Chicago Catastrophic Injuries Lawyer

Whether from a motor vehicle accident, chemical spill, house fire, or nursing home neglect involving electric blankets or space heaters, burns are catastrophic injuries that need to be taken very seriously. Burns can cause excruciating pain, as well as permanent damage and disfigurement to the tissue and muscles in the body. Scarring can be significant, even with skin grafting, and a person’s range of motion may be limited as a result of skin tightening around the affected area. 

A burn injury can also be an ongoing challenge for the survivor, as chronic pain is common. Plastic surgeons who seek to repair scar tissue may recommend repeated surgeries over a long period of time — especially for children who will grow and put stress on the scar tissue. It is important to be mindful of the length of time that may be required to heal—and that, in the most severe cases, a full recovery is not possible.

Jasmer Law Firm is here to help you put your life back together after a serious burn accident. We understand the nuances of these specialty cases, and take the time necessary to review your case from every angle. We often consult with medical burn experts, dermatologists, and surgeons who specialize in skin grafting, as well as occupational, physical, and mental health therapists when constructing your case.

Inside the spine, protected by the bones known as vertebrae, is a delicate bundle of nerve fibers called the spinal cord. When the spinal cord is injured, those signals get interrupted and communication between the brain and the affected parts of the body does not work as well. This can result in a variety of symptoms, including pain, numbness, loss of motor control, and paralysis. Sometimes, those symptoms improve over a period of weeks, months, or years, and in other cases, they may be permanent.

Spinal cord injuries can be categorized by the amount of sensation and motor control that remains in the affected part of the body. If the affected body parts are entirely numb and paralyzed, the injury is referred to as complete. If some sensation or movement remains, it is known as incomplete. Catastrophic spinal cord injuries include paraplegia (paralysis of the legs) as well as quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs). These severe, permanent spinal cord injuries are usually the result of an injury to the upper spine.

Spinal Cord Statistics

According to the National Institute of Health, automobile crashes are the most common cause of spinal cord injuries (31.5%), followed by falls (25.3%), gunshot wounds (10.4%), and diving incidents (4.7%). Medical/surgical complications comprised another 4.3% of all spinal cord injuries. 

The cost of living with a spinal cord injury can be extremely high, often including extensive medical bills and lifelong care, as well as loss of income, necessary home modifications, and other damages. When a spinal cord injury is caused by someone else's negligence or wrongdoing, the injured person may be able to recover financial compensation through the civil legal system by filing a personal injury lawsuit. 

Of catastrophic injury types, traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, are among the most common—and misunderstood. TBIs can result from any sudden impact to the head and could result from a motor vehicle accident, a fall, or an object penetrating the skull and piercing the brain. Not all brain injuries are catastrophic, but severe TBIs frequently result in chronic impairment. The effects of TBIs are wide-ranging, from noise and light sensitivity to memory loss, speech impairment, personality changes, mental health issues, and shortened life expectancy.

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, the effects brain injury victims experience after an accident are highly variable and often depend on the location, cause, and severity of the trauma. For example, one TBI victim may experience issues with his or her ability to remember things for a few weeks after the initial trauma occurs. Comparatively, another TBI victim may have a difficult time adequately expressing his or her emotions and may deal with the effects of anxiety for the rest of his or her life.

Due to the complicated nature of traumatic brain injuries, it is imperative to find a Chicago brain injury lawyer who can help you navigate these challenging cases. The scope of damage may be multi-modal (physical, mental, emotional, professional, sexual, interrelational, etc.) and may require other people who knew the injured person before the accident to offer testimony corroborating how the injury affected them.

There are a multitude of other potentially catastrophic injuries in addition to those listed here. These include any injury resulting in:

• Loss of sight (blindness)

• Loss of hearing (deafness)

• Facial deformities

• Neurological issues

• Nerve damage

• Severe organ damage

One consistent factor in all catastrophic injuries is that the survivor will likely have to live with the effects of the injury for the rest of their life. The Jasmer Law Firm understands that no two catastrophic injuries will be the same; our team of legal experts is here to help determine liability in catastrophic accidents and define the range of compensation to which you are entitled.

If you or a loved one has recently experienced a catastrophic injury, what you do in the aftermath of the event can play a large role in the outcome of your claim. Here are several ways to preserve the evidence of your case and strengthen your catastrophic injury claim:

1. Always get the contact information of anyone involved in the accident, including all witnesses.

2. Call 911 immediately and cooperate fully with your first-responder team. Give a full and complete account of what happened to the officer taking the official police report.

3. Take pictures and videos of all injuries and visible property damage. Also note the condition of the road, the positions of all vehicles involved, and any details that may become important to your case.

4. Keep a dated journal of any changes in your medical condition, including medical treatments and costs incurred.

5. Speak to a catastrophic injury lawyer as soon as possible to begin the process of collecting damages for the substantial harm resulting from your accident. The Jasmer Law Firm is always ready to help: (312) 782-6344. 

Pro tip: Save our phone number under your contacts as CHICAGO ACCIDENT ATTORNEY. This way you will be ready to call us the moment the need arises.

Some of the most common types of catastrophic injuries are listed below:

• Amputations

• Severe burns

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)

• Spinal cord injuries

• Internal organ failure

• Permanent disfigurement

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

No two catastrophic injuries are exactly the same; they can vary in terms of location, severity, and length of time needed for recovery. Catastrophic accidents caused by another person or entity’s negligence can also lead to wrongful death cases.

The most common types of catastrophic injury include motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, premises liability cases, and defective products (consumer protection) are among the most common causes of catastrophic accidents in Chicago. Catastrophic accidents can happen practically anywhere, at any time; our experienced attorneys are prepared to work on types of personal injury claims, including catastrophic injury litigation.

In legal terms, “negligence” is “the failure to behave with the level of care that a reasonable person would have exercised under the same circumstances.” Catastrophic injury often result from someone, or some business entity, failing to take reasonable care and the resulting circumstance severely harming one or more people. 

While this may seem straightforward, many catastrophic injury cases are anything but. The damages incurred after a catastrophic accident can be enormous; the defendants’ lawyers and insurance carriers will try every trick to avoid their massive financial responsibility. The Jasmer Law Firm specializes in cases involving catastrophic personal injury, where we draw from decades of practice to put forward the strongest case possible. Talk to one of our catastrophic injury attorneys to discuss your case: (312) 782-6344.