6 Consequences of Suffering a Catastrophic Injury
In the aftermath of a catastrophic injury, many people experience physical, emotional, and financial pain. While some may recover completely from such an injury, many will not. It is important to acknowledge this reality so that you can make the best decisions for yourself and your family. You might need to consult a catastrophic injury lawyer who can help you get compensation for your loss.
If you or a loved one has been in an accident and suffered catastrophic injuries, they will be facing the following consequences in the immediate aftermath of the incident;
Medical Bills
If you’re injured in an accident and need medical care, the bills will quickly add up. In addition to the cost of your hospital stay and doctor’s visits, you may also have to pay for medication or physical therapy. You’ll also need to be prepared for surgery costs if you have an injury that requires it.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering are not the same things. Pain is a physical sensation, while suffering is an emotional response to pain. Pain can be caused by a catastrophic injury—like having your leg amputated or being paralyzed from the waist down—and it’s usually unbearable at first. When you’re injured and in pain, you’ll probably feel like nothing else matters except getting through it; however, there are several ways this condition can lead to further complications over time that aren’t always obvious right away: depression, anxiety; substance abuse (including alcohol); eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder; thoughts about suicide (especially among those with PTSD).
Lost Wages
Lost wages are a major downside of a catastrophic injury. A person who suffers a catastrophic injury may lose the ability to work and earn a living, resulting in lost wages and an inability to support themselves. The average wage for someone between the ages of 16 and 65 (the most common age group) is $45,938 annually, according to CNNMoney.com, which means that losing your job because of your injury could cost you tens of thousands of dollars over time if you don’t have savings or other resources available.
Permanent Impairment
Permanent impairment is a permanent loss of function. It can be caused by the injury itself or by the treatment that follows it. Many people think that they will never be able to do anything again after they’ve suffered a catastrophic injury, but this isn’t always true. Many people can go on with their lives after suffering an injury and still feel like themselves again. However, learning to live with a permanent impairment can be initially overwhelming and can exhaust you mentally, but with therapy and mental counseling, a person can learn to live with their disabilities.
Lost Earning Ability
Lost wages are a major downside of a catastrophic injury. A person who suffers a catastrophic injury may lose the ability to work and earn a living, resulting in lost wages and an inability to support themselves. The average wage for someone between the ages of 16 and 65 (the most common age group) is $45,938 annually, according to CNNMoney.com, which means that losing your job because of your injury could cost you tens of thousands of dollars over time if you don’t have savings or other resources available. It is precisely for this reason that it is recommended to find a highly reviewed and experienced Legal professional for personal harm cases in Cincinnati (or elsewhere more relevant to you), this way you can potentially recuperate the costs of being out of work, with your legal representative fighting to get you the best possible compensation pay-out based on the circumstances your accident left you in.
Loss of ability to work is also possible if there are long-term consequences from the incident that prevent you from being able to return to work at all.
Mental Anguish/Psychological Trauma
As you can imagine, the psychological trauma and mental anguish following a catastrophic injury can be as devastating as physical injuries. The reasons for this are twofold:
- Catastrophic injuries often involve severe physical trauma to the body (such as broken bones or internal bleeding), which means that there is a high chance of permanent damage to your nervous system. This can cause an array of serious health issues ranging from chronic pain to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- The accident itself may not have been your fault, but it still caused you distress and anxiety over whether or not you’ll ever walk again.
Catastrophic injuries are life-changing events. They can cause thousands of dollars in medical bills, pain, and suffering for years to come, lost wages, permanent impairment, lost earning ability, and mental anguish/psychological trauma. In the longer term, catastrophic injuries may lead to death or disability from further physical injury or mental illness.
