Injuries from car accidents negatively impact lives, families, relationships, and careers. In addition to physical injuries, car wrecks can also leave victims suffering from mental and emotional complications.
If you’re injured in a car accident in Jersey City due to someone else’s negligence, you can file an injury claim with your insurance company or take legal action to hold the at-fault parties liable for the physical harm and property damage they’ve caused. However, without proper legal representation, you may be at risk of receiving inadequate compensation that may fail to compensate you for your medical expenses and secure your long-term future.
It is crucial to work with an experienced Jersey City car accident lawyer who can guide you through the complicated legal process and help you understand what to expect at each stage of the process.
Common Car Accident Injuries
Car accident injuries can range from minor to severe. These injuries can be classified into non-catastrophic and catastrophic injuries. A non-catastrophic injury can be painful but heals relatively quickly with very few long-term consequences. Cuts, bruises, whiplash, lacerations, scars, broken bones, and other minor injuries are generally considered non-catastrophic.
An experienced lawyer can help accident victims establish the kind of injury they have suffered and seek fair and just compensation for their damages.
For an injury to be considered catastrophic, it must permanently alter the victim’s life. Some of the issues that may qualify an injury as catastrophic include:
- The inability to return to work or maintain gainful employment due to the injury
- The inability to take physical care of oneself due to the injury
- The need for continuous medical care
- The need for medical device assistance (wheelchair, crutches, or other devices)
- The need to make modifications to the home and vehicles to accommodate the effects of the injury
- A family member or spouse may need to leave their job to provide continual care
Accident injury claims involving catastrophic injuries may often involve higher amounts of compensation, damages for pain and suffering, detailed and careful settlement negotiations, and potentially expert testimony from medical professionals, accident reconstruction specialists, occupational therapists, and economists. The prominent catastrophic injuries suffered in car accidents include:
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can be described as an alteration in brain function caused by an external force or trauma. In a car collision, if a victim takes a severe blow to the head, the brain may hit against the skull, resulting in brain damage. The effects of a TBI can be long-lasting, or even permanent.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) do not always manifest immediately following an accident. TBI victims face a prolonged and difficult recovery process, which can result in feelings of isolation and uncertainty about the future.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord refers to the bundle of nerves that carry instructions to and from the brain to the rest of the body. Very few car accident injuries are as severe and potentially devastating as spinal cord injuries.
Spinal cord damage can affect an individual’s ability to walk, move, control their bladder, or even breathe with ease. An injury to the spinal cord affects normal motor, sensory, and autonomic functions.
Burn Injuries
While burns are less frequent in auto accidents than other injuries, they are more likely to result in severe medical complications. Scalds, flash burns, friction burns, smoke inhalation burns, chemical burns, electrical burns, and thermal burns are various kinds of burns victims suffer in auto accidents.
The leading causes of car accident-related burn injuries include:
- The impact of a collision starting a fire
- Exposure to chemicals
- Electrical currents or open flames
- Fires due to poor vehicle maintenance
- Leaking chemical fluids or leaks in the fuel system
- Short circuits
- Overheated engines
- Manufacturing defects
- Design flaws
Recovering from burn injuries takes time. More than anything else, treatments require a significant amount of money. Due to the high potential for disfigurement, scarring, and emotional trauma, adequate compensation is of paramount importance in auto accident-related burn injuries.
Amputations
A car accident amputation injury involves the removal or loss of a body part, usually a limb or digit. The devastating impact of a car collision can trap an extremity, damaging it so severely that doctors have no other option but to amputate it.
Crush injuries, severe lacerations, vascular damage, and infections can result in surgical amputations. Victims who sustain an amputation injury from a car accident may experience adverse consequences on their mobility, ability to work, active social life, and emotional and mental health. Victims may require extensive medical treatment, physical therapy, counseling, prosthetics, rehabilitation, and adaptive devices to restore function and mobility.
Injured in a car accident? Contact Omni Injury & Accident Law
Determining an adequate settlement amount isn’t always straightforward, and settling for a payout that’s far less than what you require to support your needs may lead to significant financial strain and personal problems down the road.
Insurers prefer dealing with injured individuals directly rather than through an attorney. Most accident victims don’t have the knowledge, experience, time, resources, or patience for prolonged negotiations. An experienced personal injury attorney will help you with everything from compiling evidence and determining fault to communicating and negotiating a settlement with insurers. Schedule a free consultation to learn more.