The Most Popular Catastrophic Accident Types

Being involved in an accident can be a devastating experience. However, some accidents result in catastrophic injuries that leave victims with life-changing disabilities and require extensive medical treatment.

Catastrophic injury is any severe physical injury or illness that significantly impacts a victim’s quality of life. Examples include spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), amputations, and severe burns. It has the potential to result in home care being needed or the person affected has to move into an assisted living facility such as Adeo, so they can get the support they need to live a functional and positive life.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Your spinal cord is a network of nerves that connects your brain and body. Vertebrae shields it. It extends from the base of your brain to just above your waist. The spinal cord has a series of pathways of nerve cells that carry different types of messages, including movement and feeling.

A spinal cord injury can cause feelings such as heat or cold, pain, and touch to be lost or altered. It can also affect bowel and bladder control.

Spinal cord injury victims may face a protracted rehabilitation period and require lifelong specialized care.  

Traumatic Brain Injuries

One of the common types of catastrophic injuries is traumatic brain injury, which has devastating, life-altering consequences for the victim and their family. They can include long-term disabilities, loss of employment, emotional and mental suffering, and high medical expenses. A workers’ compensation attorney can help recover sufficient compensation to offset those costs and make up for the injury’s significant impact on a person’s lifestyle.

A TBI can be caused by a hit or jolt to the head, such as a vehicle accident’s blunt force trauma. The damage to the brain can vary, depending on the force of the impact and how much the skull is fractured. The primary brain injury occurs at the moment of impact and usually affects only one lobe. For anybody involved in these kinds of accidents, a neurologist will usually diagnose and treat the injuries, along with several other medical specialists.

In such cases, obtaining an MRI in Iselin, NJ, (or elsewhere), can be a crucial step in accurately diagnosing the extent of brain injuries. Secondary brain injuries, such as contusions and diffuse axonal injury (DAI), occur when the brain crashes back and forth inside the skull, shearing and tearing nerve axons that run from one part of the brain to another like telephone wires. These injuries are often invisible and may not appear on CT or MRI scans.

Amputations

Being involved in an accident is a life-changing experience, especially when the injuries are severe. Catastrophic injuries will impact a person’s life forever, ranging from brain injuries to loss of limbs.

An amputation surgically removes a body part, including digits, arms, and legs. Amputations are often necessary in cases of catastrophic accidents.

Injuries of this nature are typically caused by negligence, such as ignoring safety protocols. If you have suffered from an injury like this due to someone else’s actions, contact a catastrophic injury lawyer for advice and to discuss your options for compensation. 

Burns

A catastrophic injury can have far-reaching consequences in a victim’s life. Victims may need surgery, rehabilitation, and ongoing medical treatments that cost hundreds of thousands or more. In addition to monetary costs, victims can also face psychological and physical trauma or distress, loss of income or career, pain and suffering, and other non-economic damages.

Car accidents are a frequent source of catastrophic injuries; the most severe injuries often result from high-speed collisions. The most common motor-vehicle crashes were angle collisions with fixed objects, pedestrian accidents, and rollovers.