Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic Injury & Accident Lawsuits in New Jersey
Catastrophic injuries are serious, life-altering events that cause permanent damage and leave a person unable to work. These accidents are just that — accidents — meaning they are often caused by negligence and could have been prevented.
As a result of someone else’s carelessness, you could be faced with lifelong medical bills in addition to the inability to create income. Our experienced legal team at Dansky | Katz | Ringold is on your side, and we are here to help you get the compensation your family deserves.
Examples of Catastrophic Injury
Our attorneys represent clients who have suffered all kinds of catastrophic injuries, including:
- Spinal Cord Injury – An accident that damages the spinal cord, such as a motorcycle crash, may cause quadriplegia or paraplegia – permanent paralysis from the site of the injury down.
- Brain Injury – Whether you were seriously injured by a blow to the head (traumatic brain injury) or by a lack of oxygen to the brain (hypoxic brain injury), you will likely need extensive medical and rehabilitative care.
- Burns – Burns and scalds are some of the most painful and disfiguring of all injuries. Whether caused by hot liquids, heated objects, electricity, chemicals or fire, burn injuries can require multiple surgeries and rehabilitation in a burn center.
- Paralysis – Motor vehicle accidents, falls, recreational accidents and even medical malpractice can cause spinal cord injuries or other nerve damage. This could result in the inability to move part of or all of a limb or facial muscle.
- Electrocution – Coming into contact with an overhead or underground power line, bad wiring or a defective electric product can cause electrocution and a variety of medical conditions, including abnormal heart rhythm and nerve injury.
- Blindness – Vision is one of our most critical senses. If you suffered an eye injury or became blind because of an accident or medical negligence, your world will never be the same.
- Deafness – Explosions, workplace noise exposure and overexposure to prescription antibiotics can all cause hearing loss or permanent deafness.
- Amputation – Defective machinery and equipment, dangerous power tools, motor vehicle accidents and construction incidents can all cause the loss of body parts. Treatment includes ongoing physical therapy and expensive prosthetics.
- Internal Injuries – Injuries to internal organs can easily lead to wrongful death, operative procedures or a lifetime of pain and disability.
- Multiple Fractures – Badly broken bones can require multiple surgeries to heal and months of rehabilitation.
- Chronic Pain – A surgery gone wrong could lead to a lifetime of pain, also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.
- Stroke — If a doctor fails to notice your airway was constricted or an anesthesiologist gives you too much medication, you could have a stroke, which often leads to mental deficits, paralysis and difficulty speaking.
- Mental Disorder – Physical trauma from an accident can also cause psychological trauma that turns into a debilitating behavioral or emotional condition. Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders can require extensive medical care to treat.
- Birth Injuries – If your obstetrician used forceps during delivery, they could have caused your baby to develop Erb’s palsy, Bell’s palsy or brachial plexus.
Statute of Limitations
The state of New Jersey has instituted time limits on when someone claiming catastrophic injury can file a lawsuit:
- Adults – If you were injured as an adult, you can file a lawsuit within two years of learning about the accident, or when you could have reasonably known about the accident.
- Minors – If you were injured as a child, you have until you reach 20 years old to file a lawsuit in New Jersey court.
- Wrongful Death – If a loved one died as a result of a catastrophic accident, you must file a lawsuit within two years after the accident. This statute of limitations applies for victims who were both adults and minors.
Types of Compensation
You and your loved ones did not ask to be victims of a catastrophic accident. But because of someone else’s negligence, you are now faced with mounting medical bills, loss of income and emotional distress.
Pursuing a lawsuit against the person or party responsible for accident will not make your injuries disappear, but it can make their burden lighter. There are several types of compensation you can pursue when filing a catastrophic injury case:
- Loss of income
- Property damage
- Emergency medical treatment
- Long-term medical treatment
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Legal fees
Hiring a Catastrophic Injury Attorney
The outcome of your catastrophic accident case could affect the rest of your life, so it is important to be diligent when selecting a legal firm to work with. Our experienced team at Dansky | Katz | Ringold understands your pain — we have unfortunately seen it time and again — and will not stop advocating for what you deserve until your case is won.
If you are unsure whether your catastrophic injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, please contact our office at 800-609-7577. One of our lawyers would be happy to talk with you at no charge to discuss your case and answer your questions.