A catastrophic injury will likely result in your life being forever altered. These injuries can result in brain damage, permanent paralysis, the loss of a limb, substantial disfigurement, or even death. If you or a loved one were seriously injured, recovering compensation can be an essential part of putting your life back together.
At 1Law, we are focused on getting our clients the money they need for their damages, so they can focus on healing from their injuries as much as possible. We know how devastating a catastrophic injury can be and will do everything we can to help alleviate the burden.
Before you can file a lawsuit for a catastrophic injury, you must first determine liability. Making this determination will help you identify the correct avenue for pursuing compensation. An experienced catastrophic injury lawyer can help you identify who is responsible for your injuries.
If your injuries resulted from negligence or an intentional act by another party, you will likely have the option to pursue compensation through a personal injury lawsuit or through a claim against the liable party’s insurer.
In cases where your injuries occurred solely based on your own actions, recovering compensation from your own insurance provider will likely be your only option.
While you can technically represent yourself in these cases, doing so will likely leave you in a bad position. There are many reasons why hiring a catastrophic injury lawyer will typically be to your benefit.
After a catastrophic injury, you likely will not be in a very good position to handle fighting a legal battle. You will likely be bedridden for some time, and even after that, your medical care will take up a significant portion of your time. The stress of dealing with a lawsuit on your own will also slow the healing process.
Insurance companies are not on your side. Even your own insurer is far more concerned about their bottom line than your wellbeing. These companies will attempt to take advantage of your inexperience with accident claims and personal injury law. They will try to undervalue your claim and get you to accept a settlement far below what your case is worth.
On average, those who hire a catastrophic injury lawyer recover far more compensation than victims who attempt to represent themselves. Even after your lawyer has been paid, you will likely end up with far more money than if you were to go it alone. Even lawyers hire other lawyers when dealing with their own legal issues.
When you suffer a catastrophic injury, you will likely be able to recover significant compensation. There are many damages you can potentially receive for these types of injuries. Your losses will be divided into either economic or non-economic damages.
These are the losses that result from your injury that are strictly related to your financial situation. Economic damages cover all of the money you spend as well as the money you fail to earn because of your injury. These damages can cover both current and future losses. Common economic damages include:
The rest of the losses you suffer are categorized as non-economic damages. These losses are often substantial in cases of catastrophic injuries. The losses covered in the category are the things that affect your everyday life and tend to be irreplaceable. Common non-economic damages include:
In rare cases, you might also be able to recover punitive damages for your catastrophic injury. If the at-fault party acted in a manner that was criminally negligent or carried out with the intent of causing harm, you will likely have a case for compensation.
Punitive damages are not meant to cover your losses but rather to punish the liable party for their actions.
When filing a lawsuit, it is essential to be aware of the statute of limitations. In Utah, accident victims generally have four years from the date of their accident to recover compensation. Failure to act within this time frame can result in the loss of your right to recover compensation.
It is critical to note that there is the potential for special circumstances to apply to your case, which may alter how long you have to file. For example, if your injury was caused by a government agency, or if you are filing a wrongful death claim, your period for filing a lawsuit will be greatly reduced.
Hiring an experienced catastrophic injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident is the best way to ensure that all deadlines are met.
Many attorneys charge their clients periodically while working on their cases based on the number of hours they have put in. However, things tend to work differently with personal injury lawyers. When representing you in a catastrophic injury case, your lawyer will only collect a fee once.
This fee will be assessed once your case has concluded. It will be for a prearranged percentage of the money you recover from the liable party. That means that the more money you get, the more your lawyer receives. It also means that if your lawyer fails to secure compensation for you, they don’t get paid.
At 1Law, we strive to get our clients the best possible results. Our team of catastrophic injury lawyers in West Jordan has a proven track record of recovering favorable outcomes for our clients.
Give us a call, fill out our online contact form, use our chat tool to get started with a free consultation today.