Catastrophic Injury

Catastrophic injuries are those from which a victim will never fully recover, and often involve an amputation or a person’s brain, spine, or spinal cord. Victims of a catastrophic injury usually are required to go undergo expensive medical procedures and then must learn how to live with new limitations.

If you have sustained a catastrophic injury due to the negligence of another person, you deserve compensation under the law. Cases involving catastrophic injuries often involve significant damages and can be highly contested, so it is critical for victims to retain an attorney with the skills and resources required to bring their case to a favorable resolution. Fortunately, the St. Louis catastrophic injury attorneys of Kilo Flynn are standing by to protect the rights of victims and hold negligent parties accountable.

Any injury that results in permanent impairment can be considered catastrophic. Here are some of the more common:

• Traumatic brain injuries – “TBI’s” can be caused by a blow to the head and often results in long-term problems such as cognitive issues, emotional problems, and difficulty communicating
• Spinal cord injuries – An injury to the spinal cord often results in total body or lower limb paralysis
• Burn injuries – Burn injuries can be extremely painful and cause disfigurement and permanent scarring
• Damage to internal organs – Organ damage can often necessitate extensive medical treatment and is prone to complications
• Injuries involving amputation – Amputations often leave victims unable to perform certain tasks and in need of expensive medical devices such as prosthetics

Virtually any type of accident resulting in physical injury can result in a catastrophic injury. For example, a slip and fall could result in a serious brain injury. Diving into the shallow end of a swimming pool could severely damage someone’s spine. That being said, certain accidents tend to cause catastrophic injuries much more often than others. These include the following:

• Car accidents
• 18-wheeler truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Defective products
• Medical malpractice
• Pharmaceutical drug damage
• Construction site accidents
• Electrocution
• Fires

In every type of personal injury lawsuit, our attorneys strive to get the largest possible settlement or award for our clients. This goal is especially important in catastrophic injury claims for two reasons.

First, catastrophic injuries usually require a lifetime of care. Complicated medical treatments and home health workers are extremely expensive and the requirement for such care and the associated expense is often ongoing.

Family members should not have to care for and support a person injured because of someone else’s negligence. At the same time, family members often do not understand how much money catastrophic injuries can cost over a person’s lifetime. This is where a lawyer can be a great help.

When negotiating a settlement, this must be factored in the settlement amount. If your case goes to a jury, we use expert witnesses to impress upon the jury how great this burden can be.

Second, catastrophic injuries deprive victims a lifetime of earnings. Any award or settlement offer must support the accident victim for a lifetime if work is not an option.

The attorneys at Kilo Flynn use well qualified economists as expert witnesses to calculate the amount of money necessary to compensate our clients for this loss of earning potential. If the case proceeds to trial, these experts are called upon to testify and explain to the jury the amount of money necessary to replace a victim’s loss of earning capacity.

You only get one chance to file suit and get justice, and you should use a knowledgeable attorney to ensure your claim is properly handled.

Kilo Flynn attorneys have worked on catastrophic injury cases throughout Missouri and Illinois and in other states as the circumstances or location of the injury dictates. Most frequently, we serve clients who reside in the City of St. Louis and the Missouri counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln, Jefferson, Franklin and Crawford, and the Illinois counties of Madison, St. Clair and Monroe. To schedule a free consultation with one of our St. Louis catastrophic injury lawyers, call our office today at 314-647-8910.