Catastrophic personal injury accident victims may be eligible to recover non-economic losses. A catastrophic injury is a special category of personal injuries that are especially severe or damaging, which result in long-term temporary or permanent harm to a victim’s physical and mental health. They include injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, loss of limb, and paralysis. Damages can consist of economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages are quantifiable and include things, such as medical bills, lost wages, and other types of damages that have a set amount. Non-economic damages on the other hand refer to more subjective losses that impact each person differently. Learn about the common types of non-economic damages frequently awarded to personal injury accident victims who have had particularly severe injuries.
Loss of consortium refers to the loss of a victim’s relationship or connection to a loved one. A personal injury victim can be awarded this because they no longer have the unique and personal benefits that the relationship to their loved one offers. This includes benefits such as physical affection and emotional intimacy. For example, a parent can include loss of consortium if their child suffers a permanent disability as a result of a car accident.
As a lesiones catastroficas lawyer such as one from Unidos Legales can explain, the term loss of life enjoyment refers to how a person injury victim’s quality of life is changed due to the effects of a catastrophic personal injury accident. The victim may experience a physical or mental injury that prevents them from taking part in specific recreational activities or enjoying them in a normal way. For instance, a slip and fall victim who suffers injuries after falling down stairs can become partially paralyzed. As a result, they may no longer be able to enjoy favorite hobbies such as walking, dancing or enjoying activities with loved ones.
When a victim suffers emotional anguish, especially if they have experienced catastrophic injuries, they may experience a heightened amount of stress, develop mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorders, or trauma as a result of their physical or mental injury. The victim may suffer depression, increased anxiety, mood swings, and feelings of hopelessness. They may not be able to view their life the same way again after the accident, which can lead to drastic changes to their perspective and ability to regulate their emotional wellbeing.
As one of the most common types of non-economic damages, pain and suffering refers to the physical injuries or mental injuries that a victim experiences. This amount of compensation awarded for pain and suffering depends on a victim’s injuries, amount of injuries, what kind of treatment that they need, and other long-term effects that their physical and mental injuries have caused.
If you would like to learn more about the types of damages that you may possibly be eligible to receive as a victim who has suffered catastrophic injuries, find out what your full legal options are as soon as possible by speaking to a qualified lawyer.