Every car accident injury should be taken seriously, and if the other driver caused the accident, that driver should be held accountable. Sometimes, these claims can be handled directly by the other driver’s insurance company. When the injuries are not very serious, and the other driver’s fault is clear, you probably don’t need to involve a personal injury attorney to make sure you get a fair settlement.
However, the more complicated the claim is, the more an Albuquerque car accident lawyer can help increase the value of your claim. When you or your loved one suffers catastrophic injuries, for example, you want to find an attorney with experience negotiating these difficult settlements.
The car accident attorneys at Keller & Keller welcome these challenging cases and will put their significant experience to work fighting for the compensation you need after a devastating, life-changing injury.
Special Considerations for Catastrophic Injuries
For insurance purposes, a catastrophic injury is one that requires extreme measures to treat and leaves the victim with permanent scars, physical challenges, or disabilities. Traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, amputations, compound fractures, severe burns, and internal organ damage are examples of injuries that are usually considered catastrophic. Car accident victims with these kinds of injuries often require emergency medical care and ongoing treatment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Examples of what may be required include the following:
- Emergency medical treatment. At the time of the accident, people with catastrophic injuries require an ambulance at the scene and may be airlifted to a hospital. In the emergency department, extreme lifesaving measures may be necessary. This kind of response is very costly.
- Surgery. Whether emergency surgery is required at the time of the crash or a scheduled surgery occurs later—or both—surgery is always risky and expensive. Long-term hospitalization often accompanies surgical procedures.
- Rehabilitation. Injuries such as brain trauma and paralysis require the patient to endure years of rehabilitation to regain some level of functioning. Whether this is in a specialized facility or on an out-patient basis, skilled rehab requires time and money.
- Long-term care facility. A car accident victim who is unable to care for himself independently because of his injuries may have to live in a long-term care facility such as a nursing home. Quality facilities can cost several thousand dollars a month for the indefinite future.
- Adaptive equipment. Wheelchairs, ramps, special beds, bathing equipment, and rehabilitation aids may be required for people with permanent disabilities and should be planned for in any financial compensation agreement.
- Personal nursing care. If a severely disabled person is able to live at home, they will likely require around-the-clock nursing care. This is a huge burden for family members to take on, so arranging for professional care is essential.
The costs of treatment and care should be calculated in any demand made to an insurance company for the at-fault driver. It takes a thorough understanding of catastrophic injuries to know how to determine the value of an injury claim. Our attorneys have the experience and dedication to help their clients get the most out of a catastrophic injury claim. They will put together a demand package that includes a detailed accounting of the accident and injuries as well as a projected lifetime cost for the client. They will not back down until they get an agreement you can live with.
