Bodily Injury Law Firm in Arlington, VA
What Makes a Personal Injury Catastrophic?
Damage to the body can be temporary or last a lifetime and everything in between, as an attorney from a bodily injury law firm in Arlington, VA can explain. Some injuries may leave permanent scars but not alter how a person functions, while others can do both. The most severe damage to the body is categorized as catastrophic. In the realm of personal injury law, these usually happen due to car accidents and construction site mishaps. Get a better understanding of what makes an injury catastrophic in the eyes of the law.
Causes of Catastrophic Injuries
An incident can happen at any time and in any circumstance. However, some lead to a higher probability of permanent damage. Catastrophic injuries are those that cause permanent and life-altering damage to the body. They usually impact the central nervous system, but they can be in any part of the body and come in many forms. Some of the most common reasons people get this kind of damage include:
- Work incident, especially in highly laborious professions such as construction
- Accident, specifically those of high impact such as semi-trucks
- Medical mistake
- Slip and fall
Basically, any negligent activity can lead to a catastrophic injury, even those that do not seem obvious. With so many variables at play, even a trip on a sidewalk may become catastrophic for someone.
Permanent Damage to the Body
The body’s damage becomes permanent when there is a loss of movement, functionality, or complete use. For more specific information, contact a personal injury lawyer in Arlington, VA. Permanent injuries are not always catastrophic, but catastrophic injuries are always catastrophic. For example, a broken femur may leave a person with a life-long limp and permanent damage. However, that person can still partake in many, if not all, of the same activities they used to. If the femur is severed, however, this may result in a loss of the leg. This would be both permanent and catastrophic.
Examples of Catastrophic Injuries
Damage to body parts can range from slight to severe. The most common injuries that lead to a catastrophic designation include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord damage
- Severed or crushed limbs
- Burns
A TBI is the only injury listed that may have less serious consequences depending on the damage. A single concussion may be categorized as a TBI, but a person may recover from this and move on with no further injury. Spinal cord injuries, on the other hand, are frequently life-changing and catastrophic.
Personal injury is a category covered by the law that deals with damage inflicted by a negligent person. An attorney from a bodily injury law firm in Arlington, VA like The Law Offices of Ryan Quinn, PLLC can provide further insight into how catastrophic injuries may be handled by the legal system as far as recovering compensation.