Tampa Catastrophic Injury Attorney
Most people will be in more than one traffic accident during their lifetimes. If lucky, we walk away with little to no property damage and just a good scare. Recent crash statistics in Hillsborough County, however, show injury occurring in nearly three-quarters of all crashes. Any car accident injury is painful and traumatic, including even relatively mild injuries such as cuts, bruises, sprains and strains. As the injuries get worse, however, they get more expensive to treat, more difficult to recover from, and harder to live with. When a traffic accident causes a catastrophic injury, victims and their families will likely need significant amounts of compensation to deal with medical expenses, lost income, the disruption in their lives, and the adaptation to living with permanent disability or disfigurement.
In Tampa, Moore Law takes on cases involving catastrophic injuries and strives to get injury victims the full amount of compensation available. Tampa catastrophic injury attorney Eric Moore has 25 years of experience in personal injury law working on both sides of the case. He knows how insurance companies value claims and the tricks they use to get around paying all they should. Eric and his team at Moore Law fight to get the most for every client, because we know that’s what you need and deserve after suffering a catastrophic injury at the hands of a negligent driver, property owner or manufacturer. Our personal injury law firm helps accident victims who suffer a catastrophic injury in Tampa.
What Exactly Is a Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury is typically defined as one that creates a permanent disability or significantly alters the victim’s life on a permanent basis. Catastrophic injuries often involve medical emergencies, surgeries and hospitalization, followed by a period of rehabilitation and outpatient care. Some catastrophic injury victims require skilled nursing care at a residential facility, while others may be released to the home where they learn to live with a disability by adapting their environment and adapting themselves to new ways of living. From an attorney’s perspective, dealing with a catastrophic injury case means looking at every aspect of the injury and how it will impact the victim’s life going forward, and making sure all these costs and challenges are accounted for when negotiating a settlement with the insurance company or asking for a jury verdict in the appropriate amount. Examples of catastrophic injuries include the following:
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
A TBI can result from whiplash in an auto accident or blunt force trauma in a car or truck crash, especially one that involves a rollover or roof crush. Motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists are vulnerable to brain injury in any collision. A slip and fall is also a cause of brain injury, as are playground injuries at school. Persons living with TBI face years of occupational and physical therapy to relearn lost skills and psychotherapy to deal with depression and mood or personality changes. TBI can also lead to coma or death in the most severe cases.
Spinal Cord Injury
Damage to the spinal cord will cause a loss in feeling and motor function for all parts of the body below the area affected. Paralysis may be temporary or permanent, partial or complete, depending on whether the spinal cord is bruised, compressed, cut or severed. Damage to the lumbar spine in the lower back causes paraplegia or paralysis of the legs. Damage higher up along the thoracic vertebrae causes quadriplegia, or paralysis of both arms and legs, now more commonly known as tetraplegia. If the spinal cord is damaged in the cervical spine along the neck, the injury victim might not be able to speak or swallow or breathe unassisted or regulate autonomous functions such as sweating. Life expectancy in this last group of injuries is much less. Others living with paraplegia or quadriplegia will need extensive modifications to live as independently as possible yet still likely require a good deal of care. Persons with spinal injuries are also at risk of complications throughout life like pressure ulcers (bedsores), diabetes, respiratory infections and urinary tract infections.
Burn Injuries
Severe burns are a medical emergency that requires intensive care to avoid shock or sepsis. Wound care can last for months and even years, requiring an ongoing series of skin grafts and surgeries. Deep burns can also cause nerve damage that leaves victims with loss of feeling or constant pain. Scarring can hamper motor function and mobility, as well as lingering emotional and psychological injuries due to disfigurement or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Amputations
Victims of serious motorcycle accidents or other vehicle accidents might lose a limb at the scene or later at the hospital as a necessary life-saving measure. An amputated limb often leaves the injury victim at a severe disadvantage in life when it comes to mobility, working, or performing daily living activities. Advanced prosthetics can be helpful but are often extremely costly and must be maintained and replaced many times throughout life. An attorney who is experienced in representing catastrophic injury victims will be sure to include a lifetime of costs in a comprehensive life care plan that can serve as the basis for settlement negotiations or jury deliberations over how much compensation is due.
Help With Catastrophic Injury Accidents in Tampa
The most serious accidents require the most serious attorneys. With over 25 years of experience in personal injury law, Eric Moore and his team at Moore Law know what to do when it comes to recovering significant compensation for people who have suffered catastrophic injuries. Call Moore Law at 813-510-5400 for a free case analysis and to discuss the options for your claim.
