Why Choose a St. Louis Catastrophic Injury Lawyer from Finney Injury Law?

While any accident with injuries can be traumatic, when those injuries are particularly severe or catastrophic, the trauma can be extended for months, years, or forever. Catastrophic injuries can be life-altering, both in the present and the future. When you have sustained a catastrophic injury through an accident caused by a careless or negligent individual, you may not know what to do to protect your future. Severe injuries dictate that you focus all your attention on medical treatments, working to get better and back to your life. Recovering from a catastrophic injury leaves little time to fight with an insurance company that likely has no interest in your health or finances.  In fact, most insurance companies aim to pay out as little as possible as quickly as possible. Insurance companies will often offer a quick, low settlement before the injured person has a comprehensive idea of how extensive their injuries are. Those that accept this low offer almost always regret it later when they realize it doesn’t even begin to cover their actual damages. When you choose a St. Louis catastrophic injury lawyer from Finney Injury Law following your accident, we will deal with all the legalities associated with your accident while you can focus on your health. We have a vast network of resources, including physicians, surgeons, specialists, and rehabilitative experts who will ensure you get the medical treatments you need. 

We will comprehensively investigate your accident, carefully building a case on your behalf that will result in the best settlement possible. At Finney Injury Law, attorneys Chris Finney and Alex Ledbetter will definitively prove liability, then accurately calculate your present and future damages. While a catastrophic injury can derail your life, our experience, skills, and compassion will help you get back on track. 

What is a Catastrophic Injury?

A catastrophic injury is undoubtedly a severe injury, but more specifically, one that leads to long-term severe functional disability or disfigurement. Catastrophic injuries often require extensive rehabilitative therapies, multiple surgical procedures, and ongoing medical care. These injuries can prevent the victim from ever returning to their normal, everyday life. 

Those with catastrophic injuries may be unable to continue the job or career they were engaged in prior to the accident and even unable to accomplish routine tasks. Due to the long, grueling recovery process, these server injuries can prevent victims from enjoying their life or looking forward to the future. Chronic pain is just one facet of a catastrophic injury; this constant pain can lead to mental trauma in the form of depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, and more.  The following injuries are generally considered to be catastrophic:

  • Traumatic brain injuries fall under the heading of catastrophic injuries. A traumatic brain injury can alter an individual’s personality and ability to think, understand, and learn. Loved ones may become caretakers, often for life. Some of the long-term symptoms resulting from a traumatic brain injury may include:
    • Impaired memory
    • Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
    • Difficulty concentrating
    • An inability to learn new skills
    • Reading and writing become difficult
    • An inability to communicate thoughts and ideas
    • Loss of inhibitions that cause some TBI victims to act in ways they would not have before the accident
    • Balance issues
    • Vision disturbances
    • Constant pain
    • Low motivation
    • Chronic fatigue
    • Limited mobility
  • Spinal cord injuries are commonly associated with full or partial paralysis, which, in turn, can lead to respiratory and circulatory problems, exaggerated spasms or reflexes, chronic pain, and loss of bowel and bladder control. A spinal cord injury often prevents the victim from returning to their job, hobbies, and normal life and may require a full-time caretaker with assistive devices in the home.
  • Severe burns can lead to multiple infections that can be life-threatening, severe pain, and limited mobility. Burns can also cause mental trauma in the form of embarrassment when the victim of serious burns goes out in public, making it difficult to lead a normal life. 
  • Limb amputation can lead to limited mobility, chronic pain, and infections, along with the mental and emotional pain and trauma that results from the loss of a limb.
  • Internal organ damage often occurs to the kidneys, pancreas, spleen, and liver—all classified as solid organs, while the stomach, small intestine, bladder, ureter, and colon are classified as hollow organs. Hollow organs are not as likely to sustain damage in an auto accident, a slip and fall, or a fall on a construction site. The spleen and the liver are the internal organs most susceptible to catastrophic injury.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries?

While a catastrophic injury can result from any type of accident, auto accidents are by far the primary cause of catastrophic injuries. Auto accidents can include car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, and motorcycle accidents. Those who are involved in a truck accident are highly likely to have catastrophic injuries as are motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Other causes of catastrophic injuries include:

  • Workplace accidents
  • Falls from a height
  • Slip and fall accidents
  • Sports and recreational accidents
  • Construction accidents
  • Medical errors 
  • Defective medical devices or drugs 

What is the Typical Settlement for a Catastrophic Injury?

Catastrophic injury settlements typically include medical expenses, future medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity in the future, pain and suffering, and other damages. While your settlement will depend on your specific injuries, whether liability is clear, and how your catastrophic injuries will alter your future, catastrophic claims usually settle for anywhere from $75,000 to more than a million dollars. 

Those who suffer a catastrophic injury will encounter considerable medical expenses and may be unable to return to work and make a living for months, years, or ever.  While it’s easy to feel frightened and disoriented following a catastrophic injury, you will get the compensation you deserve with compassion to match when you speak to a Finney Injury Law attorney. 

How a St. Louis Catastrophic Injury Lawyer from Finney Injury Law Can Help

At Finney Injury Law, a highly experienced St. Louis catastrophic injury lawyer is ready to assist you, helping you through what may be the most traumatic experience of your life. We regularly work with those who have experienced catastrophic injuries from an accident due to another’s negligence. Our knowledge and trial preparedness mindset will ensure that your claim process goes as smoothly as possible and that you receive the full settlement you need and deserve. Contact Finney Injury Law today.