by Sonja Dupree

Created on: January 02, 2009   Last Updated: January 09, 2009

A catastrophic injury has tremendous impact on the injured person and their families who are confronting the physical disability, emotional trauma and the subsequent enormous financial hardship that is indicative of such predicaments. Injuries are considered catastrophic when the physical injuries are especially severe and require extensive medical treatment. Many people who suffer from catastrophic injuries also have the added dimension of emotional problems such as depression as a result of the limitation as imposed by the injury. In some instances, the affect of the catastrophic injury may extend itself to emotional trauma long after the physical scars have healed outwardly and the emotional scars are just as serious of an impediment to overall health of the injured person as the physical component.

Catastrophic injuries can be caused by common types of accidents such as defective products, fire, motor vehicle collisions, machinery accidents, workplace accidents, construction accidents and sports injuries.

The kind of injuries that constitutes as catastrophic are the following:

a) Severe Burn Injuries

b) Brain Injuries

c) Spinal Chords Injuries

d) Paralysis

e) Amputation

f) Loss of an Eye

g) Injuries to Central Nervous System

h) Multiple Fractures

i) Wrongful death

When such injuries are sustained, it is important that the injured person receives the maximum amount of compensation for these kinds of injuries can have long lasting effect on the injured person life and their families. Management of these kinds of injuries is very complex and requires the expertise of healthcare professionals that encompass physicians, nurses, therapist, counselors, and consultants. It is important to maximize the amount of compensation a person is entitled to by analyzing future costs of medical care.

An injured person may receive damages (monetary compensation) for the following:

a) Current and Future Medical Expenses

b) Current and Future Lost Income

c) Loss of Consortium (spousal relations)

d) Pain and Suffering

e) Loss of enjoyment of life

If one finds themselves or a family member in catastrophic injury case, the measurement of loss is an interdisciplinary effort involving such specialists as life-care planners, economists, rehabilitation therapist, counselors, and health care providers to substantiate the enormous cost of ongoing medical care for injured person. It would be necessary to retain the services of a qualified attorney who specializes in personal injury cases to ensure that

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