loss of an eye or vision damage. Various injuries to the head or ears can result in partial or complete hearing loss. While deficiencies can be helped with glasses or hearing aids, even modern surgical techniques cannot fully restore traumatic vision or hearing loss.
• Psychological damage – Though usually thought of as a combat injury, any terrifying event can cause post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), such as a serious car accident or dog attack. PTSD can result in nightmares, anxiety, flashbacks and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Individuals who suffer debilitating injuries can also fall into clinical depression over the life they have effectively lost. Psychological therapy helps many PTSD and depression victims, but some become incapacitated.

A catastrophic injury victim who has been harmed through another party’s negligence or recklessness deserves assistance with the costs of their injury, recovery and/or life with a disability.

Glover Law Firm’s catastrophic injury attorneys work with accident victims in the Outer Banks and Elizabeth City areas of North Carolina to recover compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, physical pain and emotional suffering. If the at-fault party’s conduct was especially egregious, we may also seek punitive damages.

For a free consultation about your catastrophic injury case, contact us today. We can help you meet the future with financial security. We don’t charge a fee unless you recover damages.