Catastrophic Injuries and Car Accidents – What Happens Next?

Being involved in a car accident is a noticeably traumatic event. If it has happened to you or a loved one, you will have a unique perspective on just how destabilizing an auto crash can truly be and it often leads to a catastrophic injury taking place. For anyone in this position, you will be wondering what happens next. Here at Pencheff & Fraley, we have the answers below.

What Is a Catastrophic Injury?

A catastrophic injury is plainly described as leaving the victim either disabled or impaired in some way. It is often seen as life changing because the patient will have to adapt to a new way of living as a direct result of the injury. Common catastrophic injuries include:

• A broken neck or spine
• Severe burns
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Internal bleeds
• Organ damage
• Amputation

Along with the severity of the injury, there are also further complexities to navigate. It is probable that any victim of this type of injury will need consistent, daily care for a period of time, perhaps even for the rest of their life. There are also bound to be a lot of medical bills to pay which can lead to financial hardship.

Why Are They So Highly Linked to Car Accidents?

Despite the fact that catastrophic injuries can occur in a range of circumstances, they are most highly attested to car accidents. The reasons for this are vast but include the fact that there are a significant number of exacerbating factors that will enhance the severity of injury for anyone involved in a crash. These include speeding cars, drunk drivers, mobile phone users behind the wheel, and things like truck involvement too. There is so much scope for things to go badly wrong when speeding, drinking, or mobile phones are involved and therefore, injuries are often worse than in other contexts.

What Kind of Accidents Are Most Likely to Cause a Catastrophic Injury?

It is also fairly common for people to walk away from auto collisions with minor injuries like bumps and scrapes or even a few small-scale fractures. So, what is it that makes the difference between something like that happening and a major medical consequence occurring instead? Certain types of crashes increase the scope of a catastrophic injury.

Multi-vehicle Collisions

Where there are more than two cars involved, there is a lot of room for potentially serious injuries to happen. This is never truer than with a multi-car pileup or when something like a truck is also caught in the middle of the wreckage.

T-bone Accidents

T-bone accidents happen when a driver smashes into the side of another vehicle. They have a high rate of fatality and will more than likely lead to some form of catastrophic injury, most namely spinal and neck injuries or limb amputation.

How Do You Move Forward?

There are certain things you need to do in order to move forward with life. Once a catastrophic injury is confirmed, your first task is to fully engage with the medical professionals looking after you. This is vital because not only does it provide essential evidence for your claim, but it also ensures that your injury is getting the best possible care.

Get a Second Opinion

For both your peace of mind and to support any evidence you put forward in the future, it is recommended that you seek out a second opinion for your medical situation. This will either confirm or deny what you already think to be true, and it is highly beneficial for figuring out the best route forward.

Figuring Out the Liable Party

There will be a lot of discussion around who is actually liable for the accident. If there is concrete evidence that shows the other party was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, using a mobile phone, speeding, or distracted in some other way, then this will be straightforward. Where there is no such evidence to speak of, it gets a little trickier, but it is still possible to find a way through. We can use things like medical reports, statements from the scene of the crash from law enforcement, pictures of the vehicles, CCTV footage from the local area, and witness statements to put a picture together of what actually happened.

The Cold Hard Facts

Are you ready for some cold hard facts? Well, it is important that you know what will happen as your healing journey begins. The main thing to accept is that any time you begin an insurance claims process, there will be a degree of attempt to make you the liable party and nullify your version of events. This can be incredibly painful and psychologically damaging, so it is something that you want to avoid at all costs.

Talk to Our Team

The best option, therefore, is to get in touch and let us support you with your claim. Whether you want to help deal with insurance adjusters or need something more along the lines of a catastrophic personal injury claim, we have the skills and knowledge to get things going in the right direction. One simple conversation will be enough to convince you that this is the best course of action.

Why Work with an Attorney?

When you opt for utilizing a legal team of professionals, that is exactly what you get; a professional legal counsel that goes the distance for your well-being and case. If you are entitled to compensation, we will make sure that you get it. You won’t have to face things alone, and there will be absolutely no risk at all of you jeopardizing a claim because of accidentally accepting liability and so on.

Pencheff & Fraley have extensive experience in catastrophic injury cases related to car accidents. We know how to guide you and what to do so that you can receive the maximum compensation that you deserve. Let us help you find justice.

Come and see us at the office addresses shown here:

• Westerville – 4151 Executive Pkwy, Suite 355, Westerville, OH 43081
• Mansfield – 33 S. Lexington-Springmill Rd, Mansfield, OH 44906

We are waiting for you to call now for a free consultation on (614) 224-4114.