Various circumstances can cause you to sustain injuries or harm. While some of the harm is trivial, others are very severe and can leave you nursing catastrophic life-changing injuries and adversely affect your normal body functioning. If you are a catastrophic injury victim, you will have many challenges adapting to the new life. Additionally, the cost of exhaustive and extensive medical treatment can result in financial distress. When someone else’s negligence causes your injuries, you require an attorney to protect your rights and interests.

At G. Dallas Horton & Associates, we will guide you through the process of obtaining compensation. Further, we will help you understand the challenges that come with the various catastrophic injuries in Las Vegas, NV. With us by your side, you have a chance to focus on healing from the injuries as we pursue compensation on your behalf.

Definition of Nevada Catastrophic Injuries

There is no precise definition of catastrophic when it comes to personal injury law. Nonetheless, as per Nevada statute, a catastrophic injury is any bodily injury or illness where proximate or direct repercussions prevent you from performing routine activities. Typically, the injuries cause permanent damage or require a long time to heal.

These injuries can cause total blindness, limb amputation, total hearing loss, extreme burns, and spinal cord injuries. Sometimes, the injuries will leave you unable to work or enjoy life. Any accident that leaves you with injuries severe enough to cause permanent or long-term harm amounts to a catastrophic injury.

Pursuing compensation for these injuries is not easy. Your attorney must demonstrate how each kind of injury sustained affects your present and future life to receive compensation. The problem comes in when estimating the cost of permanent legal damages. You should seek maximum compensation because treating these injuries is extremely expensive. Further, catastrophic injuries will deny you the chance to work or earn a living, making it difficult to provide for you and your loved ones. Therefore, you should pursue lost wages to cover the expenses you and your family will incur at the duration you are away from work.

One common catastrophic injury characteristic is that you need help from family and friends with almost everything. Therefore, even when it comes to compensation, you require a professional injury attorney to assist you in obtaining reasonable compensation. The amount of compensation depends on the types of catastrophic injury sustained and its effects on the various aspects of your life.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

Most TBI injuries nationwide result in death. As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 2.9 million hospital visitations and deaths due to brain injuries in 2014. Out of this number, 827,000 were children.

TBIs occur when your head smashes or is blown by an object causing severe damage to the brain tissue. Besides, you could sustain injuries when an object pierces through your skull, damaging the brain tissue.

Common TBI Causes

Any hit on the body or head can result in brain injuries. Again, the injuries could be caused by any activity that denies the brain adequate oxygen. The severity of the harm depends on shock intensity and injury severity. The situations that result in brain injuries are:

  • Vehicle crashes — The primary cause of brain injuries nationwide is car accidents. The accidents could involve other motor vehicles, bicycles, or pedestrians. You are likely to sustain a TBI in this situation when your head smashes the car walls or when the sudden movement causes awkward forward movement that leads to brain injuries.
  • Sports injuries — Sporting activities like rugby, skateboarding, baseball, soccer, or other extreme sports can result in brain injuries.
  • Medical malpractice — The recklessness of a medical practitioner can result in TBIs. You will sustain brain injuries in a medical malpractice situation if, during surgery, the doctor fails to administer anesthesia. The action can deny oxygen flow to the brain, causing a TBI. When you sustain these injuries, you are entitled to compensation from the physician or hospital in charge of the procedure.
  • Defective and harmful products — You can sustain brain injuries from a defective device or food. When you suffer this kind of harm, you can hold the manufacturer or seller accountable for negligence.
  • Slip and fall — Failing to warn of a slippery floor adequately, not repairing a broken floor, or mopping up the floor can cause a slip and fall. The impact of the fall can injure the skull causing brain injuries. When you sustain a TBI due to a slip and fall, the building owner or the individual responsible for cleaning and repairs will be liable for your injuries.
  • Violent acts — Brain injuries can stem from street fights using metal bars, firearm fights, or domestic violence.

You qualify to pursue compensation whenever an individual is liable for your injuries. The reimbursement depends on the extent and the effects of the injury. When you are diagnosed with a brain injury, you should talk to an injury attorney because the injuries can cause memory loss, adversely impacting your case. The inability to retain memories means you will not remember crucial information about the accident, lacking evidence to prove negligence and obtain compensation.

Furthermore, some TBIs can impact your speech and motor skills. These injuries can adversely change your life entirely because they will leave you unable to return to work. Also, based on the brain injuries, you will require neuropsychological treatment, which is costly considering you will need it for the rest of your life. You are entitled to medical expense damages to cover these medical expenses.

Other times, TBIs can result in mental incapacitation. You should pursue compensation for all the costs incurred in hiring home workers and nurses to look after you when this happens. An injury attorney will boost your chances of obtaining these crucial benefits as they are essential in your recovery.

As mentioned earlier, brain injuries can result in death. If you lose a loved one because of brain injuries caused by another individual, you should pursue wrongful death damages. These will not bring your loved one back to life, but they will be crucial in paying for burial and funeral expenses. Further, these damages will cover lost income, loss of consortium, or loss of spousal and financial support.

Complications Stemming From TBIs

As indicated earlier, your brain injury is classified as catastrophic if it hinders you from performing your routines or you need to depend on others for the rest of your life. The common complication that results from these injuries is altered consciousness. The injuries can cause brain death, an irreversible illness that stops the brain from functioning. When the brain stops functioning, you are forced to depend on a life support machine to survive. You will die after you are removed from the machine.

Similarly, catastrophic injuries can cause a coma or lack of awareness about what is happening in your surroundings. Coma stems from extensive damage to brain parts and can last for days and sometimes even months. When you regain consciousness, you enter the vegetative state.

A vegetative state means that you have regained your reflexes and can open your eyes and mumble, but you lack awareness of your surroundings. This is a permanent state, although few patients regain minimum consciousness of their environment but cannot perform any tasks.

TBIs result in communication, physical, emotional, and behavioral issues. You need life-long financial support from the liable party, and the best way to obtain this is by hiring G. Dallas Horton & Associates. We have competent attorneys dedicated to protecting your interests.

Severe Burn Injuries

Your skin is the largest body organ. Therefore, sustaining extreme burn injuries on this organ of your body is the worst form of harm you can suffer. The injuries are delicate to treat, excruciating, and leave you with permanent scarring, disfigurement, and emotional trauma. When you sustain these injuries, you incur hefty expenses seeking top-notch medical treatment and cosmetic surgery. These will still not return you to your former self.

If you are a victim of extreme burns due to another person’s negligence, you need compensation for the hefty medical expenses, permanent disfigurement, and pain and suffering. The compensation to be obtained depends on the extent of the injuries and how they occurred. Sadly, many people suffer extreme burn injuries every day. The Department of Health and Human Services reported in 2000 that after every 120 minutes, a person died of severe burns, or every 23 minutes, an individual sustained extreme burns due to fire mishaps. From these studies, you can conclude that many individuals seek compensation for burn injuries. The numbers make it challenging to obtain reasonable compensation, and this is why an injury attorney is critical in your case to ensure you receive reimbursement for your legal damages.

Burn Injuries Deemed Catastrophic

Severe burn injuries vary, with some healing faster and others taking a long time to heal. Some victims suffer from sensory loss, uncountable surgeries, and life-long pain. Again, extreme burn injuries can cause bacterial infections, bloodstream infections, and sometimes kidney failure, making the injuries fatal.

A burn that is considered catastrophic damages your skin irreparably. Once the skin is damaged to the extent it cannot regrow or be repaired, you are left exposed to bacterial infections and shattering of sensory nerves, and you are likely not to feel any pain.

Also, a burn that leaves you with scars on the burned spot is catastrophic, primarily when the scarring is on your face, neck, or other visible body parts. With this kind of scarring, you develop low self-esteem and social anxiety. You find it challenging to interact with the public because of your appearance. Although some burn victims find it easy to interact again with society, others find it challenging because of the social anxiety, leading to depression and suicidal thoughts.

Furthermore, a catastrophic burn injury cannot permanently heal. The injuries will recover to some extent, but the scarring is permanent. Even with multiple cosmetic surgery procedures, it will be challenging to regain your original structure or appearance. Catastrophic burn injuries destroy your epidermis, dermis, sweat glands, and hair follicles. Devoid sweat glands, it will be difficult to regulate body temperature, hindering you from engaging in particular activities.

Causes of Catastrophic Burns

Obtaining damages for your burn injuries is not easy. You must establish the particular cause of the burn and point out the person responsible for the court to award damages. Some of the ways you can suffer extreme burns include:

  • Adverse drug reaction
  • Home fire
  • Gas explosions
  • Vehicle accidents
  • Chemical burns
  • Workplace fire incidents
  • Defective industrial tools or products
  • Electrocution
  • Thermal burns

Based on what caused the burns, your injury attorney will investigate the incident and establish the person responsible.

Injuries Causing Amputation

Amputation refers to removing the entire or part of the limb like a finger, toe, foot, or arm through a surgical procedure. When you are involved in an accident or develop an illness that requires the removal of your entire limb or part of it, the injuries are considered catastrophic or traumatic. The recovery duration depends on the affected body part.

With the current advancements in the medical field, it is possible to reattach an amputated finger or toe. However, it is impossible to reattach the amputated part or limb in the case of catastrophic amputation.

Amputation Causes

Amputation is not a form of catastrophic injury but a procedure conducted after irreparable damage on the part of or the whole limb. One common cause of amputation is poor blood flow resulting from the narrowing arteries. Blood carries oxygen to various body parts through blood vessels. When this happens, the limbs are deprived of oxygen, causing damage and bacterial infections.

Similarly, a catastrophic amputation can stem from automobile, lawnmower, pedestrian, workplace, electrocution, domestic violence, and construction site accidents. Even gun wounds and severe burns could result in amputations.

Amputations are catastrophic because you need rehabilitation for the rest of your life. Again, even when the lost limb is replaced with a prosthetic, you must learn basic skills like walking. This is a lot to take in because you cannot operate as you used. Therefore, you must seek compensation if you believe another person’s negligence or fault caused your injuries. Filing a claim and obtaining maximum reimbursement for these injuries is difficult. At G. Dallas Horton & Associates, we understand this, and it is why we are ready to assist you with your claim for maximum compensation.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Your spinal cord plays a critical role in the body as it controls bodily mobility by allowing the brain to send messages to other body parts. When an accident occurs, you will face severe consequences, injuring part of the spinal cord or the nerves that relay information or impulses to other body parts. The repercussions depend on the severity of the injury. A catastrophic spinal cord injury will result in extreme physical and emotional pain and hinder you from performing particular exercises. Additionally, spinal cord injuries are irreversible, making these problems lifelong. Because of the lifelong mental, social and physical consequences of the injuries, they are deemed catastrophic. A condition like equina, meaning nerve damage, can cause lifelong loss of sensation and low body strength.

Sometimes, these injuries can cause paralysis, total loss, or impairment of body parts movement. The primary cause of paralysis is catastrophic spinal cord injuries. It is critical to hire an injury attorney to pursue compensation for the financial, social, emotional, and physical lifelong effects with these consequences in mind. The paralysis conditions you are likely to develop from these injuries are:

  • Paraplegia — The condition stops your legs, trunk, and pelvic organs from functioning, forcing you to live the rest of your days confined in a wheelchair.
  • Quadriplegia or tetraplegia — When you sustain injuries on your spinal cord in the area near the neck, your body parts are impaired from the neck downwards, leaving you unable to perform activities that require intensive lifting.

Spinal Cord Injury Causes

You can develop a spinal cord injury due to several reasons. One of them is medical malpractice. When you visit a hospital to seek treatment, the doctor in charge of the treatment owes you a duty of care. If you develop central code syndrome due to their negligence, you should pursue compensation. Besides, a faulty device for the reproductive system can cause these injuries. Medical malpractices can lead to bruising or severing of the backbone.

Similarly, you could develop spinal cord injuries when excess pressure is applied to your spine. The pressure can stem from a motor vehicle collision or lifting heavyweights. When you sustain these injuries due to someone else’s fault, you can sue them for compensation.

Another kind of spinal cord injury you can sustain is laceration which happens when you sever or tear your backbone due to a car accident, gunshot, or invasive surgery. If you are an industrial worker, an accident at your workplace can cause contusions.

Aspects that Make Spinal Cord Injuries Catastrophic

The consequences of the injuries depend on the area of the spinal cord affected. A complete spinal cord injury is catastrophic because you cannot control your extremities. You lose bowel control, movement, and bladder control and endure extreme pain, forcing you to depend on others.

Additionally, the injury will be catastrophic if you develop erectile dysfunction in men and lubrication loss for women, causing sexual health problems.

Your backbone plays a significant role in your body's mobility and function. You will depend on other people for almost everything after a catastrophic injury. Therefore, you need G. Dallas Horton & Associates to assist you in obtaining lifetime compensation to afford the nursing care and future medical treatment you need for these injuries.

Injury Causing Blindness

Eyes are very fragile, and injuries could result in irritation, bruising, or even loss of sight. An injury causing blindness could result from prolonged exposure to bright light. When you work in a work setting where you are highly exposed to bright lights, your employer has to protect you from the same. Failure to do this could result in temporary or permanent blindness. Luckily, you can sue them for the injuries.

Also, blindness can be caused by assault attacks or car accidents. This happens when you sustain severe trauma to the head. Sometimes, even exposure to dangerous chemicals can cause blindness.

Permanent loss of sight can be devastating, and the consequences last for a lifetime. You cannot return to your original job or perform particular tasks, making you eligible for legal damages like lost earnings, loss of earning capability, pain, suffering, and medical benefits.

Internal Injuries

Another form of catastrophic injury is an internal injury which often results in organ damage or internal bleeding. The injuries occur when you are hit by a blunt or sharp object, causing damage to internal body organs. Sharp or penetrating trauma can stem from gunshot wounds or knife stabbings that tear blood vessels or damage internal organs.

On the other hand, blunt trauma occurs when the impact from a high-speed object hits your body tearing blood vessels or organs. The impact can stem from a car accident or slip and fall.

It is worth noting that sometimes you can die immediately from the impact. If you are lucky, you survive but with permanent conditions like eyesight loss, loss of limb, or paralysis.

If you receive advanced medical intervention, you will recover from internal injuries. However, other injuries are lifelong or permanent. Despite the injuries being part of your life, there is still hope. When you partner with our attorneys, we will demonstrate that the damaged internal body part performs a crucial role in the functioning of your body. Nevertheless, it no longer does because it was affected by a particular occurrence caused by the defendant. Also, when you require continued medical intervention, we will help you claim future medical benefits.

Find an Experienced Catastrophic Injury Attorney Near Me

Negligence or carelessness by another individual can have devastating effects on your life if you sustain life-changing injuries. These injuries rarely heal, meaning you must learn to live with them. The cost of rehabilitation, medication, and hospitalization can drain your bank accounts now that you are not working or generating income due to the injuries. Therefore, it is wise to reach out to an injury attorney to obtain compensation.

At G. Dallas Horton & Associates, we understand Nevada's catastrophic injury statutes and are willing to review your case and fight for your rights in Las Vegas, NV. Do not hesitate to call us at 702-820-5917 to arrange a meeting if you have questions or want to file a claim.