Catastrophic Injury Lawyers In La Mesa
A serious personal injury can change a person’s life forever. If you or a loved one has been affected by a serious or catastrophic injury, carrying out daily tasks and performing any gainful work can be extremely difficult or impossible. Many victims require ongoing medical treatment or some type of live-in care. When the accident that led to your serious injury was caused by the carelessness, recklessness, or wrongdoing of another, you should be compensated for the costs and damages associated with such an injury.
At Garmo & Garmo, LLP, we have more than two decades of experience representing clients who have suffered severe and catastrophic injuries in San Diego and the surrounding southern California communities. Our lawyers have in-depth knowledge of this area of the law, and we have a successful track record with even the most complex cases. We know how much a serious personal injury claim means to you, and what it means for your wellbeing in the future. We will guide you through the claim process to seek maximum compensation, and fight to ensure you move forward with adequate financial resources.
Our California serious injury attorneys handle cases involving a wide range of severe and catastrophic conditions. This includes but is not limited to:
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injury
- Back and spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Broken bones, compound fractures, and crush injuries
- Burns, scarring, and permanent disfigurement
- Amputation and loss of limbs
- Blindness, deafness, and other sensory-related injuries
Significant scarring can be embarrassing as well as cause inflexibility in a specific skin area. For instance, if there is scar tissue development at a joint, the increased skin width in that region can cause loss of mobility, along with aesthetic changes. The lack of nerve sensitivity and psychological and emotional turmoil are other complications associated with scarring.
Various intangible challenges occur due to severe scarring and disfigurement. Disfigurement can impact an individual’s ability to get married, make friends, have healthy self-esteem, and generally enjoy life.
In case you have developed scarring or disfigurement due to another’s recklessness, you may be able to hold the negligent party liable for damages. The skilled and compassionate scarring and disfigurement injury attorneys at Garmo & Garmo in California can help you acquire maximum compensation from the liable parties.
Types of Scars
Trauma to the skin typically causes scars, such as abrasions, cuts, and punctures. Infection and improper healing can increase the pigmentation and size of a scar. The following are some common types of scars and their effects:
Contracture Scars
These scars occur due to burns, including electrical burns, chemical burns, and thermal burns. A contracture scar can constrict the skin and restrict mobility. Such scars may also result in more profound damage to underlying nerves and muscles.
Keloid Scars
Keloid scars develop due to infection, inadequate healing, or other causes. These scars often occur as elevated flesh or bumps on the skin, extending beyond the wound area’s edge.
Hypertrophic Scars
Hypertrophic scars are very similar in appearance and effects to keloid scars. However, they do not extend further than then edge of the wound area.
Surgical Scars
Surgical scars occur due to incisions on the skin. While such scars are inevitable in most surgeries, they can be minimized to a certain extent.
Scarring and Disfigurement: Lasting Damage
Scarring and disfigurement may last for a person’s entire lifetime. The scar itself serves as a constant reminder of the incident, unless and until it can be mitigated through reconstructive cosmetic surgery. In comparison to healthy tissue, scar tissue is less flexible. Depending on the area of scar tissue development, it can become difficult to bend and move.
Besides the physical suffering, the psychological issues that scarring and disfigurement can cause, such as depression and loss of self-esteem, can also impact victims.
Catastrophic and serious injury cases can be highly complex because of the significant, long-term impact of the injuries a victim sustains. The projected costs can be enormous, which is why it is important to work with an attorney who knows how to valuate, document, and obtain fair compensation.
Compensatory Damages for Scarring and Disfigurement
The treatment of scars includes laser treatment and scar revision surgery. Certain scars, such as keloid scars, can be mitigated by radiation therapy, injection with steroids, cryotherapy, or surgical elimination. Deep scars may require multiple surgical procedures or treatments, along with psychological treatment.
The recovery from an incident that causes scarring or disfigurement may be long, arduous, and expensive. Apart from medical expenses, the loss of income during recovery can wreak havoc on household budgets.
What Causes Catastrophic Injuries?
Accidents happen all the time, and most of them result in only minor injuries. Some accidents, however, result in more severe injuries and fatalities. Some of the most common reasons serious injuries occur include:
- Car Accidents: The impact of a car crash can leave drivers and occupants with debilitating injuries. This is especially true when vehicles collide at higher speeds. Some of the most dangerous vehicle accidents include cars that are struck by semi-trucks, buses, and other large vehicles, head-on collisions, and multi-car crashes.
- Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Accidents: Those who ride motorcycles or bicycles and those who walk are at a higher risk of suffering injury when they cross paths with cars, trucks, and other large motor vehicles, because they do not have as much protection.
- Premises Liability Accidents: Property owners and caretakers owe a duty of care to take reasonable measures to ensure that their property is free of hazards for invited guests, or that their guests are properly warned about any known hazards. When they breach this duty, catastrophic accidents can occur. Examples include slips, trips, and falls, animal attacks, swimming pool/diving accidents, fires and explosions, escalator and elevator accidents, and injuries from assaults due to negligent security.
- Workplace Accidents: Many workers are exposed to hazardous conditions on the job. Some perform fast-paced work in high elevations, others have to work on dangerous assembly lines, around heavy machinery and equipment, and on slippery surfaces. This can lead to serious accidents such as being struck by objects or debris, being crushed after getting caught inside a tight space, exposure to toxic substances, and electrocution. Some of the more dangerous industries to work in include construction, manufacturing, power line/utility company, oil and gas, and transportation.
- Medical Negligence: Patients who are treated by a health professional have the right to expect competent care. Sadly, some facilities fail to live up to even minimal standards. This can result in catastrophic injuries from various forms of medical malpractice. Some common examples include permanent birth injuries, misdiagnoses, failure to diagnose, and surgical errors.
- Nursing Home Abuse: There is a disturbing trend among nursing homes in California and throughout the country. Aging demographics, industry consolidation, and other factors have created higher patient loads and staffing shortages in many nursing facilities. With so many facilities short-staffed, they do not always properly vet and train those they hire. This has resulted in more cases of nursing home neglect and abuse. When seniors suffer from abuse, they are far more susceptible to serious injuries.
Damages in California Catastrophic Injury Cases
After sustaining a serious injury in an accident, the reality of how your life will be impacted is unknown. However, depending on the type of injury you have suffered, necessary medical treatments and rehabilitation can be predicted. Doctors may say that you could spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair and/or that you will need round-the-clock care. You may benefit from reconstructive surgery down the road, once your initial wounds have healed. Physical therapy may be required to help you regain the function of injured limbs. There is also emotional healing to consider, as serious injuries can cause trauma, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
Those who suffer from catastrophic injuries that were the result of the reckless actions or omissions of another party deserve to be compensated for their losses. With these types of cases, injured parties may be entitled to compensatory damages for the following:
- Hospital Bills
- Medical Treatment
- Rehabilitation
- Therapy
- Lost Wages
- Loss of Earning Capacity
- Physical Pain and Suffering
- Emotional Distress
- Diminished Quality of Life
- Loss of Consortium
- Wrongful Death
In the most extreme cases in which the actions of the responsible party were especially egregious, punitive damages (also known as “exemplary” damages) may be awarded based not on the injured party’s losses, but on the reprehensibility of the defendant’s conduct.
Speak with a Seasoned San Diego Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
When you hire Garmo & Garmo, LLP to handle your serious personal injury claim, we will make sure the insurance company understands the true extent of damages you and your family have incurred. Before you sign anything from the insurance company, talk with one of our experienced and compassionate attorneys to make sure your settlement is fair. If it is not, we will work to make it so. We have your best interests at heart.
Rebuilding your life after sustaining a serious injury will not be easy. You deserve the financial compensation you need to recover to the fullest extent possible. Our personal injury attorneys can help you obtain what you need.
If you live in the La Mesa area, and you or a loved one has suffered a serious personal injury as the result of another’s negligence, recklessness, or wrongdoing, please contact the personal injury attorneys at Garmo & Garmo, LLP. Call 619-441-2500 or send us a message. We provide a free initial consultation, and you will owe us nothing until we obtain compensation on your behalf. One of our lawyers will meet with you in your home or hospital room, if you cannot travel to our office.
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