Even with prompt medical care, some injuries sustained in traumatic accidents are simply too severe for you to ever return completely to pre-accident condition. In situations like this, the goal of any civil litigation that you pursue should be to reimburse you for your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering, and compensate you for the medical expenses, loss income, and pain and suffering you will experience for the remainder of your life.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, these kinds of cases tend to be especially complicated on both procedural and practical levels, making assistance from a qualified personal injury attorney even more crucial to getting a favorable result. If you want to recover fairly for a life-changing injury you suffered due to someone else’s negligence, you need the assistance of a Pensacola catastrophic injury lawyer. Insurance companies are cunning and will do everything they can to try and pay out as little money as possible. A lawyer could prevent this and focus on getting you a fair settlement.
In most states, “catastrophic injury” is just a colloquial term used by legal professionals, and sometimes court authorities, to refer to injuries with permanent and debilitating effects. Common examples of injuries that Pensacola catastrophic accident attorneys can help with include:
In Florida, catastrophic injuries—or rather, “serious injuries,” as state law refers to them—do have a specific definition that can play an important role in certain types of personal injury cases. More specifically, Florida’s “no-fault” approach to auto accident litigation restricts injured people from pain and suffering damages after a wreck unless they can prove they suffered a “serious injury.” This refers to a significant and permanent injury resulting in substantial disfigurement or disability.
Given that catastrophic injuries are lifelong and life-altering conditions, it is vital to account for both short-term and long-term effects it will have on an injured person. That includes losses that are expected to happen in the future, but which have not yet fully manifested. For example, it is important to seek restitution for emergency medical expenses accrued right after a catastrophic accident happened. Yet it is also important to declare the expected costs of future care, including physical therapy, prescription medications, and expenses related to assistive equipment like wheelchairs.
Other damages that a serious injury lawyer in Pensacola could potentially help pursue include lost working capacity and income, physical and psychological suffering, lost enjoyment of life, and costs related to home and vehicle modification to allow for increased mobility. No matter how long the effects of a catastrophic injury are expected to last, Florida Statutes § 95.11(3) gives nearly all prospective plaintiffs just four years from the date of the accident to begin any litigation against the negligent driver for that injury. Filing after the statute of limitations expires will mean immediate dismissal, which is why it is crucial to call a lawyer as early as possible.
Every type of personal injury claim can be complex and can be challenging to achieve a positive result. That said, obtaining fair restitution for a “catastrophic injury” can be exceptionally difficult compared to cases built around less severe injuries, especially without guidance from experienced legal counsel.
A compassionate Pensacola catastrophic injury lawyer could be a vital ally to have on your side from beginning to end of any claim you wish to pursue. Call an attorney at Emmanuel Sheppard and Condon today to learn more.