Serious Injury Lawyers in Pensacola
In the most serious of accidents, injury victims are left with permanent disabilities in the form of paralysis, scarring or disfigurement, the loss of a limb, or the full or partial loss of use of a part of the body. Injuries such as these are enormously expensive to treat and are often accompanied by extensive periods of rehabilitation.
Serious and catastrophic injuries can put a major physical, emotional, and financial strain on victims and their families. In addition to huge medical bills and the likelihood of not being able to work for the rest of their lives, there is untold pain and suffering and enormous psychological stress not knowing when (if ever) the suffering will end and their lives can return to normal. Family members may also face difficulties because of issues like suddenly being thrust into the role of caregiving for someone who they have looked up to for strength and guidance their entire lives.
Serious injuries require serious legal help, and the attorneys at Whibbs Stone Barnett have the knowledge, skills, and resources to prepare a comprehensive case that covers a lifetime of additional costs in a compelling and persuasive manner. Cases involving serious injury are often complex and complicated, with numerous variables that can determine how favorable the outcome will be. Our lawyers have over 60 years of combined experience successfully representing serious injury victims in Pensacola, Fort Walton and Mobile, and we put our experience to work to recover the necessary level of compensation to help our clients heal and live their lives to the fullest extent possible.
Our seasoned personal injury lawyers represent clients who have suffered all types of serious injuries, including but not limited to:
How Catastrophic Injuries Affect Spouses
If the individual who suffers a catastrophic injury is married, the largest burden will usually fall upon their spouse. In many instances, the spouse is thrust into a caregiving role, which may include duties such as moving, turning, bathing, toileting, making sure they get their medications, and taking them to doctor appointments.
In addition to the stress of being a caregiver, the spouse also has to deal with trying to make ends meet financially. Ongoing medical care is very expensive, and they need to figure out how they will pay for it all. The situation is made for worse if the injured person is one of the primary breadwinners in the household. In such cases, the spouse might have to work extra hours or even take on another job while making sure their spouse receives the necessary care.
The immense amount of stress that the spouse of an injured person faces can cause a number of physical issues with the spouse as well. Among the most common being higher blood pressure/hypertension, which in more severe cases can lead to a stroke. In fact, a 2016 study published by MedPage Today found that caregivers who feel strained by their duties are significantly more likely to suffer a stroke.
How Catastrophic Injuries Affect Children
Underage children of a catastrophic injury victim are likely to suffer significant emotional trauma from the injury. In many cases, the relationship between the kids and the injured parent is turned upside down.
For example, a parent for whom the child has always viewed as a strong provider and protector is suddenly unable to work, unable to cook for them, take them to school activities, help them with their homework, etc. Now the roles are reversed, and the parent relies on the child for help with a lot of physical tasks.
Like any traumatic event in a child’s life, kids will have a difficult time processing what has happened to their injured parent. This of course will depend on the age and maturity of the child when the event happens. Not knowing when (if ever) their parent will recover only adds to the stress, and it may take a while for the child to accept what has happened.
Resources Available for Family Members of Injury Victims
For those who are dealing with the effects of a catastrophic injury, things will be tough for a while, and you may never be able to return fully to the way things used to be. But this does not mean that things are hopeless.
The good news is that countless others have been through what you are going through, and there are a lot of resources that you can access to help get you through it:
- Family and Friends: Oftentimes, there are close family members and friends that live nearby and can help out with some of the things that need to be done. For example, may be one of the parents of the injured person or their spouse would be available sometimes to provide care or babysit the grandkids.
- Support Groups: You probably have some close confidants whom you can call on when you need someone to talk to. But there are also support groups both online (Facebook has groups for nearly every area of interest, for example) as well as in your local area where you can connect with others who are in similar situations.
- Respite Care: One way to help relieve the stress and burden of being a primary caregiver is to hire a professional to help out. Many in-home caregiving services offer respite care, which means having a professional caregiver come in and give you a rest at various times during the week or even for an extended period if you need a break for a while.
- Counseling: People are sometimes hesitant to seek out counseling because there is a stigma attached to it – like you have something “wrong” with you. But it is important to realize that there is no shame in asking for professional help to deal with a traumatic event in your life. That is what counseling is for.
- Legal Resources: If the catastrophic injury occurred because of someone else’s negligence or reckless actions, you should speak with a skilled and knowledgeable attorney to discuss your case. As we have talked about in this article, the recovery process for an injury like this is very costly both financially and in other ways, and you deserve to be fully compensated for your losses. The best way to ensure that this happens is to obtain strong legal counsel.
Damages Recoverable from Serious Injury Claims
Those who have sustained serious and catastrophic injuries at the hands of another person or party are entitled to full and fair compensation for their losses, also known as “damages.” These may include:
- Hospitalization costs;
- Costs for surgeries and other types of medical procedures;
- The cost of ongoing medical care;
- Lost wages;
- Loss of earning capacity;
- Funeral and burial expenses (in the case of a wrongful death);
- Physical pain-and-suffering;
- Emotional distress;
- Diminished quality of life;
- Disfigurement;
- Permanent injury;
- Loss of companionship, guidance, support, and care.
In some limited cases in which the actions of the party responsible for a serious injury were willful, malicious, or grossly negligent, punitive damages may also be appropriate. Punitive damages are not meant to compensate the victim, but rather to punish the wrongdoer and help deter them (and others) from committing similarly egregious actions in the future.
In the case of a serious injury, damages are far more extensive than with standard personal injury claims. For this reason, it is extremely important to have a legal representative who understands the complexities involved with these types of cases and has the proven ability to fully document the extent of your losses. This type of injury will affect you for the rest of your life, and the compensation you receive should be reflective of the entirety of the losses you have suffered.
Serious Attorneys for Serious Injuries
If you or a member of your family has been seriously injured due to the negligence or wrongful conduct of another, contact Whibbs Stone Barnett at our offices in Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, and Mobile, Alabama. You can reach us toll free at 1-888-219-4561 or contact us online to arrange for a free consultation about your options to recover compensation for your injury. We look forward to serving you!
