Catastrophic Injury Attorney in Atlanta

A major injury changes your life. It’s not just a hospital stay, some rehab, some medications, and then back to normal. After suffering a catastrophic injury like brain trauma, a spinal cord injury, or a severe burn, the last thing on your mind is starting a legal case. But if an accident was the cause of your injury, if someone else’s negligence is the reason for your pain and suffering, you deserve a chance to seek justice.

Catastrophic injuries can have a life-long impact on your quality of life and ability to earn a living. If you sustained a catastrophic injury through no fault of your own, you might have a viable claim for compensation. When a negligent person causes you harm, you may be able to help you hold them accountable.

You deserve to know what your legal options are. You deserve an experienced injury attorney in Atlanta who fully understands your life-changing circumstances and is ready to fight for compensation for you. The Scott Pryor Law Group’s catastrophic injury lawyers are ready to assist you.

• What qualifies as a catastrophic injury?
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Burn injuries
  • Amputations
  • Determining catastrophic injuries
• Typical Causes of Catastrophic Injuries
• Compensation Available in an Atlanta Catastrophic Injury Case
• What if I’m partially to blame for the catastrophic incident?
• How long do I have to file a claim?
• How to prove a catastrophic injury claim
• Let an Atlanta Catastrophic Injury Attorney Help

What qualifies as a catastrophic injury?

A catastrophic injury is a severe injury to the spine, spinal cord, or brain that requires life-long care or leaves you permanently disabled. Although spine, spinal cord, and brain injuries are more common, burns and amputations can also be considered catastrophic.

Traumatic brain injuries

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is damage to the brain that’s caused by a blow to the head. A TBI can result from car accidents, falls, sport injuries, work accidents, and more. Brain injuries range in severity, from a concussion to torn brain tissue.

Mild TBI symptoms include:

• Loss of consciousness for a few minutes
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Persistent headaches
• Fatigue
• Speech problems
• Sleeplessness
• Blurred vision
• Concentration problems
• Mood changes
• Sensitivity to sound or light

More severe TBI symptoms are:

• Loss of consciousness for several hours or more
• Seizures or convulsions
• Coma
• Dilation of the pupils
• Numbness in the fingers and toes
• Fluid leakage from the nose or ears

Spinal cord injuries

Just like with a TBI, injuries to the spinal cord happen because of a sudden cut or blow to the spine. A spinal cord injury can lead to loss of strength, sensation, and function in part of the body, depending on how severe it is.

They’re generally caused by auto and motorcycle accidents, but you can sustain a spinal cord injury from other accidents too. Spinal cord injuries often lead to paralysis, sometimes in the hand or foot, but also full limbs (paraplegia or quadriplegia).

Types of spinal cord injuries include:

• Bulging discs caused by rapid acceleration and deceleration of the neck
• Disc herniation
• Partially severed spinal cord
• Full severed spinal cord

Some of the most common symptoms of spinal cord injuries are:

• Loss of sensation
• Inability to feel heat or coldness
• Numbness in hands, fingers, and toes
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Loss of movement
• Change in sexual function
• Muscle spasms
• Difficulty breathing or coughing

Burn injuries

Burn injuries are catastrophic if they lead to permanent damage. You can sustain a burn injury from road rash on a motorcycle, bicycle, or scooter accident, thermal burns from a fire, electrical burns, or chemical burns.

Burns are categorized by degree:

• First-degree: The outer layer of skin is reddened (as with a sunburn) but there’s no permanent damage.
• Second-degree: The outer layer and layer underneath (dermis) are damaged and there’s swelling and blisters, but scarring is unlikely.
• Third-degree: The dermis and epidermis are destroyed and you may need skin grafting or reconstructive surgery.
• Fourth-degree: All layers of skin are destroyed along with damage to bones, muscles, and tendons. Fourth-degree burns are life-threatening and require several skin-graft surgeries.

Amputations

Accidents can cause burns or crush injuries that are so severe a limb needs to be amputated. It’s also possible to lose a limb at the time of the accident. Work accidents, traffic accidents, and electrocution are some of the causes behind amputation.

Losing a limb means having significant medical care for the rest of your life. It may also require modifications to your home that can be costly.

Determining catastrophic injuries

If you’ve been badly injured in an accident but you aren’t sure if your injuries qualify as “catastrophic,” you should still contact an Atlanta personal injury lawyer. The Scott Pryor Law Group can listen to your case and let you know what your legal options are.

Contact The Scott Pryor Law Group for a free consultation

Typical Causes of Catastrophic Injuries

Catastrophic injuries can occur anywhere in and around Atlanta. From vehicle accidents to injuries on public property, these accidents can have an infinite amount of causes and contributing factors. That said, there are some causes of a catastrophic injury that are more common than others. Examples include:

• 18-Wheeler crashes
• Workplace injuries
• Falls
• Flawed or dangerous consumer goods
• Criminal assaults
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injury
• Medical malpractice
• Sports injuries
• Paralysis
• Burn injuries

Even if you don’t see your particular accident listed above, we encourage you to contact The Scott Pryor Law Group. Our Atlanta catastrophic injury lawyers know what a significant impact your injuries and ongoing medical treatment have on your life.

We realize that this may be the most difficult thing you’ve ever gone through. We want to offer sound legal guidance, support, and empathy while we help you fight to obtain the compensation you need to start living your life again.

Compensation Available in an Atlanta Catastrophic Injury Case

Generally speaking, there are two categories of damages in a catastrophic injury case: economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages include any injuries that are easily measurable, including medical bills.

These are in contrast to non-economic damages that do not have an inherent value, like pain and suffering. One of our primary roles as your attorney is to identify the damages that could be available for you.

Some examples of damages available in these cases include:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Permanent disability
• Disfigurement
• Diminished future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering from physical injuries
• Property damage repair costs
• Emotional distress

There is no cap on either economic or non-economic damages that you could receive for your accident.

What if I’m partially to blame for the catastrophic incident?

Georgia has a comparative negligence law, meaning that you can still recover compensation for your injuries even if the accident that caused them is partially your fault. You’ll receive a lower settlement amount, however. We’ll have to determine the percentage of the accident you’re liable for, and your compensation will be reduced by this amount.

You should still contact an Atlanta catastrophic injury lawyer if you think you’re somewhat responsible for the accident that caused your injuries. In fact, we’d encourage you even more strongly to call our team if you’re partially to blame. Dealing with a personal injury claim is already complex. When you have to factor in comparative negligence as well, it can become downright overwhelming. Let The Scott Pryor Law Group take care of it for you.

Contact The Scott Pryor Law Group for a free consultation

How long do I have to file a claim?

In Georgia, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a catastrophic personal injury claim. If you wait longer than two years, you may forfeit your right to receive damages for the accident.

We understand that sustaining a major injury is life-changing, and your health is your number-one priority right now. You and your loved ones probably don’t bother even thinking about legal representation when you’re in so much pain, or when the medical bills are piling up.

Contacting an attorney is one of the best things you can do to help yourself long-term, though. We can build a personal injury claim for you, negotiate with your insurance company, and even represent you in court if it comes to that. Our team wants to help ease your and your family’s suffering the best way we know how: By fighting for fair compensation for your injuries.

Don’t let the deadline pass. Contact The Scott Pryor Law Group as soon after your accident as possible so you don’t risk forfeiting your right to compensation.

How to prove a catastrophic injury claim

To get you monetary damages for your injury, we must provide legal proof. We’ll show that:

1. The defendant (the other party in the accident) had a duty of care to you.
2. The defendant breached that duty with negligent conduct.
3. This breach was the cause of your injuries.
4. You suffered damages.

It seems simple, but proving these legal points can take a great deal of research and investigation. We need evidence to back up your claim and sometimes, getting ahold of this evidence can be tricky.

You don’t have the time or the energy to represent yourself in your catastrophic injury claim—not while you’re dealing with your health and well-being. That’s why you should hire our attorneys to do it for you. No one else in this process will guard your interests as well as we do. The defendant, the insurance company, the courts; none of them will show you the same compassion and dedication as our team at The Scott Pryor Law Group.

Let an Atlanta Catastrophic Injury Attorney Help

The days and weeks following a catastrophic injury could be challenging for you and your loved ones. These injuries could result in significant medical bills and impact your ability to make a living. The financial hardships that can follow a catastrophic injury only complicate the physical and emotional toll.

If you need assistance with help getting your life back on track following a catastrophic injury, you must move quickly. Our team is ready to take your call and listen to your case. We offer support, guidance, and compassion at every step of the process. Schedule a free consultation and learn more about your options.