Catastrophic injuries from accidents can have devastating consequences and happen with tragic frequency. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 214,000 people nationwide went to the hospital with traumatic brain injuries in just one recent year. Other catastrophic injuries, such as spinal cord damage or amputated limbs, can also have lifelong repercussions.
The Huntsville catastrophic injury attorneys at Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., have been fighting for injured individuals in Huntsville and throughout Alabama for nearly 60 years. We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients during that time. We are ready to put our experience to work for you. Let us handle all the legal work in your catastrophic injury claim, letting you focus on healing.
Call now or complete our contact form for a free case review, and pay no fees unless our Huntsville personal injury lawyers recover compensation for you.
What Is a Catastrophic Injury?
There is no formal definition of a catastrophic injury. Broadly speaking, a catastrophic injury has significant, long-term effects. The effects do not necessarily have to be permanent for an injury to be considered catastrophic, but injuries that heal fully within a few weeks or months generally do not qualify.
It is the long-term, life-changing impacts of catastrophic injuries that make the most serious injuries particularly devastating for catastrophic injury victims.
What Types of Injuries Are Considered Catastrophic?
Catastrophic injuries come in many forms, but some common examples include:
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Severe burns
- Amputations
- Loss of eyesight or hearing
- Organ damage
- Crush injuries
- Multiple broken bones
- Severe nerve damage
What Are the Most Common Types of Catastrophic Injury Accidents?
Virtually any accident can cause catastrophic injuries if the incident involves sufficient force. That said, some accidents are more likely to result in catastrophic injuries, such as:
- Car accidents – High-speed impacts and rollovers often cause brain injuries, spinal cord damage, or multiple bone fractures, for example. Even low-speed crashes can lead to severe harm if a car strikes a pedestrian or cyclist, as they have less protection from crashes.
- Truck wrecks – Collisions with large commercial vehicles can crush smaller cars, leaving victims with life-altering injuries like paralysis or amputations. The significant weight and size of commercial trucks increase the likelihood of catastrophic outcomes.
- Motorcycle crashes – Motorcycle riders lack the protection of a vehicle frame, which means even minor motorcycle accidents can lead to long-lasting head, spine, or limb injuries.
- Falls from heights – Job-related falls and similar incidents can cause severe spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, internal bleeding, and more. Construction workers are particularly at risk for falls on the job.
- Industrial accidents – Heavy machinery and unsafe job conditions can lead to crush injuries, burns, or amputations.
- Fires and explosions – Accident victims caught in explosions or fires may suffer extensive burns, respiratory damage, or other traumatic injuries.
- Defective products – Faulty medical devices, unsafe machinery, or dangerous consumer goods can lead to permanent harm when manufacturers fail to properly test products or provide users with adequate warnings.
Sports injuries – Contact sports and similar physical activities put individuals, particularly children and young adults, at risk of serious accidents that cause severe injuries such as traumatic brain trauma and permanent damage to the spinal cord.
