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Far too often, negligent actions result in people suffering severe injuries. Some of these injuries can have lifelong effects on a person. In many cases, the most severe injuries can cause disabilities, developmental issues, physical and mental problems, and more.
The most severe injuries are called “catastrophic” in personal injury law. They create long-term damages that can impact your well-being. Whenever you experience such injuries, you deserve the right to hold negligent parties accountable for their actions.
Some of the most catastrophic injuries you should know about include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spine injuries and paralysis
- Burn injuries
- Severe fractures
- Amputations
Call our firm today at (312) 313-2888, and speak with our team about your options. Trust that we will work to safeguard your rights.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries — also referred to as TBIs — are some of the most severe injuries a person can sustain. TBIs range significantly in severity from mild to moderate to severe. Mild traumatic brain injuries include concussions and can result in a person losing consciousness briefly. They may experience trouble with vision and hearing and short-term memory loss.
For more severe TBIs, people can experience lifelong trauma that includes cognitive disabilities, ongoing seizures, loss of fine motor skills, and problems with coordination and balance. Someone who experiences a severe traumatic brain injury may require ongoing care, medical support, and therapy to help with long-term memory loss.
Spine Injuries and Paralysis
The human spine has sections, each of which helps to control a specific part of the body. Unfortunately, spine damage at each level can have a significant impact on your life. Here are the different parts of the spine and how an injury can cause damage:
- Cervical spinal cord injury: The cervical portion of the spine is the uppermost portion of the spine. An injury to the spinal cord within this portion of the neck can cause quadriplegia, limiting a person’s use of all four limbs.
- Thoracic spinal cord injury: This part of the spine is located just below the neck. An injury to the thoracic spinal cord portion can result in paraplegia, limiting mobility in someone’s lower limbs.
- Lumbar spinal cord injury: An injury to this portion of a person’s spine can result in limited or no function below their hips. It can also lead to problems with a person’s bowel or bladder movements. A person may also experience a loss of leg strength.
- Sacral spine injury: Just above the tailbone is the sacral spine. Typically, injuries to this part of the spine result in some loss of hip and leg function, trouble with bowel and bladder control, and minor issues with walking.
Burn Injuries
A burn injury can be daunting to endure because they cause physical and mental impacts. For instance, the physical impacts of a burn can include blistering, redness, soreness, long-term scarring, and damage to nerves. Unfortunately, a deep enough burn can kill nerve endings, meaning you can experience numbness in the area of the burn injury.
A burn injury can result in mental trauma as well. Some of the most severe burn injuries cause scarring that can alter a person’s appearance. As a result, the individual may experience self-esteem issues and triggers that remind them of the moment when they suffered their severe injury.
Severe Fractures
Broken bones can be catastrophic, especially when they puncture through a person’s skin. Broken bones can cause internal organ damage, muscle tears, and more problems. Open fractures and other severe broken bones can take months to heal. In some situations, people may require years of care to ensure that the break heals correctly and is strong enough to continue a quality of life.
Broken bones occur because of several situations, but they are common in car accidents because people tense up as they anticipate the collision. Once a person stiffens their body, the crash’s impact can cause severe fractures, especially in their arms and legs. A person can also suffer broken ribs or back and neck injuries.
Amputations and Lost Limbs
When someone loses a limb, it can cause long-term concerns. Unfortunately, amputations and severed limbs occur because of many different situations. For instance, a person may lose a limb because of an infection or severe medical condition. To prevent a severe infection from spreading, some limbs may need to be amputated.
However, in acts of negligence, a person may lose a body part. Severe crashes, medical neglect, and other problems can lead to a person losing a limb. These situations can result in lifelong damages and struggles that make amputations catastrophic injuries.
No matter the situation, it’s vital for anyone who suffers catastrophic injuries to understand their options. Negligence leading to catastrophic injuries should never be taken lightly, and victims deserve the right to seek justice for the long-term damages they experience. It’s best to have legal counsel throughout the process.
At Walner Law®, we work to help our clients in their most challenging situations. We work to safeguard our clients throughout the entire process because we know that problems can arise quickly and impact someone’s entire life. Our goal is to help pursue the most favorable outcome when it matters most.
Trust our Chicago personal injury lawyers to be by your side and stand in your corner after negligence. We put your best interests first and go above and beyond on your behalf from start to finish. After a catastrophic injury, we seek to hold the negligent parties accountable.
