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Catastrophic injuries are more than just minor scrapes and bruises. They can lead to health consequences that change the trajectory of your life. While Illinois does not have a legal definition of catastrophic injury, the term is understood to be an injury that is debilitating or life-altering, affecting a person’s ability to move, earn a living, or care for themselves. These severe injuries often require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. They may force injured parties to have full-time care, make changes to their residence, or be unable to work.
When another person or business causes a catastrophic injury, the injured parties can sue for damages. Although the legal process can be frustratingly slow, an Aurora catastrophic injury lawyer can explain it and recommend steps to take for the best possible outcome. Our experienced personal injury attorneys understand the complexities of these cases and the emotional toll they can take on all involved.
Life-changing injuries can result from car, motorcycle, or truck accidents. Employees working in dangerous occupations such as mining, construction, or agriculture can suffer major incidents as well. Yet severe injuries are not restricted to certain industries or vehicle accidents; they can happen anywhere at any time. The most common catastrophic injuries include the following.
The most common brain injury is a concussion, but they can be even more severe – and fatal. When an external force jolts the brain, the impact can damage it, causing changes in motor function, speech, and cognition. Symptoms of brain damage may include chronic pain, sleep disruption, and personality changes.
Catastrophic burns are often associated with fire; however, severe burns can result from scalding liquids, chemicals, and explosions. No matter the cause, burns destroy never-endings, causing chronic pain, and they can also destroy tissue that requires skin grafting and scarring. Damaged skin also increases the risk of infection, and could even lead the person to experience social isolation.
Spinal cord injuries often cause paralysis, forcing independent people to need help with routine tasks. They may be unable to walk or drive, and continuing to work may be an impossibility. When the spinal cord is severed, the points below the damaged point lose sensation. Individuals can no longer feel or control the affected limbs. The most common types are quadriplegia (paralysis below the neck) and paraplegia (paralysis below the waist).
In a handful of cases, Aurora catastrophic injury claims may have to address limb amputation. Losing a limb impacts a person’s quality of life and may require prosthetics to replace an amputated limb. While medical science and technology have advanced the development of prosthetics, an injured party rarely recovers pre-amputation capabilities. Learning to live with a prosthetic can be an arduous process, taking months of extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation services.
The first step is to seek medical treatment for your injuries to ensure the best possible outcomes. Once you have a diagnosis and treatment plan, be sure to keep all appointments. These steps protect your health and provide evidence of life-changing injuries.
Although you have up to two years to file a claim, you should contact a catastrophic injury lawyer in Aurora to ensure you preserve as much evidence as possible. It is also important to identify who may hold liability for this incident, especially if it occurred on someone else’s land.
When the worst happens, Aurora catastrophic injury lawyers from McCready Law Injury Attorneys can guide you through the legal process while advocating for compensation. If you’ve been injured, call today to schedule a free consultation.