How Catastrophic Injury Is Defined In California
There is a significant distinction between a severe and catastrophic injury. A lot of injuries caused by vehicle accidents, truck accidents, slip and falls, and medical negligence are deemed significant because they result in a tremendous deal of pain and suffering and expensive medical expenditures. Catastrophic injuries, on the other hand, are more serious, life-altering, and life-threatening.
Here's a quick guide to catastrophic injuries, as they are most commonly encountered by a California Personal Injury Lawyer.
A catastrophic injury leaves a person permanently disabled or disfigured, which makes working or finding a job difficult or impossible. It could be severe enough to necessitate daily or round-the-clock assistance. The term "disfigurement" refers to a substantial change in your appearance.
This type of injury can have long-term or permanent effects on your physical abilities, as well as your capacity to work, live independently, engage in hobbies, form personal connections, and fully participate in your family and home life.
A broken arm, for example, can is expected to heal completely even when it is severe. In contrast, a crushed radius and ulna, together with substantial nerve damage and soft tissue injuries, can result in disabling limited motion and feeling in your forearm and hand.
If anything is unclear, consult with a Personal Injury Attorney in California for assistance. Your attorney will help you build a claim and consider all the legal details of your injuries.
The Most Common Examples Of Catastrophic Injuries
The following are the most prevalent catastrophic personal injuries:
1. Injuries To The Spinal Cord
Complete or incomplete spinal cord injuries refer to whether the spinal cord is permanently damaged or partially damaged. For example, paraplegia or tetraplegia can result from full spinal cord damage. This means that from the damage site downward, the victim is paralyzed.
The nature and intensity of the symptoms of an incomplete injury vary widely. For example, a person who has had a spinal cord injury will most likely have a loss of sensation, mobility, sexual dysfunction, inability to control their bladder and bowel, and an increased chance of developing other medical problems.
2. Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
TBIs are graded on the Glasgow Coma Scale, which assigns points between three and fifteen to a person's eye-opening, verbal, and motor responses. The worse the brain injury, the lower the score.
A score of nine to twelve points indicates a mild head injury. In contrast, a score of eight points or less indicates severe brain trauma.
Severe TBIs are linked to long-term cognitive and physical impairments, as well as behavioral abnormalities, a minimally conscious condition, a vegetative state, coma, and even death.
3. Amputations
Amputation of a hand, arm, foot, or leg can occur due to a traumatic or required surgical procedure. In and of itself, recovering from an amputation can be painful.
First, the operation site must heal, and infection is a serious concern. In addition, a person who has had a limb amputated will need physical therapy and relearning how to do daily duties.
Amputees frequently have psychological issues such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, phantom pain or phantom limb syndrome might also affect them.
4. Burn Injuries
There are four types of burns:
The most superficial burns are first-degree burns.
Second-degree burns entail bloated, red, and blistering and affect the epidermis and dermis.
The epidermis and dermis are destroyed in third-degree burns, which can also reach the subcutaneous layer. As a result, the region may appear black and burned, or it may appear white. These burns necessitate a lot of medical attention.
Fourth-degree burns penetrate multiple layers of the skin, as well as muscle and bone. As a result, all nerve endings in that area have been killed, and feeling has been removed.
Burn victims with third and fourth-degree burns have severe agony, illness, deformity, and long-term physical impairments.
5. Damage to Internal Organs
Internal organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, digestive system, reproductive organs, and others might be damaged in a catastrophic accident. Surgery may be required to correct the problem, depending on the nature and severity of the damage.
For some time or permanently, the organ may not function at its typical levels. The organ may be too damaged to save, forcing the person to live without an organ or necessitating a transplant.
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