Types of Serious Injuries That Can Change Your Life

A sudden and serious injury can forever change your daily life. Things you take for granted like walking, talking, hearing, and seeing can disappear in an instant due to no fault of your own. These types of injuries often result in never-ending medical expenses and can leave you unable to return to work. A severe and life-altering personal injury demands justice. To learn how a personal injury claim might help you in your particular circumstances, consider reaching out to an attorney today. At Boohoff Law, consultations are free, and a skilled personal injury attorney is ready to answer any of your questions. Call today.

Common Causes of Serious Injuries

Don’t cut your financial future short by agreeing to a low settlement amount. You deserve access to quality medical care now and going forward. No one else is walking in your shoes. Stand up for yourself and your family and fight for fair compensation.

Types of Serious Injuries

Another person’s reckless behavior can easily cause you multiple serious injuries. For example, a dog might bite you and cause you to fall, resulting in a head injury in addition to the bite. A car accident may leave you with burns and broken bones. While thinking of these serious injuries isn’t pleasant, it is the grim reality of what can happen when others are negligent.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

The CDC defines a TBI as a sudden bump, blow, or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts normal brain function. A TBI can range from mild to severe. For patients who receive a severe TBI, the injury often harms the following functions:

• Cognitive function: Memory and concentration.
• Motor function: Balance, coordination, movement.
• Sensation: Hearing, vision, taste, and touch.
• Behavior and emotions: Anger, depression, and moodiness.

A loved one with a severe traumatic brain injury may need extensive physical and occupational therapy. Their care may become more than you can handle, and you may need to admit them to a personal care facility. The average cost of a nursing home in Washington is $266 per day, a cost that can quickly escalate over time.

Spinal cord injury

The spinal cord plays an important role in relaying messages between the body and the brain. When the spinal cord becomes damaged, those messages often cannot deliver the signals necessary for movement.

A spinal cord injury is often referred to as a complete or incomplete injury. A complete injury means there is no movement or sensation below the point of injury. An incomplete injury typically means there is some movement or sensation. Spinal cord injuries often result in some form of paralysis, making a power chair necessary for mobility.

Power chairs average around $7,000 but can cost as much as $30,000. Other added costs often include home and vehicle modifications. A standard mini-van can require as many as 40 modifications, while a new, accessible van can start at $30,000. Items like power chairs and accessible vehicles need replacing throughout an accident victim’s life.

Broken bones

With more than 200 bones in the human body, there is a high risk of breaking one or more in an accident. A fractured bone can result in an open, compound break where the bone penetrates the skin. Perhaps the most serious type of fracture is a comminuted fracture where the bone shatters into three or more pieces.

Depending upon the type of fracture you have suffered, you may require future surgeries and a cast to limit mobility while the bone heals. Recovery from a serious bone fracture is a long and often painful process. Once the bone heals, many patients require extensive physical therapy.

Burns

A burn is a serious injury that usually requires treatment at a burn treatment facility. In some cases, such a facility may require a patient’s family to travel a distance to visit them, leaving them homesick and lonely.

A patient with serious burns may require skin grafts and plastic surgery. Burn patients are at high risk for infections and rely on professional medical care to keep their burns clean.

A burn injury is difficult both emotionally and psychologically for victims. Along with a skilled burn injury lawyer, joining a support group with other burn victims can sometimes help patients with their recovery journey.

Head and neck injuries

The inability to move your neck or turn your head can limit you in more ways than you realize. Serious injuries such as whiplash can severely limit movement for some time. The same is true with back injuries that prevent you from lifting items or resting comfortably in bed.

Herniated or ruptured discs can require surgery. Braces used to support the head and neck limit your mobility and are often uncomfortable, but necessary, for healing.

Internal injuries

You may not feel any pain or see any blood after a sudden accident. Don’t let the lack of pain or any visible signs of injury keep you from seeking medical attention. Some of the most dangerous injuries are invisible to the naked eye. Internal bleeding and/or organ damage are injuries only a medical professional with access to testing equipment can determine.

Internal injuries are identified through a blood test, an MRI, or a CT Scan. Delayed diagnosis and treatment can result in additional problems and, in severe cases, death.

How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

Insurance companies like to settle claims quickly—that is why they reach out to victims soon after the accident. While their initial offer may seem like a lot of money, chances are it will not cover your future medical needs. Medical costs continue to rise over time, and you should not go without medical care due to a lack of funds.

Realize that insurance company representatives are looking out for the insurance company and not for you. The initial offer from most insurance companies is typically much less than you deserve. Don’t settle but rather consider filing a personal injury claim. If successful, the financial outcome may result in a more acceptable settlement offer.

Filing a personal injury claim requires the services of an experienced personal injury attorney. Don’t try to negotiate with insurance companies on your own or try to navigate Washington law without legal representation. This will only add to your stress, and these processes are difficult to get through successfully without professional assistance.

A personal injury attorney is on your side. They understand how insurance companies operate. An attorney will work hard to negotiate a settlement that is fair for you. If they are unable to do so, the right attorney will take the case to trial.

Knowing that your case is in good hands gives you the peace of mind you need to rest. Adjusting to the new changes in your life is difficult enough—you don’t need an aggressive insurance representative badgering you to accept the initial settlement offer.

Call (877) 999-9999 or email Boohoff Law today – available 24/7