The basis of a personal injury case comes down to two factors: who is the person who is responsible and what damages need to be compensated. In most types of accidents, there are injuries but what if it is a major personal injury?
However it happens, the law allows you to recover damages from the other party to cover your losses as a result of a major or minor injury. Damages you can recover depends on the severity of your injuries. The total damages may include both economic and non-economic damages and will depend on the facts of the case.
If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic or life altering injury because of another’s negligence or recklessness, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer, like Chad Love and the Love law firm here in Charleston, West Virginia as soon as possible.
What is a Major Personal Injury?
A major personal injury is one that includes life-altering injuries, such as:
- paralysis (quadriplegic or paraplegic),
- loss of a limb,
- loss of bodily function,
- loss of eyesight or hearing,
- dismemberment,
- traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Such injuries lead to permanent disability and often will prevent a person from returning to work or having to retrain for a new occupation. You could also incur pain and suffering, mental depression, and loss of companionship (loss of consortium) among other things.
Not only does a person incur immediate medical expenses beginning with emergency medical treatment, they are also looking at long term, and even perhaps a lifetime of, medical care, treatment, and operations. They are left with medical expenses they may never be able to pay but will need.
For example a spinal cord injury is a major personal injury. The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation reports that initial costs for a spinal cord injury can total well over a million dollars in the first year for someone with high quadriplegia. After the first year, estimated annual costs are estimated to be $202K in subsequent years. Additional costs for a spinal cord injury can include:
- Home modification
- Vehicle modification
- Travel expenses for treatment (airfare or car travel, hotel accommodation, meals, etc.)
- Equipment, such as wheelchairs and patient transfer devices
- Rehabilitation and occupational therapy
- In-home healthcare workers and other personal aids
As you can see, if you suffered a major personal injury, like spinal cord damage, would need considerable compensation for the disruption to your lifestyle.
Frequent Causes Of Major Personal Injuries
Car accidents are the most common reason for major personal injuries.
Others causes can include:
- Other vehicular accidents, such as motorcycles, trucks, boats, planes, and bicycles.
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and fall accidents,
- premises liability accidents
Again regardless of how it happened, if you can show that if not for the negligence or recklessness of another, you would not have suffered a major personal injury. If you are not sure if you have a case, talk with an experienced personal injury lawyer who will be familiar about such cases.
The Love Law Firm Can Help With Your Personal Injury Case
We’ve been helping West Virginians for over 25 years with all types of personal injuries. We understand how to build a case and will work to get you the compensation you will need. If you or a loved one has suffered a major injury in Charleston, WV, contact us at The Love Law Firm, or call us at (304) 344 5683. Your consultation is free.
