Personal 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:
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Brain injuries that are caused by trauma are common with many different types of accidents and events. These include motor vehicle crashes (particularly those that occur at higher speeds), head-first falls, being struck in the head by a hard/solid object, being thrown head-first into a hard surface, assault, and sports injuries. Because the brain is the most complex organ in the body, an injury that disrupts its normal function can have wide ranging effects. TBI’s vary widely in severity, and in the worst cases, the injury can be permanent and debilitating.
Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can result from fuel-fed fires or explosions in serious car or truck accidents. Also, chemical and electrical burns are hazards that exist in many workplace industrial accidents. Burn injuries can be extremely painful and expensive to treat, often requiring a lengthy period of wound care therapy followed by multiple rounds of skin grafts and surgeries which may be spaced out over months or years. Even with the best care, the burn injury victim may be left with permanent scarring and disfigurement. Burn injury victims are also exposed to the risk of serious complications from the injury, including infection and nerve and organ damage.
Damaged nerve endings may cause chronic pain or a loss of sensation and decreased ability to function. In addition, there are often emotional and psychological issues to deal with on an ongoing basis. All of these factors should be considered when pursuing a negligence case or workers’ compensation claim involving a burn injury.
Fractures
Broken bones, particularly compound fractures, must be treated immediately and properly to improve the chances that the bones will heal correctly. Serious fractures may also involve serious or deadly complications, including damage to blood vessels and nerves, and an infection in the bone known as osteomyelitis. Accident victims suffering skull or vertebrae fractures risk brain or spinal injury as well.
Fractures can involve an extended, painful period of recovery and rehabilitation, and may involve long-term or permanent disability. It can be difficult to communicate these facts about fractures to juries who may not appreciate the serious nature of this type of injury. We provide strong and effective representation of people who have suffered a fracture due to a slip and fall on unsafe premises, or a fall from a ladder, scaffold or other height in the workplace.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Damage to the spinal cord can often result in serious and permanent injuries. A spinal cord injury impacts your ability to control your back and limbs, and the severity of the injury depends on where along the spinal cord it occurs. Spinal cord injuries can be “complete”, meaning that the victim loses all control over motor functions, or “incomplete”, meaning some motor function is retained with degrees of functionality varying from patient to patient. In the worst cases, spinal cord injuries can result in paralysis, which can come in two forms; tetraplegia/quadriplegia (paralysis of the arms, hands, trunk, legs, and pelvic organs), and paraplegia (paralysis of all or part of the trunk, legs, and pelvic organs).
Amputations
The loss of a limb can be both physically and emotionally devastating. The effects of an amputation can stretch across one’s home and work life, level of independence, and general quality of life. Our serious injury attorneys work out a complete life care plan that includes all the costs an amputee may face, including a lengthy period of intensive care and rehabilitation, long-term wound care, counseling, vocational training, and periodic prostheses fittings and replacements over a lifetime. Where the home or car must be adapted to the needs of the accident victim, we make sure to include these costs as well. Our goal is to obtain as much compensation as is needed to ensure that our client receives the best medical care and can enjoy the best quality of life possible after a serious accident.
Wrongful Death
In the worst cases, a serious or catastrophic injury can turn fatal. When this occurs, the legal claim from the injury shifts from personal injury to wrongful death. A wrongful death claim is brought by the personal representative of the victim’s estate on behalf of surviving family members. These may include the victim’s spouse, children, parents, or other relatives who are wholly or partially dependent on the victim for support and services.
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!
