Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in Dallas

Thousands of people in Dallas and across Texas suffer from severe head and spinal injuries each year. The Texas Department of Transportation reported that in 2020, there were 14,656 serious injuries from car accidents.

Catastrophic injuries can drastically change a person’s life and affect their family. These injuries often need extensive medical care, rehabilitation, home modifications for accessibility, and relearning basic skills. Adequate financial resources are crucial to adapt to this new life. If you or a loved one suffered catastrophic injuries due to someone’s negligence, you might be eligible for substantial compensation. This compensation can help cover injury costs and future needs.

At Kraft & Associates, P.C., our Dallas catastrophic injury lawyers are committed to helping accident victims. We aim to secure the maximum compensation the law permits for serious accidents. The financial, physical, and emotional costs of a catastrophic injury can be overwhelming. To move forward, you need trusted legal guidance based on experience. Our compassionate attorneys will fight for the full compensation you need to live your life with the dignity and comfort you deserve.

At Kraft & Associates, P.C., we’ve spent more than 50 years handling personal injury claims., including catastrophic injury claims. If you are seeking a friendly and reputable Dallas law firm to help you, you’ve come to the right place. Our attorneys have the experience and knowledge you need. To learn more about how we can help you, call our office, visit our contact page, or chat with one of our online agents.

What Is a Catastrophic Injury?

A catastrophic injury is any injury that causes lasting harm or leads to permanent disability. Injuries to the brain and spinal cord are often referred to as catastrophic injuries because of their lasting impact on the victim.

In addition to the physical toll on your body, a catastrophic injury often brings large medical bills and other high costs, such as lost income from missed work. Depending on the injury, you may be unable to return to your old job or require retraining to do different types of work.  You may seek compensation for your lost wages including lost future income. The emotional toll can be significant, which is why seeking accountability and just compensation is important.

Important Things to Do After Being Injured

If you or a loved one has sustained a catastrophic injury, it’s important to get help right away, starting with emergency medical treatment.

• Call 911 and seek treatment – Catastrophic injuries can worsen or prove fatal if left untreated. Prompt medical treatment is crucial to mitigate further damage caused by swelling and internal bleeding. Calling 911 will bring the police to the scene so that they can investigate what happened and make an official report.
• Gather evidence at the scene if possible – If your loved one has been seriously injured, you should use your phone to take photos of the accident scene or ask someone else to do so. Evidence from the accident scene, such as photographs of the vehicles involved, hazards, and weather conditions, can support a claim for compensation.
• Follow your doctor’s orders – After you’ve received emergency care, it’s important to keep follow-up appointments and stick with the treatment plan. The full extent of an injury may take weeks or months to determine. Follow your doctor’s orders because any deviation from your prescribed treatment plan could be used by the insurance companies as a reason to deny you compensation for your injuries.
• Don’t say anything to insurance companies before hiring an attorney – The information you provide to insurance adjusters is one of the most important factors in determining how much compensation you receive after a catastrophic injury. If an insurance company contacts you and offers a quick settlement, you should have an experienced personal injury lawyer review the offer and discuss whether it is reasonable in light of your injuries. To avoid jeopardizing your claim, it’s best to let a lawyer handle all communication between you and any insurance company.
• Avoid social media. – It’s tempting to use social media to update your friends and families about your condition. But any comments you post about your accident or injury may be taken out of context by an insurer or defense attorney and used against you. If you appear to enjoy activities despite your condition, the insurer may argue that you weren’t seriously injured and deserve little or no compensation.
• Contact an attorney as soon as you can. – A personal injury claim for a catastrophic injury takes time to develop. You have only a limited amount of time to file a catastrophic injury lawsuit, so you want to get started as soon as possible. While you focus on healing, our dedicated lawyers at Kraft & Associates, P.C., can start gathering evidence and building a strong case for compensation for you.

Types of Catastrophic Injuries

There are many different types of catastrophic injuries. They all have lasting effects on the victim’s life.

Some injuries that are often catastrophic include:

• Amputations/crushed limbs – Often caused by motor vehicle accidents, industrial accidents, or malfunctioning equipment, a crushed limb or amputation may severely limit the injured person’s ability to perform physical labor and affect his or her daily life. Even with the use of a prosthetic limb, the accident victim may experience intense psychological and physical pain.
• Eye injuries – Damage to one or both eyes can result in partial or total blindness. This can severely impact a person’s work and quality of life. Catastrophic eye injuries are often permanent.
• Loss of hearing – The loss of hearing in one or both ears can be catastrophic. It may impact a person’s ability to do their job and prevent the person from enjoying certain activities, such as listening to music. Hearing aids can help in some cases, but the loss of hearing can be permanent and irreparable.
• Spinal cord injury – Any spinal damage is cause for serious concern. Spinal cord injuries can result in permanent loss of bodily function below the site of the injury, including partial or complete paralysis. Even in cases where the victim does not suffer paralysis after a spinal cord injury, the spinal cord injury survivor may experience permanent, severe pain, weakness, or numbness in their body.
• Nerve damage – Certain injuries can cause nerve damage even when they don’t affect the spine. This can cause long-term loss of movement, weakness, pain, or numbness in the affected area. The nerve damage can be permanent.
• Traumatic brain injuries – A traumatic brain injury can lead to loss of consciousness, weeks in intensive care, and a lengthy recovery. A TBI can lead to loss of motor control, ongoing personality changes, memory problems, and cognitive decline. Severe brain damage may result in a coma. Brain injury victims can require around-the-clock care.
• Facial injuries – Disfigurement from burns, broken bones, and head injuries can be both physically and psychologically painful. Facial injuries often require many cosmetic surgeries to improve the victim’s condition.
• Birth injuries – Newborns who suffer birth injuries can suffer limb injuries and developmental difficulties that last for the rest of their lives and require ongoing care.

Common causes of catastrophic injuries include:

Compensation for a Catastrophic Injury

If someone else caused your catastrophic injury, you may be eligible for a significant settlement or court award. Under Texas law, catastrophic injury victims have the right to pursue compensation from those liable for their injuries. Filing an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit allows accident victims to demand money to cover their medical bills, loss of income, pain, and suffering, and other expenses related to the injury. A successful catastrophic injury claim can provide some financial security for an accident victim.

In a personal injury claim after a catastrophic injury, you may recover compensation for:

Catastrophic Injury Vs. Other Types of Injury Cases

There are a few factors that make catastrophic injury claims different from other personal injury cases. They include:

• The extent of the injuries – Severe injuries mean more expensive medical care and potentially greater compensation.
• The recovery time – Being out of work for a long time or permanent disability can have a major impact on your financial future, which a claim for compensation would include.
• Long-term injuries – Ongoing care, assistive devices such as prosthetics, and changes to your home might be necessary.
• The statute of limitations – Catastrophic injuries require longer medical care, which means your attorney may need to begin work on your case before your treatment ends. Avoid missing the final deadline for filing a claim by contacting a qualified lawyer as soon as possible.

Talk to a Dallas Catastrophic Injury Attorney Today

The experienced and compassionate Dallas catastrophic injury attorneys with Kraft & Associates, P.C., have experience helping people facing difficult circumstances similar to your situation. We can help you find the best path forward. We know how important seeking just compensation and accountability is to accident victims. We know how to demand what you need. Contact our office for a free, no-obligation consultation.