Many accidents result in catastrophic injuries, which are more severe than other types of injuries and can lead to lifelong suffering and disabilities for victims. While there is not a clear definition of “catastrophic” injuries, several types of injuries fall under this category based on their severity. If you believe that catastrophic injuries resulted from an accident that a negligent party caused in Henderson, Nevada, you may be able to recover compensation for these injuries and other damages.
For help building a case against liable parties for causing catastrophic injuries, turn to the Henderson catastrophic injury lawyers at Ed Bernstein and Associates. Our firm has represented injury victims in and around Las Vegas, Nevada, for over 40 years. We have worked to help victims recover full compensation and hold individuals and entities accountable.
Why Choose Edward Bernstein and Associates
In the event of an accident in Henderson resulting in catastrophic injuries, the lawyers at Edward Bernstein and Associates are here to provide victims with the representation they need to get the compensation they deserve. We have more than 40 years of experience providing representation for injury victims in many types of personal injury cases, including those involving life-changing injuries.
Our attorneys can help handle the legal aspects of your case, giving you the chance to heal and spend time with your family. We also make it easy for our clients to meet with us. Our Henderson office is located in the heart of Henderson near the intersection of North Stephanie Street and West Warm Springs Road. Even if you cannot meet with us in person, we offer virtual meetings for even more convenience. We also give each of our clients the personalized attention they need based on the unique nature of their case.
To find out how Ed Bernstein and Associates can help you, call us for your free consultation, and we will connect you with one of our attorneys.
Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries come with many costs that victims may need to cover for the rest of their lives, depending on their severity. If a negligent party is responsible for these injuries, they may need to pay compensation to help cover these costs.
In cases involving catastrophic injuries, there are several types of damages that victims may be able to recover. These include economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. Understanding each of these damages will help you determine what your case is worth.
ECONOMIC DAMAGES
Also known as special damages, economic damages are one primary type of damage you may recover for an accident involving catastrophic injuries. These damages account for the financial costs resulting from treating, recovering, and coping with injuries.
There are many types of economic damages that injury victims may recover, such as:
- Medical expenses pertaining to immediate care and ongoing treatment
- Lost income resulting from the inability to work while recovering or due to disability
- Lost earning capacity
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Property damage, such as damage to vehicles or other personal belongings
NON-ECONOMIC DAMAGES
Victims of catastrophic injuries may also be able to recover various non-economic damages, also known as general damages. Non-economic damages apply to the subjective experience that victims have, including the pain and suffering that victims often sustain because of extensive injuries.
Non-economic damages may include:
- Physical pain resulting from catastrophic injuries, including chronic pain
- Psychological anguish, including anxiety and depression, experienced because of the accident and injuries
- Trauma
- Disfigurement
- Loss of a relationship, i.e., consortium
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of enjoyment of life
PUNITIVE DAMAGES
If a defendant acted with gross negligence or disregard for victims’ lives, the court might award the plaintiff punitive damages. These damages punish the defendant and deter people from engaging in the same behavior. They are separate from compensatory economic and non-economic damages and rarely apply to cases, but catastrophic injuries often result from instances of extreme negligence or malicious acts.
Many factors may influence the compensation you are able to recover for catastrophic injuries, including the nature of the accident, the severity of your injuries and how they have affected your life, and the degree of liability that the negligent party had.
Our team of experienced and knowledgeable Henderson catastrophic injury lawyers can identify the damages involved in your case and calculate the total potential settlement amount based on these damages.
How Do Catastrophic Injuries Occur in Henderson?
There are many potential causes of catastrophic injuries in cities like Henderson. In many cases, these injuries result from traffic accidents involving cars, trucks, and other vehicles. Vehicle accidents are frequently injurious in Henderson and the surrounding area, with data from the Nevada Department of Transportation’s Traffic Safety engineering department reporting 12,803 injury collisions in Clark County alone. Many of these likely involved what would qualify as catastrophic injuries.
Additionally, the Henderson Police Department releases annual reports detailing the number of accidents, injuries, and fatalities in the city, along with the most dangerous intersections in Henderson.
The following are the top 10 dangerous intersections according to a recent Henderson Police Department report:
- South Eastern Avenue and St. Rose Parkway
- South Eastern Avenue and West Horizon Ridge Parkway
- North Stephanie Street and West Sunset Road
- Coronado Center Drive and St. Rose Parkway
- East Lake Mead Parkway and North Boulder Highway
- Marks Street and West Sunset Road
- North Green Valley Pkwy and West Warm Springs Road
- North Stephanie Street and Wigwam Parkway
- South Eastern Avenue and Siena Heights Drive
- West Sunset Road and Whitney Ranch Drive
Also, there are many other potential causes of catastrophic injuries, including work injuries, falls, and medical malpractice, among others.
If you decide to file a claim for a catastrophic injury against liable parties, the statute of limitations gives you a limited amount of time to seek compensation from liable parties before you can file a claim or lawsuit.
In Nevada, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases in most cases is two years from the accident and injury, which means you have two years to build a case and file a claim before you are unable to do so. This limit makes it important to get started on your case as soon as possible to avoid running out of time.
If you sustained a catastrophic injury because of a traffic accident or another type of incident in Henderson, the attorneys at Edward Bernstein and Associates can help you build a case against the responsible parties and give you the necessary representation. Our legal team can get started with the claims or legal process before your case passes the statute of limitations.
What Are The Types of Catastrophic Injuries and Their Causes?
There is not a universal definition of “catastrophic injury,” but this term typically applies to severe injuries to particularly vulnerable parts of the body. These injuries may require treatment for the rest of the victim’s life, along with multiple surgeries, long-term rehabilitation, and physical therapy to make a medical recovery.
POTENTIAL CAUSES OF CATASTROPHIC INJURIES
Many types of incidents may lead to catastrophic injuries, such as:
- Vehicle accidents. Collisions with vehicles such as cars and trucks can lead to severe injuries, often because of the force of impact or the mass and weight of the vehicles involved.
- Work-related accidents. Workers exposed to certain hazards in the workplace may also be vulnerable to catastrophic injuries, including accidents involving equipment and falling from significant heights.
- Construction accidents. Construction sites often present injury risks that can contribute to severe injuries.
- Falls. Many victims of catastrophic injuries sustain them because of falls from great heights or onto dangerous surfaces.
- Recreational activities. People may sustain serious injuries when playing sports or engaging in other recreational activities such as racing and boating.
- Defective products. If a product contains a design or manufacturing defect, this could put users at risk of catastrophic injury even when people use the products as intended.
- Medical malpractice. Negligent medical professionals may also cause catastrophic injuries through medical errors, such as leaving surgical instruments inside patients after performing a procedure.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CATASTROPHIC INJURIES
Victims may sustain many catastrophic injuries:
- Brain injuries
- Severe burns
- Organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Multiple bone fractures
- Amputations
Negotiating With Insurance Companies
When seeking compensation for a catastrophic injury, you may want to file a claim against the liable party’s insurance company. However, the claims process can be complex and tricky to navigate, and saying the wrong thing or any other misstep could seriously compromise your case. The risks involved in negotiations make it important to work with a law firm with experience handling the claims process and negotiating with insurers.
Adjusters may seem like they are on your side when negotiating a settlement, but they will want to avoid paying out the large settlements that many catastrophic injuries warrant. They may make an initial offer that is far lower than what you deserve or look for another reason to deny your claim or reduce your settlement amount.
Experienced legal counsel would be able to help you avoid potential problems during negotiations and work toward recovering the full compensation you deserve.
The attorneys at Ed Bernstein and Associates have handled many claims to get total compensation from insurers and liable parties.
What to Do After an Accident Resulting in Catastrophic Injuries
If you or a loved one sustains catastrophic injuries because of another party’s negligence or malicious acts, you may be able to recover compensation by taking the right steps after the accident occurs. The following are some of the specific steps to take in the event of an accident resulting in catastrophic injuries and other damages:
FOLLOW YOUR DOCTOR’S TREATMENT PLAN
After initially seeking a diagnosis and treatment for a catastrophic injury, it is important to follow your doctor’s orders. Your doctor will likely give you a specific treatment plan to help you begin the process of medical recovery. This plan could include prescription medications you are supposed to take and physical therapy to help accelerate the recovery process.
You must adhere to this treatment plan, as this will help you make a full recovery and provide you with medical records and other documentation that may support your case.
If you have any issues with your current treatment plan, consult your doctor before making any changes. You may also want to visit another medical professional for a second opinion and an alternative treatment plan.
MAINTAIN RECEIPTS AND OTHER RELATED DOCUMENTS
To build a successful case, you must have plenty of supporting evidence to prove the extent of your injuries and the negligence of others. This evidence could include any receipts for medical treatment and other expenses, photos of your injuries and other damages, and other documentation pertaining to your case. Even if you are unable to obtain this evidence on your own, our Henderson catastrophic injury attorneys can help you collect and organize it to build your case.
WRITE IN A JOURNAL
If you are able to, you should document your experience with recovery in a journal. This can help you maintain a consistent account of your experience with treatment and the entire recovery process, and it may provide you with supporting evidence when seeking non-economic damages.
Although non-economic damages are more difficult to prove than tangible economic damages, a journal and in-depth account of your experience could help show how catastrophic injuries have affected your life, including your physical and psychological well-being.
AVOID SOCIAL MEDIA
When insurance companies begin investigating a claim, they will likely look at the claimant’s social media profiles to look for any potentially compromising photos or other types of posts. For instance, you might harm your case if a photo shows you apparently uninjured or less affected by your injury than you claim to be. To avoid any potential issues here, staying off social media is best until you have settled your case and the investigations are concluded.
With all applicable documentation collected, take it to the attorneys at Edward Bernstein and Associates. We can assess your case and determine what options you have when it comes to seeking compensation from all liable parties. If you are unable to get ahold of any information to support your case, we can also assist with this.
[video_block popup=”false” video=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRqsEH8j6TM”]Consult a Reliable Henderson Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
Following an accident resulting in catastrophic injuries, you should act fast to recover compensation from the parties responsible for your injuries. Consult the trusted attorneys at Ed Bernstein and Associates for help with negotiating claims or filing a lawsuit. Our Henderson personal injury lawyers have the resources and experience to help injury victims pursue total compensation.
To find out what options are available to you and determine how we can help, schedule a free consultation by calling our Henderson office at (702) 728-4137 or contacting us online today.