Reacting to a Catastrophic Injury
Catastrophic injuries permanently transform the way you and other victims live your lives. These injuries can see you lose a limb, face long- or short-term paralysis, or suffer a traumatic head injury that permanently transforms your ability to work. If you or a loved one endure a catastrophic injury, you have to integrate new day-to-day living aids into your routine. In this way, catastrophic injuries have a far more substantial physical and financial impact on your quality of life than a standard broken bone or even whiplash. You, in turn, have the right to more compensation for your losses if you choose to bring the party responsible for your catastrophic injuries forward in civil court. Should you choose to take legal action after an accident resulting in a catastrophic injury, you need to compose a personal injury claim naming a specific party liable for your losses. In doing so, you state to Muncie’s civil courts that you:- Deserved a duty of care from a particular party at the time of your accident
- Believe negligence resulted in the violation of the duty of care
- Have evidence of the aforementioned negligence
- Can prove your right to economic compensation for your losses
Defining Catastrophic Injuries Under the Umbrella of Personal Injury Law
If you want to take action in the wake of a catastrophic injury accident, you must do so within Indiana’s personal injury statute of limitations or Indiana Code section 34-11-2-4. This statute of limitations caps your actionable legal time at two years. This means you must submit a legal complaint demanding damages by the second anniversary of your accident. That deadline can prove challenging to meet if you’re contending with newfound limitations on top of the other losses that come with catastrophic injury accidents. That, however, is where an experienced attorney comes in. Catastrophic injury lawyers in Muncie ensure that you can prioritize your recovery while keeping you on top of your legal filing deadlines.When to Call a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
You’re working on a tight deadline when you initiate an investigation into a catastrophic injury accident. As such, you need as much help as you can get to prove the role of negligence in your accident. With that in mind, the sooner you bring an attorney onto your case, the more effectively you can use the time allotted to you. You and your loved ones have the right to contact a personal injury attorney while you’re still at the scene of your accident. If you don’t, you can still bring a legal professional onto your case up until your statute of limitations expires. The more time you give an attorney to investigate your losses, though, the more comprehensive the complaint you file with a judge can be. Moreover, attorneys who join your case early into your recovery can help you contend with the other aspects of the healing process. Our attorneys can:- Communicate with insurance providers on your behalf
- Reach out to bystanders for statements regarding your losses
- Prevent insurance adjusters and liable parties from undervaluing your case in any relevant settlement offers
- Prevent police officers and related parties from misinterpreting the nature of your accident
- Protect you from intimidation and/or retaliation
Estimate Your Catastrophic Injury Damages
Catastrophic injury accidents are inherently more difficult to recover from than less severe accidents. As a result, the damages you deserve for a catastrophic injury accident can dwarf those you might receive in a less severe personal injury case. These damages can include coverage for:- Emergency medical treatment
- Long-term physical therapy
- Upcoming surgeries
- Pain medication and other aids that can help restore your quality of life
- At-home care
- Lost, damaged, and/or irreplaceable property
- Lost wages or opportunities for employment
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
Hold the Right Party Accountable for Your Losses
Who do you hold accountable for a catastrophic injury? That depends on the nature of your accident. When in doubt, though, let the evidence guide your assertion of fault. Look to any of the following forms of evidence before making a claim regarding fault in your complaint:- Video and photo footage of your accident
- Statements from bystanders
- Input from expert witnesses
- Medical analysis of your injuries
- Physical debris from the scene of the accident