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Citrus Heights Catastrophic Injuries Attorney
Practice Areas
Citrus Heights
Catastrophic Injuries Lawyer
Representing Victims of Catastrophic Injuries in Citrus Heights, CA
A personal injury of any kind has the potential to be a life-altering experience for the victim and their family, but some injuries are far more damaging than others. A catastrophic injury is any injury that permanently affects the victim’s life, resulting in medical complications, disabilities, and diminished quality of life. Some people may be unable to live independently after suffering catastrophic injuries. If you or a loved one recently experienced any type of catastrophic injury in the Citrus Heights, CA, area, it’s vital to know your legal rights and your options for legal recourse.
The accident lawyers at the Kreeger Law Firm understand the incredible toll a catastrophic injury can take on any family. Serious injuries require extensive medical treatment, and recovery is often painful, uncertain, and expensive. Additionally, if the injured person was a primary breadwinner, they may experience significant financial difficulties due to the injury and its aftermath. Ultimately, the catastrophic injury you or your loved one suffered can take an incredible toll on your family, and if someone else caused the injury, there is no reason why you should be left paying for the results.
If you need a Citrus Heights catastrophic injury attorney, the Kreeger Law Firm is here to assist you. We have years of experience handling the most complex personal injury claims for our clients throughout the Citrus Heights area and surrounding areas, and we can put this experience to work for you. In every case we accept, our goal is to maximize our client’s recovery to the fullest extent possible under California law.
Why Should I Hire a Citrus Heights Catastrophic Injury Lawyer?
It’s natural to feel uncertain and have many legal questions after you or a loved one experiences any personal injury. The severe nature of a catastrophic injury is likely to increase the uncertainty and desperation you might experience in this situation. Many people make the mistake of thinking they handle their own legal representation. If another party is clearly at fault for your catastrophic injury, you may wonder why you would need legal counsel to secure compensation for your losses. Put simply, navigating any personal injury case without legal representation is unwise, and this is especially true for a catastrophic injury case with substantial damages at stake.
Your Citrus Heights catastrophic injury attorney can handle your legal affairs while you focus on your recovery. A catastrophic injury is likely to compel you to rearrange your life in several ways, many of which can be very difficult. Instead of trying to manage the aftermath of a catastrophic injury alone while also pursuing a legal claim against the responsible party unassisted, hiring an attorney can be an invaluable investment in your recovery.
A good attorney will take time to get to know your situation and fully understand how your catastrophic injury has affected the lives of your loved ones to provide comprehensive, individualized legal counsel. The Kreeger Law Firm will help you determine your best available path to recovery, ensure you explore every possible avenue of compensation, and assist you in addressing any unexpected issues that might arise with your case.
What Are Catastrophic Injuries?
The term “catastrophic injury” refers to any personal injury that precludes the possibility of a complete recovery. Essentially, if you suffered an injury that will eventually recover completely, this would be a personal injury. Likewise, if your injury caused a permanent disability or medical condition, this would be a catastrophic injury. A few examples of injuries that qualify as catastrophic include:
- Amputation injuries. Any injury that involves dismemberment will require immediate emergency care and involve a high chance that the victim will not have their lost body part restored. For example, while it is sometimes possible to reattach a severed finger or toe, losing a larger body part such as an arm or leg will likely mean permanent loss of the affected limb.
- Spinal cord injuries. The spinal cord is a cluster of nerves that extends from the brain stem through the spinal column into every area of the body. This network of nerves allows the brain to control the body, and any damage to the spinal cord is permanent. Depending on the location of the spinal cord injury and its level of completeness, the victim could experience a loss of sensation, a loss of motor control, or complete paralysis in regions of the body. The higher on the spine, the more extensive the damage.
- Burn injuries. Burns are excruciating injuries that often cause permanent damage. The victim may experience severe scarring over the affected areas of their body. This not only causes psychological damage but can also inhibit motor functions. For example, if the victim was burned on a joint, it will lose its natural elasticity when the skin heals, preventing full range of motion. Some burn injuries may also require multiple surgical grafting procedures that involve a painful recovery.
- Traumatic brain injuries. The human brain is extraordinarily complex, and there is virtually no way of predicting the full effects of a traumatic brain injury, especially when it comes to long-term effects. Some brain injury victims make full recoveries while others experience permanent damage, including cognitive impairment, sensory disruption, memory loss, and diminished fine motor skills.
- Crushing injuries. A crushing injury to the arms or legs can result in amputation. It is also possible for severe crushing injuries to be correctable with multiple surgeries, but the victim will likely experience long-term pain and disability from such an injury.
- Surgical errors. Medical patients who must undergo surgical procedures trust their medical teams to perform safe and effective procedures. When surgeons make errors during these procedures, their patients may suffer permanent damage. Medical malpractice is a leading cause of accidental deaths and injuries throughout the US, including catastrophic injuries that entail permanent disabilities.
- Dog attacks. California enforces a strict liability rule when it comes to injuries inflicted by dogs. A dog owner is strictly liable for all injuries their dog causes to another person so long as the victim did not provoke the dog and they were lawfully present at the location where the accident occurred. A dog bite can cause permanent damage, including disfiguration and psychological trauma.
- Toxic exposure. When a person is exposed to certain chemicals, they can suffer many illnesses and medical complications. For example, breathing in certain caustic fumes can damage the lungs permanently, and exposure to other substances can cause cancer and other permanent medical damage.
Recovering Your Medical Expenses for a Catastrophic Injury
California’s personal injury laws allow a plaintiff to claim compensation for any damages resulting from a defendant’s negligence. If another party caused a catastrophic injury to you or a loved one, you have the right to recover the total cost of all the medical treatment your condition requires. This includes immediate medical expenses such as hospital bills and emergency transportation costs, as well as anticipated long-term medical costs.
For example, imagine a loved one is hit by a drunk driver and suffers a severe spinal injury. Due to the location of the accident, they require airlift transportation to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment, incurring substantial immediate medical costs. Their prognosis includes long-term recovery, and their attending physician notifies you that they will need to undergo physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other physical rehabilitation for the foreseeable future. You would have the right to include the immediate medical expenses your family incurred directly following the accident, as well as the cost of all future medical treatment required for the spinal injury.
Securing Compensation for Lost Income
Any personal injury has the potential to leave the victim unable to work while they recover. California state law allows a personal injury plaintiff to recover compensation for wages lost due to a personal injury. However, catastrophic injuries often leave the victim completely unable to return to their previous job, or they may be unable to earn a living at all due to their injury.
If you or a loved one suffered a catastrophic injury, your Citrus Heights catastrophic injury attorney could help you prove the full extent of the lost income and lost earning potential resulting from the incident. If the victim can return to work after several months, they can claim the wages they lost during their recovery time. If they can work after their catastrophic injury but cannot function in the same position they held previously, they have the right to claim any lost earnings if their new job does not offer the same pay rate as their previous job.
It’s also possible to secure compensation for lost future earning capacity if a victim is left entirely unable to work in the future due to their catastrophic injury. Your attorney will help you calculate how much you could have earned until retirement age had your accident not occurred and include this figure in your lawsuit.
Pain and Suffering Compensation for a Catastrophic Injury
California state law recognizes that the experience of a catastrophic injury typically involves severe physical pain and emotional distress. Accordingly, a personal injury plaintiff in Citrus Heights has the right to pursue compensation for pain, suffering, and psychological trauma resulting from a defendant’s negligence. The amount secured typically depends on the amount of the plaintiff’s claimed medical expenses and the severity of their injury.
For example, a catastrophic injury that required $100,000 in medical treatment and caused a permanent disability may lead the plaintiff’s attorney to demand $500,000 or more in pain and suffering compensation to reflect the severity of the plaintiff’s experience. It’s also possible to secure even greater pain and suffering compensation to reflect the psychological damage of a catastrophic injury, such as an injury that prevents the victim from living independently in the future.
It’s likely for pain and suffering compensation to form the bulk of a plaintiff’s recovery in a catastrophic injury case. However, there is one exception to this. California upholds a limit of $250,000 in non-economic damages for injury claims of medical malpractice. Thus, no matter how extensive the plaintiff’s injury may be, the most they can secure in pain and suffering compensation in a medical malpractice claim is $250,000.
Other Possible Forms of Compensation
Beyond medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering, it’s possible for a catastrophic injury claim to yield additional forms of compensation depending on the plaintiff’s circumstances. For example, if the catastrophic injury resulted from a car accident caused by a negligent driver, the plaintiff could include vehicle repair or replacement costs in their lawsuit. It’s also possible for a judge to award punitive damages if the defendant’s behavior exceeded the scope of typical negligence or was intentionally harmful.
Ultimately, your catastrophic injury claim could be worth much more than you initially anticipated if you choose the right attorney to handle your claim. Working with an experienced Citrus Heights catastrophic injury lawyer is the best way to maximize your recovery after a serious injury. In addition, the Kreeger Law Firm will help you gather all documentation you will require to prove the full extent of your damages.
It’s common for injury victims to accept lowball settlements soon after their injuries out of desperation. As a result, they may face expensive medical bills and economic trouble at home from lost income. Unfortunately, this causes some people to lose the ability to secure the compensation they rightfully deserve. When you choose the Kreeger Law Firm to represent you, we will do everything we can to secure as much compensation as possible under California law.
What to Expect From Your Attorney
Pursuing a civil claim for a catastrophic injury can be a daunting experience, but it will be much easier when you have a reliable and experienced Citrus Heights catastrophic injury lawyer on your side. When you choose the Kreeger Law Firm to represent you, we will provide the full extent of our legal resources, experience, and professional skill to assist in your recovery. In addition, catastrophic injury claims often involve complex medical issues, and we can coordinate expert witness testimony to support your case in court and ensure it receives the attention it deserves.
Expert witnesses are often invaluable to our clients’ catastrophic injury claims. For example, you may need to prove that your injury has permanently diminished your quality of life. We can consult psychological treatment professionals, medical experts, and other experts to provide the court with unbiased professional opinions about your medical condition. This will help the court appreciate the severity of your catastrophic injury and the effects it has had on your life and livelihood. We may also consult with financial experts to prove the full extent of the lost future earning potential from your injury, accurately calculating all the income you would have reasonably expected to earn in the future had your injury not occurred.
The vast majority of personal injury claims settle outside of court; it is typically in the best interests of both the plaintiff and the defendant to secure a swift settlement rather than proceeding to litigation. Our team will guide you through every phase of the settlement negotiation process and ensure you receive favorable settlement terms. However, if settlement fails to produce acceptable results for any reason, we are not afraid to take your case to trial if that is what it takes to secure the compensation you deserve.
Secure Legal Counsel Now
Suppose you or a loved one recently suffered any type of catastrophic injury involving long-term medical complications or permanent disability. In that case, it’s vital to consult with a Citrus Heights catastrophic injury lawyer as soon as possible to secure the legal assistance you need to recover as completely as possible. The sooner you start working on your case, the better your chances of maximizing your recovery. Additionally, swift legal action means preserving the freshness of material evidence and the credibility of witness testimony to ensure your claim has the evidentiary support it needs to succeed.
The Kreeger Law Firm has years of experience handling personal injury claims for our clients in Citrus Heights, CA, and surrounding areas. You may feel isolated and unsure of the future after your catastrophic injury, and we can help. Our team has the resources and experience to handle the most complex catastrophic injury claims in Citrus Heights, CA. Contact us today to schedule a case evaluation with our team. We will review the details of your situation and let you know what you can expect from our representation as you fight for your recovery.
