Orland Park, IL Catastrophic Injury Attorneys
Attorneys Helping Recover Compensation for Severe Injuries in Orland Park, Illinois
A personal injury can affect a victim in many ways. Medical treatment can be expensive, and the income lost while recovering can cause financial difficulties for a person and their family. While many injury victims will eventually be able to recover, people who have suffered a catastrophic injury may never be able to fully return to the life they once knew. Their ability to work may have been taken away from them, and they may be unable to enjoy the same activities they once loved. Many people also suffer from long-term or chronic pain and health complications, as well as significant emotional trauma and loss of enjoyment of life. When dealing with the effects of a catastrophic injury, it is critical to have an aggressive advocate on your side—someone who will protect your rights and interests and advocate for your future.
At Schwartz Injury Law, we are here to help you address the injuries you have suffered and the effects that they have had on your life. Our seasoned attorneys will handle all the legal aspects of your claim, giving you and your family the ability and freedom to focus on your day-to-day lives. We proactively prepare each case for litigation, and we will aggressively represent your interests, maximizing your chances of receiving full and fair compensation. We will handle your case with the care, compassion, and personalized attention it deserves.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries can be experienced during a car accident, motorcycle accident, truck accident, or construction accident. They may be the result of a medical mistake, nursing home negligence, or a defective product. However, they all have one thing in common: they significantly alter the life of the victim.
When you suffer a catastrophic injury, your life may be permanently changed. You may need ongoing medical treatment and rehabilitation that can last for years. You may experience disabilities that will limit the types of work you can perform and the daily activities you can participate in. Your home or vehicle may need to be modified to accommodate your condition, or you may need to learn how to use prosthetics or other assistive devices. On top of everything else, you may struggle with the emotional trauma that comes from suffering serious harm and making major changes to your life.
As you work to recover from a severe injury, financial compensation can help you make sure your ongoing needs will be met. At Schwartz Injury Law, we can help you recover compensation for injuries such as:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): When your brain has been affected by a blow to the head or another type of injury, you may struggle with issues such as chronic headaches, seizures, mood disorders, problems with speech and language, loss of physical coordination, and other ongoing difficulties. Ongoing treatment may be needed to address these issues and help you regain a sense of normalcy.
- Paralysis: An injury affecting the spinal cord or other nerves throughout the body can result in a loss of sensation or mobility or a complete inability to use certain body parts. You may need to make major changes to your life to accommodate these disabilities, such as the use of a wheelchair or other mobility aids.
- Amputation or Dismemberment: The loss of a limb can affect your life in many ways, preventing you from performing certain activities or maintaining employment. You may need to use a prosthetic, and occupational rehabilitation will most likely be needed to help you learn to perform daily tasks.
- Severe Burn Injuries: A fire, electrocution, or chemical exposure can cause significant damage to the skin or other organs. In addition to severe pain, you could experience a loss of use in certain parts of the body, and you may also suffer scarring and disfigurement.
- Bone Fractures: Whether they involve a clean break, shattered bones, or compound fractures, broken bones can cause a great deal of pain while taking a long time to heal. Surgery and implants may be needed for serious fractures, and bones may never be able to fully heal, resulting in ongoing disabilities.
- Eye Injuries: When the eyes are damaged in an accident, blindness or other vision impairments may occur. You may struggle with limitations that could affect nearly every area of your life.
- Loss of Hearing: Injuries to the ears or exposure to extremely loud noises or explosions can result in hearing loss. Inability to hear correctly may affect the types of work you can perform, and it could limit your ability to communicate with others.
- Damage to the Respiratory System: Exposure to hazardous chemicals or the inhalation of smoke in a fire can damage the lungs. These injuries can have lingering effects, limiting the types of activities you can perform and putting you at risk of infections or other health issues.
- Damage to Vital Organs: Internal injuries can occur when a forceful blow to the body occurs. Internal organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver, or spleen may be damaged. The loss of function in these organs can be life-threatening, and transplants may be necessary in some cases.
Complications of Catastrophic Injuries
After a severe injury, some victims may eventually recover partial or even complete function in the parts of their bodies that have been affected, but extensive medical care, treatment, and therapies will usually be required. Others may never fully recover, and they could face lifelong complications, such as respiratory failure, renal failure, loss of sensation, blindness, or paralysis. Sadly, some injuries may result in wrongful death. Our attorneys work to ensure that all complications and expenses are factored into the settlement of your catastrophic injury case.
In some cases, the injuries a person suffers in a car accident, construction accident, medical malpractice, or other situations can be so severe that they will affect the person's life permanently. Victims of catastrophic injuries may be permanently disabled, or they may require extensive and ongoing medical treatment and physical therapy. As a result, they and their family may face significant financial difficulties, as well as physical pain and emotional trauma.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can be debilitating, resulting in impairments to cognitive function, memory loss, and mood disorders. Spinal cord injuries can result in permanent disability, and depending on the level of the spine where the injury occurred, a person may suffer paralysis in some or all of their body. Other catastrophic injuries include severe burns that can result in scarring or disfigurement, injuries resulting in loss of limbs or amputation, injuries that cause impairment to sight or hearing, or injuries that cause damage to internal organs.
Because catastrophic injuries can have a permanent impact on the lives of a person and their family members, a victim may be eligible to receive significant financial compensation. The damages in these cases may include the costs of ongoing medical treatment and therapies, assistive devices or modifications to a person's home and vehicle to address disabilities, impairment to a person's income-earning capacity, and the physical and emotional pain and suffering experienced by the victim and their family.
A person or organization that was fully or partially responsible for a victim's injuries may be held liable for the damages they have suffered. Liable parties may include a negligent driver who caused a car accident, a trucking company that failed to perform the proper maintenance to prevent a truck accident, a doctor or nurse who caused an injury through medical negligence, the manufacturer of a defective product, or a property owner who did not take steps to correct hazards on their property.
A personal injury attorney can ensure that a victim understands how a catastrophic injury will affect them and the types of damages they may be able to recover. A lawyer can gather information about the medical care a person has received, the treatment that will be necessary in the future, the income a person has lost or will be unable to earn, and other ways that an injury has affected a family. An attorney can also gather evidence to demonstrate liability for an injury, negotiate with insurance companies, and pursue a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation for the victim.
Contact Our Orland Park Catastrophic Injury Lawyers
When recovering from a catastrophic injury, working with an attorney who can handle your case with integrity and dedication will ensure that you can achieve a positive outcome. At Schwartz Injury Law, we will work to ensure that the compensation you receive will fully address the ways you have been affected and provide you with the resources you need, including ongoing medical treatment, accommodations for disabilities, and the loss of the ability to earn an income. We will also fight to make sure you will be compensated for your physical and emotional pain and suffering. Contact our Orland Park, IL catastrophic injury attorneys today at 708-888-2160 and schedule a free consultation.