What is a Catastrophic Injury in Poway?

Personal injuries can vary significantly in terms of severity. In car crashes and other types of accidents in Poway and throughout Southern California, people can suffer harm that ranges from a mild injury to a debilitating or even fatal injury. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word ‘catastrophic’ often means “causing sudden and very great harm or destruction.” In the realm of personal injury law, we often think of catastrophic injuries as those that result in disabilities and those that may be life-threatening. The following are examples of different kinds of catastrophic injuries that often lead to successful personal injury lawsuits.

Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs)

Spinal cord injuries frequently result in permanent paralysis. According to the Mayo Clinic, a spinal cord injury is a term that refers to “damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal.” Even if a spinal cord injury does not result in paralysis, the Mayo Clinic underscores that these types of injuries frequently cause “permanent changes in strength, sensation, and other body functions below the site of the injury.” In addition, these injuries can require medical support for the rest of the injured person’s life, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars (and often much more).

Fractures, or Broken Bones

A fracture is another word to describe a broken bone, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The severity of a fracture will depend upon whether the bone is completely fractured or partially fractured, and what bone is broken. Even a stable fracture, where “the broken ends of the bone line up and are barely out of place,” can result in a temporary disability if a person’s arm or leg is broken. In cases where a person has suffered an open, compound fracture, the injury is typically much more severe. The AAOS describes a compound fracture as one in which “the skin may be pierced by the bone or by a blow that breaks the skin at the time of the fracture,” and “the bone may or may not be visible in the wound.”

Traumatic Amputations

MedlinePlus describes a traumatic amputation as “the loss of a body part, usually a finger, toe, arm, or leg, that occurs as the result of an accident or injury.” Traumatic amputations usually lead to permanent and often total disabilities.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)

Traumatic brain injuries are a form of catastrophic injury. As the Mayo Clinic explains, TBIs typically happen when a person experiences “a violent blow or jolt to the head or body,” and clarifies that these injuries can also occur when an object “penetrates brain tissue, such as a bullet or shattered piece of skull.” Even mild TBIs, including concussions, can have long-term complications that can involve partial or total disabilities.

Contact a Poway Personal Injury Attorney

If another party’s negligence or intentional wrongdoing caused your catastrophic injury, you should seek advice from a Poway personal injury lawyer at our firm as soon as possible. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about how we can assist you with a catastrophic injury claim.

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