What a catastrophic injury claim is worth depends entirely on the facts of the case. It depends on the nature and permanence of the injury, the lifetime costs of medical care and support, the impact on the victim’s ability to work, and the full toll on the victim’s life.
In catastrophic injury cases, the stakes are enormous, the damages are unlike anything seen in a routine personal injury claim, and getting the valuation wrong has consequences that follow the victim and their family for the rest of their lives. You need the assistance of an experienced Baton Rouge catastrophic injury attorney.
At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, our catastrophic injury lawyers will carefully evaluate your case and work with experts to establish and accurately value all your current and future economic and non-economic damages. Then, we will provide you with an estimate of what we believe is a fair settlement for your claim.
What Makes an Injury Catastrophic?
Not every serious injury is considered catastrophic in a legal sense. The term refers specifically to injuries that result in permanent or long-term disability and injuries that fundamentally and irreversibly change what a person can do, how they live, and what their future looks like.
Catastrophic injuries include traumatic brain injuries that affect cognition, memory, speech, or motor function. They also include spinal cord injuries resulting in partial or complete paralysis, severe burn injuries causing permanent disfigurement or limited range of motion, amputations, and injuries that result in permanent blindness, deafness, or loss of other sensory function.
These are not injuries a person recovers from in weeks or months. They reshape a victim’s career, independence, relationships, and identity.
Because these conditions are so life-altering, consulting a catastrophic injury attorney early in the process is essential to gathering the necessary medical evidence.
Categories of Compensation for Catastrophic Injury Claims
Louisiana law allows catastrophic injury victims to recover both economic and non-economic damages, and in cases involving especially egregious conduct, punitive damages may also be available in limited circumstances.
Economic damages include current and future medical costs, lost wages and earning capacity, property damage, and other financial costs. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, mental and emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and other intangible costs.
A skilled catastrophic injury lawyer in Baton Rouge can help you quantify these intangible losses to ensure they are properly represented in your demand.
Catastrophic Injury Cases Require Expert Testimony
Accurately valuing a catastrophic injury claim is not something that can be done by adding up current medical bills. It requires a team of qualified experts who can project what the future actually holds.
The first expert we may use is a life care planner. These experts are typically medical professionals with specialized training in rehabilitation. We rely on them to build a comprehensive, evidence-based plan that maps out every medical and support need the victim is likely to have for the rest of their life. That plan becomes the foundation of the future damage analysis.
An economist then takes the life care plan and calculates the present value of those future costs, so you have a lump sum number of what would need to be paid today to cover projected expenses as they arise over the victim’s remaining life expectancy. This analysis accounts for medical inflation, the victim’s life expectancy, and the time value of money.
A vocational rehabilitation expert may also be needed to assess what the victim can realistically do going forward in terms of employment, and what that limitation means in dollar terms compared to what they would have earned without the injury.
Contact a Baton Rouge Catastrophic Injury Attorney Today
At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, our catastrophic injury lawyers handle catastrophic injury cases with the depth, resources, and commitment they demand. We work with the right experts, build the evidence needed to support every element of the damages claim, and fight to make sure our clients are not shortchanged on the costs that will define the rest of their lives.
If you or someone you love has suffered a catastrophic injury in a Louisiana accident, call our dedicated catastrophic injury attorneys in Baton Rouge at (225) 999-1111 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and there is no fee unless we win.