When you’ve been hurt – in an auto accident, while playing sports, while at work, etc. – you expect that at some point, you’re going to recover from that injury. There are some injuries, though, that you never really recover from: injuries that will affect you and your family for the rest of your life. These are called catastrophic injuries, and they could lead to a lifetime of medical care, the need for adaptive technologies, or permanent pain and suffering. In the most tragic of circumstances, these types of injuries could lead to your death or the death of your loved one.

Some examples of catastrophic injuries include:

• Birth-related injuries, such as cerebral palsy or Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (oxygen deprivation)
• Spinal cord injuries, including paraplegia and quadriplegia
• Eye injuries, including loss of vision or loss of the eye
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) caused by object penetration or by a hard knock to the skull, leading to neurological injuries or disabilities
• Permanent nerve damage
• Crush injuries, which often occur after natural disasters like tornados, floods, and hurricanes
• Hearing loss
• Limb loss, including partial or total limb amputation

Causes of catastrophic injuries

Just as there is a wide variety of injuries that are considered catastrophic, there are various causes of catastrophic injuries. The most common causes include:

• Auto, truck or motorcycle accidents
• Pedestrian and bicycle accidents
• Sports-related accidents
• Workplace accidents involving falling objects or toxic inhalation
• Trampolines and other dangerous toys
• Fires, leading to burn injuries or smoke inhalation
• Drowning and water-related accidents
• Defective products
• Medical malpractice
• Criminal violence

How do catastrophic injuries affect people?

Like other injuries, catastrophic injuries affect people in several different ways. Some catastrophic injuries affect people physically, as victims may have scars from their injuries and/or depend on other individuals to do simple, ordinary, and routine tasks, such as grooming and eating. Other catastrophic injuries impact the brain; victims may suffer from memory loss and/or decreased mental capacities, such as slowed thinking and difficulty speaking.

Many catastrophic injuries impact people emotionally. Victims may experience emotional imbalance, including easy irritability and disinterest in interpersonal activities, and friends and relatives may feel emotionally drained as they watch their loved ones suffer. The emotional impacts of catastrophic injuries may drive families and friends apart.

Catastrophic injuries also can affect people financially. Costly healthcare and personal care bills can reduce or outright drain the financial resources of victims, their friends, and/or their relatives.

If you or a loved one has sustained a catastrophic injury or a different kind of injury, you may have grounds for a legal claim. For more information, contact the Knoxville personal injury attorneys at Banks & Jones. Call us at 865-546-2141. We proudly serve Knoxville and other areas of the Volunteer State.