Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in St. Petersburg

Catastrophic injuries due to another party’s negligence can make earning an income and caring for your family impossible. Caring for yourself can also be challenging with years of medication, rehabilitation, and reduced mobility. Some people never make a full recovery. As medical bills pile up, your financial stability may be threatened.

Pursuing compensation for your losses in a personal injury case with catastrophic injuries is often complex. In addition, you may need to seek non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, or file a car accident lawsuit outside the no-fault insurance system. Trust our dedicated team at Kogan & DiSalvo to be your strongest advocate. Contact us today for a free consultation to speak to a skilled  St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer.

Types of Catastrophic Injuries

Here are some of the most common types of catastrophic injuries and their potential impact on your livelihood and personal life.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

Sudden jolts or harsh blows to the head can cause TBIs. It often happens in car accidents, falls, or assault cases. Because of the impact, the brain moves in the skull, leading to bruising, torn tissues, and other damage.

TBIs can cause impaired cognitive ability, reduced mobility, and speech problems. Some people experience personality changes and mental health issues.

Spinal Cord Injuries

The spine protects a crucial part of your body—your nervous system. Its primary function is to send signals from the brain to the rest of your body. These injuries often result from traumatic blows, car collisions, or falls.

Spinal injuries can lead to these and other complications:

• Paralysis
• Impaired bodily functions
• Difficulty with mobility and coordination
• Chronic pain
• Physical issues

Spinal cord injuries can significantly reduce your quality of life. They can also make finding and maintaining gainful employment challenging.

Amputations

Amputations can occur as a result of a car or a crushing accident. Sometimes, limb damage is so extensive that doctors may determine amputation is the only option. Amputating above or below a joint can make a big difference with prosthetics and other rehabilitation therapies.

Burn Injuries

Burns can range from minor to life-threatening. Many result in scarring. Severe burns may require long-term rehabilitation, surgeries, and physical therapy throughout a person’s lifetime.

The severity of a burn is determined by how many layers of skin have been affected and the percentage of the body that has been affected. Location also plays a role. For example, burns on the face are usually treated as more severe than burns of the same size on the shoulder.

Once healed, the scar tissue can create difficulties with mobility. The skin can become tight or heal over a joint and limit movement. Burns in the face and other areas can also necessitate reconstructive surgery.

What Causes Catastrophic Injuries in St. Petersburg?

The causes of catastrophic injuries include the following examples:

1. Car Accidents: High speeds, reckless behavior, and driving under the influence are common factors. Victims can file claims against at-fault drivers or other negligent parties.
2. Truck Accidents: Commercial trucks are the heaviest and largest vehicles on the road. Accidents involving them can have severe consequences for passengers in a car, including chemical burns, complex fractures, and TBIs.
3. Motorcycle Accidents: Motorcycles provide almost no protection, so bikers often sustain serious injuries in an accident, including amputations and severe bone fractures.
4. Pedestrian Accidents: A car crash involving a pedestrian can lead to severe injuries or even fatalities, even at low speeds. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that 48% of 2021 pedestrian fatalities happened on roads with speed limits at or below 40 mph.
5. Bicycle Accidents: Without protection, bicyclists are more exposed in the event of a crash. Injuries include complex fractures and severe head trauma.
6. Bus Accidents: Even though buses are large vehicles, occupants can be at risk for serious bodily injury when an accident occurs. Passengers often do not have seat belts and may be standing in the aisle when a crash occurs.
7. Slip & Fall Accidents: Slipping and falling on a wet surface, missing stairs, or tripping over an object can lead to fractures, torn ligaments, and head trauma. Many of these accidents occur in public spaces due to the negligence of property owners or managers.
8. Workplace Accidents: Employers must provide safe environments for workers but often fail to do so. Injuries like burns, lacerations, fractures, head trauma, and spinal cord injuries are common in industrial settings or construction sites.

Types of Compensation Available for Catastrophic Injuries

Potential compensation varies based on the details of your case and can include the following:

Home Adaptations

You might need to make changes to your home to accommodate your or your loved one’s medical needs. For example, if you cannot climb stairs due to an injury, a wheelchair ramp into your home and grab bars in the bathroom may be necessary.

Medical Expenses

We fight to cover past, present, and future medical expenses. The costs can add up quickly for catastrophic injuries requiring long-term medical treatment, including physical therapy and rehabilitation visits, prescription medications, surgeries, doctor’s appointments, home care, and other related costs.

Lost Wages

If you cannot work due to your injury or require an extended leave of absence, we fight hard to recover the wages you may have lost due to your accident, including past and future income, if you cannot return to work in the same capacity.

Property Damage

Whether you lost an iPhone or a BMW in an accident, you deserve to have your personal belongings repaired or replaced. Some people experience such severe PTSD after catastrophic injuries that they prefer the replacement value over the item after an accident.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering damages compensate an injured person for physical, mental, and emotional pain, e.g., discomfort due to chronic pain, limitations on activities you used to enjoy, and trauma-related depression.

Punitive Damages

If gross negligence or malicious behavior plays a role, the court may award punitive damages. The goal of punitive damages isn’t to compensate you for your injuries, but to punish the responsible parties and discourage them from repeating their actions. This type of compensation is rare and requires an experienced attorney to prove malicious behavior or intent.

Why Choose a St. Petersburg Catastrophic Injury Attorney from Kogan & DiSalvo?

At Kogan & DiSalvo, we understand that it’s not just a case; it’s your life. Our commitment to justice has helped us recover millions of dollars for our clients. A St. Petersburg catastrophic injury lawyer can review your case and help you determine the best way to obtain fair compensation and move forward. Schedule a free consultation today to get started. We work on a contingency basis, so there are no upfront legal fees.