You are driving down a picturesque road in DuPage County when suddenly you are struck head-on by another vehicle. Waking up in the emergency room, the doctor informs you that you have suffered a spinal cord injury and may never walk again. Your very existence has been upended instantly, with life as you knew it irrevocably shattered.
Catastrophic injuries from a car accident involving the neck and spinal cord are amongst the most severe injuries someone can experience. During this turbulent and frightening period in your life, it is vital to remember that since you are suffering from a personal injury, you may be entitled to financial compensation if another party’s negligence caused your accident. This compensation may be related to your pain and suffering, medical bills relating to your accident, and lost wages because of the accident.
Four Types of Injuries That Qualify as Catastrophic
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, more than ten people every hour, on average, are injured in car accidents, with three people per day dying from their injuries. However, death is not always the result of a catastrophic injury from a car accident. So, you may wonder, what else constitutes this type of injury?
Something most catastrophic injuries have in common is that they often prohibit the victim from being able to work. And usually, if you are incapable of working, you may also be unable to walk or care for yourself. Here are a few examples of such injuries:
- Severe brain injuries – Many types of brain injuries range from mild concussions to traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries generally leave the victim in a vegetative state, where the person is technically awake but showing no signs of awareness. This type of injury may also put the victim in a coma when someone is unconscious and cannot be awoken.
- Spinal cord injuries – Your spinal cord connects your brain to everything else in your body. When the spinal cord is damaged, horrific complications can arise, such as losing the ability to move your limbs and losing the ability to feel sensations, such as hot and cold temperatures.
- Burn injuries – Severe burns relating to a car accident are agonizingly painful and may also subject the victim to an increased risk of developing skin infections. Burns can also result in permanent disfigurement and scarring.
- Loss of limbs – A violent car wreck can result in your arm or leg getting crushed underneath the pressure of the vehicle. You may lose a limb during a car accident, or the limb may need to be removed during emergency surgery post-wreck. Either way, losing a limb counts as a catastrophic injury.
Contact a Bloomingdale Catastrophic Injury Attorney
Catastrophic injuries from car wrecks can have a monumental impact on victims and their families. This is especially true if the victim was their family’s sole provider. If you or someone you love has suffered from this type of injury, contact the highly experienced DuPage County catastrophic injury lawyer David Clark to examine your case and pursue financial compensation on your behalf. Call the Law Offices of David W. Clark, P.C., at 630-665-5678 to schedule a free consultation.
Source:
https://idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Transportation-System/Resources/Safety/Crash-Reports/crash-facts/2019%20Crash%20Facts.pdf