Temple Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
Catastrophic accidents can turn your life on its head. Serious injuries can affect your ability to earn a living and even interfere with your ability to live independently.
When a catastrophic injury results from someone else’s negligence, you have the right to pursue compensation from the at-fault party. A fair compensation award could cover your medical expenses, reduced earning potential, diminished quality of life, and costs associated with your care and rehabilitation.
If you or your family member suffered a devastating injury in an accident, contact a Temple catastrophic injury lawyer at your first opportunity. A skilled injury attorney at Chad Jones Law could help you pursue the compensation you need and deserve.
Catastrophic Injuries Cause Permanent Damage
State law does not define what constitutes a catastrophic injury. The plain meaning of the phrase suggests that any permanent, life-changing injury could be catastrophic.
In fact, some people with catastrophic injuries are able to hold certain jobs, but the extent of their injury often limits their opportunities. Even if they can work, survivors of catastrophic injuries might experience considerably reduced opportunities for normal social and family life and participation in recreational activities. Some injuries that are considered to be “catastrophic” in most cases include:
- Loss of vision
- Significant loss of hearing
- Disfiguring facial trauma
- Severe burns
- Limb amputations
- Spinal cord damage
- Traumatic brain injury
Whether or not an injury is considered “catastrophic” depends on how it affects the victim. An experienced Temple attorney knows how to measure the gravity of a catastrophic injury for the purposes of compensation and could seek damages that adequately reflect a claimant’s losses.
Negligent Parties Liable for Injuries
When a plaintiff seeks damages, they must prove that the negligence of the defendant led or contributed to the accident that caused the injury. When someone fails to exercise appropriate care to protect others from harm, they can be considered legally negligent.
Evidence sufficient to prove negligence varies from case to case and depends on multiple factors, including the circumstances of the accident and the relationship between the plaintiff and the defendant. Proving a speeding driver was negligent when they hit a pedestrian requires different evidence than demonstrating a manufacturer was negligent for producing a defective product. Proving a store owner negligently caused a patron’s fall differs from proving a doctor’s error caused an unnecessary amputation.
When a Temple injury attorney proves a defendant negligent and establishes that their behavior caused the plaintiff catastrophic harm, the defendant is legally liable for the plaintiff’s losses. In many catastrophic injury cases, several negligent parties might have contributed to the accident. According to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §33.001, each party to a lawsuit is proportionately responsible for a share of the plaintiff’s damages.
Be Aware of Time Limits
The law restricts the time in which an injured party can file a claim. In general, someone seeking damages for personal injuries suffered in an accident has two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. However, there are certain exceptions and special circumstances that could affect the statute of limitations in a specific case.
For example, if a state or local government might be a defendant in the lawsuit, the plaintiff has little time to act. A government entity could be a defendant if the accident involved a government-owned or operated vehicle or happened on public property. When the government is a potential defendant, an injured person must file a notice of claim within six months of their injury.
It is best to contact an experienced injury attorney soon after a catastrophic accident in Temple. Doing so gives them the best chance at preserving their rights and allows their legal representative to file within the state’s required timeframe.
Rely on a Temple Catastrophic Injury Attorney
If you were in an accident that caused severe, permanent injuries, you could seek damages from the negligent parties whose conduct contributed to the incident. You should not bear the financial burden of coping with your injuries alone.
A Temple catastrophic injury lawyer understands how devastating permanent injuries can be and will work diligently to get you a settlement that compensates for all you have lost. Set up a time to speak with a determined advocate at Chad Jones Law today.
