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Serious injuries can turn your life upside down. The physical, emotional, and financial toll can be devastating.
Do not try to manage the impact of a severe injury alone. You could be entitled to compensation from others involved in the incident that injured you. Reach out to a Hackensack catastrophic injury lawyer at O’Cathain Law Group Personal Injury Law Department to explore your legal options. Our experienced personal injury attorneys could help you recover and move forward with your life.
Severe injuries are usually accidental. They often result from vehicle accidents, falls, fires, sports injuries, or defective products. The people, companies, or government agencies that contributed to an accident must compensate anyone who suffers losses in the incident.
A proactive Hackensack catastrophic injury attorney could investigate an accident to find evidence of negligence. Someone is negligent when they are not as careful as a reasonable person would have been in a similar situation. When a legal professional can prove someone’s negligence caused an injury to someone else, the negligent party is responsible for compensating the injured person.
In some cases, an injured person was not as careful as they could have been. They might be partially responsible for an accident. However, an injured person who was negligent can still collect compensation from other responsible parties if the accident was not primarily their fault.
Treating and living with a catastrophic injury is very expensive. Even people with excellent health insurance need help paying for the care a severe injury requires. Once an injured person is medically stable, the costs of living with a catastrophic injury are high.
“Damages” is the legal term for the compensation an injured person collects from the parties responsible for an accident. Damages should pay for an injured person’s care and compensate them for their reduced opportunities and diminished quality of life.
Any expense or loss caused by the accident is reimbursable through economic damages, which are sometimes called special damages. These damages include medical and rehabilitation costs, lost income, future medical expenses, and reduced opportunities to earn due to the injury.
A catastrophic injury usually impacts a person’s quality of life and prevents them from doing things they enjoy. Non-economic or general damages provide money to acknowledge the physical pain and emotional hardship the accident caused. An injured person could also receive non-economic damages for their humiliation, disability, scarring, and other impacts of the accident.
New Jersey Statutes § 2A:15-5.12 allows a judge to award punitive damages in some cases. Punitive damages are not available in most personal injury cases, but it is appropriate to ask for them when the responsible party’s behavior is especially outrageous or intentional. A seasoned catastrophic injury lawyer in Hackensack could advise an injured person whether pursuing punitive damages is wise in a specific case.
Each state imposes limits on how long a person has to bring a lawsuit. These limits are called statutes of limitation. New Jersey requires an injured person to file a lawsuit for compensation within two years from the date of injury.
When a child is injured their parent or guardian could bring a lawsuit within two years of the injury. If a parent or guardian does not bring a lawsuit, the child could file suit within two years of their 18th birthday.
Complying with the statute of limitations is important, but it is not the only reason to get legal advice right away. Insurance companies for responsible parties might approach an injured person trying to start settlement negotiations and could pressure them or their family members into accepting a lowball offer. When the injured person has a Hackensack catastrophic accident attorney on their side, the insurance company must communicate through the lawyer. This protects the family from pressure and helps ensure the insurance company makes a reasonable offer.
A severe injury is a life-changing event. The person or parties who contributed to the injury must bear their share of the financial burden.
Consult a Hackensack catastrophic injury lawyer at O’Cathain Law Group Personal Injury Law Department for help obtaining the compensation you deserve. Call today to get started.