Houston Catastrophic Injury Attorneys
Victims of severe accidents often suffer catastrophic injuries that affect their everyday lives for years. These damages impact their day-to-day functions and may prevent individuals from working or enjoying their lives. Some examples of catastrophic injuries include amputations, disfigurement, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, blindness, and burns.
The damage may be considered catastrophic if it affects the person’s life for at least one year. These injuries could result from a car accident, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, or work-related accident.
Houston Catastrophic Injury Lawyers Helping Clients Seek Justice
If you or a loved one suffers from chronic pain or inability to function because of a devastating injury, you should speak with a trusted legal representative immediately. You might have a catastrophic injury claim if the injuries were caused by someone else’s failure to provide a reasonable duty of care for you or your loved one.
At The Shariff Law Firm, PLLC., we believe every injured person deserves justice. We promise to utilize our experience, knowledge, and honesty to give you the best chance of a full financial recovery. Contact our talented legal team at 713-881-9739 to schedule a free consultation and see how our Houston catastrophic injury attorneys can help you.
What Is a Catastrophic Injury?
Under Texas law, a catastrophic injury interferes with your daily life. It may have a life-altering impact for one of several reasons.
An injury can be considered catastrophic if it:
- Hinders a bodily function – If the injury prevents the person from using their body so that major life activities are impeded, this could be a catastrophic injury. Some examples are if the individual can no longer walk or care for themselves.
- Disfigures the person’s appearance – If the event caused severe scarrings, such as in the case of burns or the loss of a limb, this could qualify as a catastrophic injury.
- Involves loss of a functioning organ – The permanent disability of an organ, such as blindness or even a head injury, could lead to a catastrophic injury legal claim.
When someone suffers such devastating injuries, every aspect of their life is affected. They may be unable to work and provide for their families. They may also need to adjust their living conditions or find full-time caretakers. This can be highly challenging, both emotionally and financially.
What Are Some Examples of Catastrophic Injuries?
Catastrophic injuries aren’t limited to a certain predefined list. Determining whether the injury is catastrophic is based on the severity of the damage and how much it affects the person’s daily life. However, some injuries are commonly considered catastrophic because they interfere with everyday activities.
Your injury may be catastrophic if it is one of the following:
- Amputation, or loss of a limb
- Paralysis, including paraplegia, quadriplegia, and tetraplegia
- Spinal cord injury
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as a concussion
- Disfigurement, including burns, scars, loss of limb, facial injuries, and orthopedic damage
- Blindness
- Loss of hearing
- Skull fractures
No matter your injury, if you feel it affects your daily life, you should speak with a lawyer to see if you have a catastrophic injury case. If you are suffering from devastating injuries because of someone else’s gross negligence, we can help you collect compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, emotional distress, and more. Please contact us right away to see how we can help you!
What Are Some Common Causes of Houston Catastrophic Injuries?
Catastrophic injury claims are often complex personal injury cases. To have a successful catastrophic injury lawsuit, you must prove that the at-fault party owed you a duty of care. It also must be shown that their breach of duty led to devastating injuries, causing serious financial damage. These cases may be based on many different scenarios.
Some of the more common causes of catastrophic injuries in Houston include:
- Construction accident
- Medical malpractice, including misdiagnosis
- Car accident
- Truck accident
- Industrial/workplace accident
- Dog bites
- Slip and fall accident
- Falling objects
- Drunk driver accident
Your Houston catastrophic injury lawyer will investigate the details of your case to help determine who was at fault. They will gather evidence to prove to the court that you deserve total compensation for your injuries, including their impact on your daily life. You should not rely on the insurance company to cover your rising expenses. Contact our law firm today for excellent legal counsel and representation in your personal injury claim.
What Should I Do If I’m the Victim of a Catastrophic Injury?
Accident victims should act quickly to seek medical attention. Even simple wounds can lead to life-threatening conditions if left untreated, so please get examined by a medical professional as soon as possible following a serious accident.
You can also collect as much information as possible about the accident. This includes taking pictures of the accident scene, getting the contact information of witnesses and involved parties, and saving important documents related to the expenses incurred because of your catastrophic injuries. Another critical step is to notify law enforcement when necessary. This is extremely important in automobile accidents or other catastrophic injury cases where punitive damages may be collected.
Finally, it is essential to speak with a legal representative soon after your accident. Many locations have a statute of limitations that prevents collecting compensation if too much time has passed since the incident occurred. Talking to a lawyer is the best way to determine if you have a potential catastrophic injury claim.
Your lawyer can help by investigating the details of the catastrophic injuries and defending your rights in court if necessary. Relying on insurance coverage alone may not be enough to cover your future medical expenses. However, these costs could be recovered through a lawsuit. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call our compassionate legal team for more details.
How Much Compensation Can I Receive for My Injuries?
Every personal injury case is different, so it is impossible to tell exactly how much money you will receive for your unique situation. However, successful catastrophic injury claims in Texas typically recover two kinds of damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are items that have an exact monetary amount. These damages are easily counted and may even be traceable through receipts.
Some examples of economic damages awarded for catastrophic injuries are:
- Hospital bills
- Physical therapy
- Specialist visits
- Doctor visits
- Medical equipment, such as crutches
- Home remodeling for accessibility, such as a wheelchair ramp
- Lost income
- Lost vacations and bonuses
- Reduced income earning capacity
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are more difficult to put a monetary value on. They include items that do not have an easily quantifiable value. However, these damages are an essential part of a personal injury lawsuit and can lead to financial compensation.
Non-economic damages for a personal injury lawsuit in Texas include:
- Mental trauma
- Disfigurement
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD
How Can a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Help Me?
Your catastrophic injury attorney will be an indispensable asset in recovering the damages you are owed for your injuries. Hiring a lawyer is one of the best ways to ensure you maximize the damages you receive following your accident.
Your attorney should have a deep understanding of Texas law, allowing them to identify ways to get you the total compensation you deserve. They will also be experienced in uncovering details about the accident that proves it was not your fault.
An experienced Houston personal injury attorney can also counsel you on how to interact with insurance companies so you avoid being taken advantage of. The unfortunate truth is that insurance agents typically watch out for the company’s interests, not the accident victim.
Relying on an insurance settlement to provide for your ongoing medical care and other damages may not be enough. The best way to hold negligent parties responsible is by hiring a talented legal team to defend your interests in a lawsuit.
Lastly, it only makes sense to hire an attorney to help with such a complicated matter as a catastrophic injury. These injuries’ impact on your life is sometimes not readily apparent. In such catastrophic injury cases, the lawyer must provide evidence that you deserve total compensation for your losses.
It is also in your interest to hire a legal representative who can carry the weight of the legal burden, allowing you to rest and recover from your injuries. If you are suffering from an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and find relief.
Should You Hire Our Houston Catastrophic Injury Attorney?
No one expects to go through a devastating accident that impacts their daily life. However, when such an event happens, it is essential to have a legal professional review your case to determine whether you should move forward with a lawsuit.
Many people hesitate to bring a suit because they feel they are “not that type of person.” However, you and your family didn’t deserve these expenses, and it is only fair to see justice served by getting the financial compensation you are owed.
You can seek justice today by contacting the talented experienced catastrophic injury lawyers at The Shariff Law Firm, PLLC. We have helped countless clients like you recover total compensation for their catastrophic injuries. We are deeply familiar with Texas law and know how to work with insurance companies and courts to get positive results.
We promise to investigate every detail of your case and provide evidence of your many expenses so you recover the total amount you deserve. Please rely on our experience and knowledge to get the positive outcome you want. Call us today at 713-881-9739 for a free consultation.