What Qualifies As Catastrophic Injury?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), injuries that qualify as catastrophic are those that:
- Are life-threatening
- Cause extensive loss of function (physical or cognitive)
- Require a long-term period of recovery
These are general criteria of catastrophic injuries. Any one of these features may qualify you or a loved one as having a catastrophic injury.
Compensation You Can Recover for a Catastrophic Injury
Catastrophic injuries can cause losses in every phase of your life. Our firm will pursue compensation to cover every type of loss that you experience. We will also project your future losses and seek compensation for those.
Medical Costs for a Catastrophic Injury
Medical costs for victims of catastrophic injuries may be significant. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) lists some of the medical requirements for those with a catastrophic injury. We can fight to recover compensation for the cost of:
- Medications
- In-home medical equipment
- Surgery
- Emergency care following your injury
- Any time that you were hospitalized
- Assistive technology to help with daily living or rehabilitation
- Hiring a personal care assistant (PCA) or another type of caregiver
- Adapting your vehicle for wheelchair accessibility
- Any other medical costs from your catastrophic injury
Economic Costs
Any settlement that we agree to will include coverage for your economic losses. Medical expenses are one type of economic loss. Other types of economic losses that you may be covered for are:
- Temporary loss of income
- Permanent loss of income
- A decline in your earning power caused by your injury
- Damage to personal property
- Loss of professional opportunities
- The cost of psychological and emotional treatment
Clients have unique experiences with catastrophic injuries. We will assign a value to all of your economic losses. This allows us to set a financial goal for your settlement or judgment.
Non-Economic Losses
Serious injuries may cause more pain and suffering than minor ones. It is critical that we pursue fair coverage for non-economic losses from your catastrophic injury. We may seek awards to cover:
- Harm to your quality of life caused by your injury
- Pain resulting from the injury
- Emotional distress caused by the injury and its symptoms
- Other non-economic losses from your injury
There are several types of catastrophic injuries. Each one comes with certain economic and non-economic costs. You may deserve coverage for each class of loss.
How Our Team Handles Catastrophic Injury Cases
Handling a catastrophic injury case requires empathy, thoroughness, and tenacity. The stakes in these cases are great, as financial, emotional, and physical losses from catastrophic injuries are generally substantial.
Our firm can do the work to complete your case. We can seek a positive outcome for you by:
- Identifying every single loss that you have suffered
- Collecting evidence of the cause of your injury
- Pinpointing who owes you compensation
- Completing all paperwork required for your case
- Conducting all case-related communications
- Protecting you from unwanted contact by others involved in your case
- Negotiating directly with the representatives of the at-fault parties
Our goal is generally to secure a financial settlement. However, we are also comfortable going to trial when doing so is necessary.
Our Firm Gets Results
We have recovered more than $200 million in winnings for our clients. Some specific cases that involved catastrophic injuries are:
- $5.25 million for a victim who suffered a brain injury in an auto accident
- $5 million for a driver who was paralyzed because of injuries suffered in an auto accident
- $2 million for an auto accident victim who suffered spinal cord injuries
- $1.61 million for another auto accident victim with spinal cord injuries
We may be able to secure a settlement or judgment for you or your loved one.
You Pay us Nothing Unless We Win
Our team does not get paid unless you win. Because we represent clients through a contingency fee, we only collect a fee if the client has a positive financial outcome.
If we obtain a settlement or judgment for you, then we claim a percentage of that settlement. If we do not, then you do not owe us anything for our services.
We work hard to get a positive outcome for our clients. This is also a positive outcome for us. We can use all available resources and legal approaches to seek a financial recovery for you.
Call the Attorneys at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Today
A free consultation is only a call away and with no obligations. We encourage you to call us today, as Louisiana’s statutes of limitations limit the time you have to file a lawsuit. You can reach us at (337) 777-7777 for a free consultation.
