Catastrophic accidents are life-altering events that permanently change a person’s circumstances. After a serious accident, you may be unable to work, placing significant strain on your finances, and you may also experience lasting physical and emotional trauma as you adjust to a new way of life.
These accidents are often caused by people who act negligently or recklessly. If you were involved in an accident caused by another person’s negligence and were severely injured, contact an Augusta catastrophic injury lawyer at Barrios Virguez Attorneys: Accident & Injury Law. Our team of compassionate personal injury attorneys can help you seek the maximum compensation available for your losses.
What Is A Catastrophic Injury?
Under 42 United States Code § 3796b, catastrophic injuries are those severe enough to prevent people from maintaining gainful employment. The American Medical Association (AMA) defines catastrophic injuries as debilitating harm to the brain, spine, or spinal cord. Thus, the government expanded the definition of injuries that are considered catastrophic. Some common catastrophic injuries and how they affect people include:
- Traumatic brain injuries occur after a person’s head receives a severe blow or contacts a hard surface, which can cause unconsciousness, impair memory, and impact mental ability
- Spine and spinal cord injuries paralyze the injured party below the trauma site
- Multiple broken or crushed bones result in numerous corrective surgeries using metal plates and pins, often leaving a patient unable to use the injured limbs properly
- Severe burns penetrate the epidermis and destroy muscles, tissue, and sometimes bones, leading to infections, skin grafts, and disfigurement
- Loss of the ability to see, hear, smell, touch, or taste can cause a person to need to learn to live without the lost sense
Catastrophic injuries can happen in everyday situations. A fire in a restaurant or concert venue can cause severe burns, a serious car crash on the way home from work can result in permanent injuries, and a dog attack while visiting a neighbor can lead to lasting physical and emotional harm.
When a negligent person is responsible for your debilitating accident, our Augusta catastrophic injury attorneys can help negotiate a suitable insurance settlement or file a civil lawsuit to recover monetary damages on your behalf.
What Is Negligence and How Long Do You Have To File a Lawsuit?
All people owe those they encounter a duty of care, which means they must act as a reasonable person would act in similar circumstances. For example, a motorist has a duty to obey traffic rules and refrain from driving drunk or high because reckless acts endanger others. If an act does not meet the standard of care, a breach of duty occurs, and if the act causes an accident that injures another, negligence is established.
Georgia law requires personal injury lawsuits to be filed within a specific time frame. Under Georgia Code § 9-3-33, most personal injury claims must be brought within two years from the date of the injury. There are limited exceptions to this deadline. For example, the statute of limitations may be paused for injured minors until they reach the age of 18, giving them additional time to file a claim. In some cases, the filing deadline may also be affected if the at-fault party is unavailable or legally protected from suit for a period of time.
When you suffer a catastrophic injury due to another person’s careless or reckless behavior, our Augusta lawyers can help ensure your claim is filed properly and on time.
Damages Awarded for Catastrophic Injuries
After our attorneys prove negligence in your catastrophic injury case, the jury must determine how much to award you for your physical, financial, and emotional losses. These losses are divided into economic—which can be calculated, such as medical and rehabilitative bills and lost wages—and non-economic—which assign a financial value to a subjective loss. Examples of losses you may be entitled to compensation for include:
- Lost range of motion
- Lost mental agility
- Memory loss
- Suffering
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Contact an Augusta catastrophic injury attorney to discuss the specific elements of your case and for help demanding compensation for the full extent of your losses.
Contact a Compassionate and Driven Augusta Catastrophic Injury Attorney
Our team at Barrios Virguez Attorneys: Accident & Injury Law works closely with severely injured clients. We know that you need fair compensation after suffering a life-changing injury to replace your income and recuperate without worrying about money. We also fight for justice to give you some closure.
An Augusta catastrophic injury lawyer could study police and medical reports, interview witnesses, and consult with expert witnesses to build your case. Call today to schedule your free case assessment and let us help defend what matters.
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