Catastrophic injuries are serious injuries or sicknesses that can often result in severe disability and are often related to work. In short, you will never get back all the arduous hours of physical and intellectual labor that you lose owing to your injury. The losses may not be tangible; lower earnings, a broken dream, and the pain from aches and agony are still there, but it can be challenging for some persons to fathom what one might lose as a catastrophic injury victim when recovery is not yet complete.
You might need to work with an experienced los angeles attorney to help you get the settlement you deserve. When you suffer a serious injury as a result of someone else's negligence, then that person should be held responsible for your injuries and losses. While recovery from catastrophic injuries is possible, it is often a long and difficult process that takes more time than most people would prefer to spend.
The following losses are some of the intangible losses that catastrophic injury victims may suffer during the healing period while they are in recovery:
- Medical expenses
Routine medical expenses are not recoverable or reimbursable, however expectant mothers and pregnant women in recovery may need special attention from their doctors, who would have to attend to the needs of an expectant mother. The costs of routine medical treatments will be higher than usual and may need to be paid out of the settlement.
- Loss of wages
Catastrophic injury victims will not get back all their work hours and wages, though the amount of money that they can be compensated for is generally higher than the average salary in their workplace. The gross amount of wages is calculated by taking into account not only the additional salary earned but also the lost salary as well. In addition to this, there are also special expenses that would have been incurred had the victim not been unemployed, such as income tax refunds and reduced social security payments.
- Loss of enjoyment of life
The loss of enjoyment of life is the most difficult for most catastrophic injury victims to comprehend. They might have to give up on their dreams, love life, and hobbies that they cherished before the accident happened. Compensation for the lost enjoyment of life is often limited.
- Pain and suffering
Injuries would have led to pain and suffering, but victims will also be required to go through long periods of rehabilitation. The level of pain suffered by the victim is determined based on the assaultive or traumatic nature of the injury.
