Victims of catastrophic accidents suffer life-altering consequences. Catastrophic accidents are defined by the injuries they cause, forever changing the way a victim’s body functions. These damages often leave individuals unable to function at the same level as they could prior to the incident. Whether a victim suffers from serious burns or a spinal cord injury causing paralysis, many encounter the following common problems:
Financial Issues
Catastrophic injuries either prevent those affected from ever performing work at the same level of functionality, or the injury requires long-term medical help, including care, rehabilitative treatments, medication, and surgery. Medical expenses and a lack of income generation can cause financial complications quickly in the aftermath of an accident. For many, these injuries affect the victim’s income generation as well as a caregiver’s ability to earn a competitive income. In some cases, a caregiver may not be able to earn any extra income while treating an injured relative.
Quality of Life Difficulties
Those who never fully recover from a catastrophic injury often face a significantly decreased quality of life. For example, a parent may never play ball with his kids. Someone may never be able to travel independently again. In the blink of an eye, a person's world can turn upside down after a catastrophic accident. Even those who do make a full recovery may face life-altering consequences.
Think about the college ball star who gets into a car accident and has to undergo several surgeries to regain functionality. He or she may lose scholarships, be unable to perform ever again, and get so far behind at school that continuing on the same path no longer makes sense.
Family members affected by the deaths that result from catastrophic accidents also experience devastating problems. Children, for instance, may never get guidance from a parent. Spouses often lose the companionship of their partners.
Emotional Distress
In addition to the physical consequences of a catastrophic accident, victims and family members may experience serious emotional problems. Trying to adjust to the injuries and reliving the accident in their heads can cause PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other serious mental health disorders. Almost every survivor of a catastrophic accident goes through some level of emotional distress, regardless of the injuries sustained.
Serious injuries may also affect an individual’s motor functioning or brain processing. The life of a victim can be incredibly lonely, making community support and family involvement an important part of the healing process.
Lack of Guidance
After an accident, survivors and their family members may not have a clear understanding about where to turn for guidance. Many must make serious work-related and medical help decisions while answering questions from investigators and absorbing the full impact of how life has changed. Not having access to legal, medical, and support resources can make the process much more difficult for everyone involved. Texas has a number of helpful state-run resources for accident victims undergoing rehabilitation and those trying to get back into the workforce.
Catastrophic accident victims also have the ability to explore legal recourse with an experienced counselor. Filing a personal injury claim against the individual responsible for the accident is one way victims can overcome the common problems posed by severe accidents and start to move forward with their lives.
At The Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert, P.C., we understand the complex financial, medical, and emotional problems severe accidents cause. We're here to help make rehabilitation and moving on with your life a little easier so you can focus on healing instead of worrying about how you’re going to care for your family or create a meaningful future for yourself.
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If you’re suffering from the consequences of a catastrophic accident, give our office in Dallas a call today.