The long-term ramifications of a catastrophic injury matches its sobering name. From a lowered quality of life to an inability to work, such an injury has an immediate impact that can put a strain on maintaining relationships with family and spouses. However, in New Jersey, there are protections offered to victims of these injuries. Under the personal injury law in the state, victims are able to recover financial and other damages that come from the injury.
The protections cover a large portion of issues that can arise from a catastrophic injury from medical bills to compensation for pain and suffering. But what exactly qualifies a personal injury as catastrophic in New Jersey?
Examples of Catastrophic Injuries in New Jersey
As a quick definition, a catastrophic injury causes a permanent injury that requires treatment for the rest of the victim’s life or otherwise limits or completely ruins the victim’s liveliness or vigor through severe debilitation. However, if the victim requires lifelong treatments that don’t affect their ability to work, it may not be considered catastrophic due to the lacking in intensity, though those cases still qualify for compensation as a personal injury.
Specific examples of what qualifies as a catastrophic injury include:
- Brain injuries that come as a result of poor or improper surgical or cardiac procedures by a medical professional
- Traumatic, life-altering injuries from a major auto accident
- Severe or traumatic burn injuries
- Excessive antibiotic exposure that leads to deafness or other life-altering injury
- Paralysis or other life-altering injury that comes as a result of a medical professionals inability or failure to diagnose spinal cord compromise
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), a condition that results from compression injuries often from surgical mistakes or errors
- Injury from a worksite accident that leads to amputation of a limb
- Brain injury, such as a stroke, that comes as a direct result of anesthesia that was not properly administered, or from a medical professional not recognizing airway compromise
- Defective automobile design or negligence in medical care that leads to paraplegia or quadriplegia
If you have been severely injured due to the negligence or malice intent of another, you deserve compensation. Contact our team at Bochetto & Lentz today to learn how our years of experience can get the best result for your case.