A responsible party should be held liable for any injury, but what makes an injury “catastrophic”? Some people who don’t know the difference between personal injuries and catastrophic injuries think there is a blurred line between them.
But in reality, the line is quite visible and obvious if you ask catastrophic injury lawyers. Here at Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli & Pratt P.A., a Hawaii-based law firm that specializes in catastrophic injuries, our attorneys explain what makes an injury ‘catastrophic’.
Many people tend to believe that catastrophic injuries are those so serious in nature that they leave the victim disabled, disfigured or otherwise permanently damaged.
And while this is a correct definition of a catastrophic injury, our lawyers explain that many people who sustain injuries choose to file a personal injury claim where they could file a catastrophic injury claim (thus, unwittingly minimizing their financial compensation).
If you’re planning to spend this holiday season in Hawaii, which is one of few places on our planet where injuries account for more deaths of children and young adults than all other common death causes combined, it’s highly advised to learn the difference between a personal injury and catastrophic injury, as this can greatly affect your injury claim.
Fact: every week, 13 residents of Hawaii die from injuries, while other nearly 1,600 people have to be taken to ER to treat their injuries (not to mention all the injured tourists out of seven million visitors that come to Hawaii every year).
What’s a personal injury and how is it different from a catastrophic one?
Although personal injuries can be severe in nature, they are typically temporary and more often than not result in a complete or near-complete recovery of the victim.
Even though people with personal injuries may be forced to take some time off work to recover, they are typically able to return to their job duties within weeks or months.
Depending on their severity, such emotional and psychological damage as depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, panic attacks and other injuries may be deemed either a personal or catastrophic injury.
Note: in order to convince courts to consider your emotional and psychological trauma as a catastrophic injury, seek the legal help of a Hawaii catastrophic injury attorney, as only an experienced lawyer knows what medical evidence will be sufficient to convince the judge in your particular case.
What is a catastrophic injury?
Catastrophic injuries usually include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
- Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)
- Amputations
- Hearing or vision loss
- Disfigurement
- Serious burn injuries
Catastrophic injuries are usually characterized as those that leave the victim permanently damaged, disabled or disfigured. The impact of these injuries is usually long-term and requires expensive life-long treatment and accommodations.
Whether a person is physically handicapped or mentally incapacitated, the victim of a catastrophic injury may never return to work and never fully recover. Also, such victims may require accommodations for pretty much every aspect of their lives, including buying costly medications and equipment to suit their needs.
Financial compensation for catastrophic injuries may reach millions of dollars to cover the medical bills, lost wages and lost capacity, pain and suffering and other damages.
Here at Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli & Pratt P.A., our Hawaii catastrophic injury attorneys are available 24/7 to take your calls and answer your questions.
We offer a free initial consultation if you want to find out whether your injury is catastrophic, and how to file a catastrophic injury complaint properly in order to get the compensation that you deserve.