In a perfect world, you’ll never have to worry about being in an accident or sustaining catastrophic injuries. Unfortunately, accidents happen daily, and sometimes the injuries significantly impact your life.
The long-term consequences of catastrophic injuries can be far-reaching. You may not be the only one affected. Your loved ones may also be dealing with the ramifications of your catastrophic injury.
If you’re involved in an accident and your injuries are considered catastrophic, here’s what you may need to know.
Common Types of Catastrophic Injuries
So, what’s considered a catastrophic injury? Depending on how you look at injuries, almost anything can be considered catastrophic. If the sight of a little blood has you feeling faint, a paper cut can be catastrophic in your eyes,
However, the medical community, and insurance companies, have a more stringent definition of what they consider a catastrophic injury. Some examples include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Limb amputations
- Severe burns
- Spinal cord injuries
If your injury is considered catastrophic, you will probably need weeks or even months to recover, which means missing work and possibly several paychecks. You may even require assistance to perform routine tasks, including walking, dressing, or even feeding yourself.
This can quickly become expensive if you require care, even for a short time. Thankfully, if your injuries occur in an accident caused by someone’s negligence, you may be able to receive compensation for these and other expenses.
The Long-Term Effects of Catastrophic Injuries
When you think of a catastrophic injury, the physical effects typically come to mind, but you can also experience long-term psychological effects. Regardless of whether the injury impacts you physically, mentally, or both, it can negatively affect almost every aspect of your life.
Physical Effects of Catastrophic Injuries
Loss of Mobility
If you’re an active person before the accident, losing your mobility can be devastating. Loss of mobility often occurs in spinal injuries and it can be temporary or even permanent.
Your prognosis often depends on the severity of the injury and the type. Going from easily getting around to a wheelchair can be a debilitating experience. If the spinal injury results in permanent paralysis, you may need to make modifications to your home.
Altering the home’s design to accommodate a wheelchair is an expensive and labor-intensive project. Severe burns are another type of injury that can temporarily limit mobility. However, in most cases, once the burns are healed you can move around without any issue.
Chronic Pain
Almost every type of catastrophic injury causes chronic pain, but what is chronic pain? Most medical professionals categorize it as reoccurring pain. This means that the pain may not be constant, it continuously returns.
Sometimes, you may go most of the day without feeling pain, and other times, the pain reappears every few hours. Think of it as pain that never really goes away—the pain is always at the back of your mind until your injury starts throbbing in agony.
Loss of Cognitive Function
For most people, loss of cognitive function is the most frightening effect of a catastrophic injury. While freedom of movement is great, losing it is rarely as scary as not having your complete mental faculties.
Loss of cognitive function doesn’t always mean you can’t reason any longer for yourself. However, it often does display one or more of the following symptoms:
- Difficulty understanding and processing new information
- Loss of fine motor control
- Behavior that is socially unacceptable or uncharacteristic of your personality
- Trouble organizing your thoughts
Before you start panicking if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, this type of physical effect is often temporary. Sometimes, the symptoms may even be a side effect of your prescribed medication.
For example, some prescribed pain medications can affect your cognitive ability. Once you’re finished with the prescribed medication, the symptoms usually subside after a day or so.
Unfortunately, some catastrophic injuries like a TBI may permanently affect your cognitive function. Making an appointment with a neurologist can help answer your questions and address any fears you may have about your condition.
Psychological Effects of Catastrophic Injuries
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
When you hear about PTSD, military members returning home typically come to mind. However, PTSD can affect anyone who’s been in an extremely stressful situation.
The accident that caused your catastrophic injury qualifies as a stressful event. Some of the symptoms commonly associated with PTSD include:
- Nightmares about reliving your injury
- Frequent bouts of crying for no apparent reason
- Intrusive thoughts and detailed flashbacks to your injury
- Reckless or self-destructive behavior
- Avoidance of situations that remind you of your injury
- Persistent feelings of guilt and shame
If you’re experiencing any symptoms associated with PTSD, make an appointment with a therapist or counselor.
Depression
Feeling depressed is common after a serious accident, especially if you suffer a catastrophic injury. If your depression lasts longer than a few days, it’s time to talk to a therapist. Depression is treatable, and failing to get treatment can delay your recovery from your injuries.
The Financial Impact of Catastrophic Injuries
You already know some of the financial impact a catastrophic injury can have on your life. Your injury will incur extensive medical expenses, especially if you require long-term care. If the injury results in a permanent disability, your medical expenses are basically never-ending, and your insurance policy may not cover all of the expenses.
Oh, and don’t forget about property damage costs. Even if your injuries are preventing you from ever getting behind the wheel, there’s no reason not to count the loss of your vehicle as economic damage.
The financial impact can even extend to your ability to earn a livable wage. If you’re permanently handicapped from the accident, you may never get back on your feet financially.
Talk to an Attorney About Your Catastrophic Injury
A catastrophic injury indeed has far-reaching effects, impacting not only your own life but also significantly affecting your friends and family. The consequences of such an injury can be profound, altering your daily living, financial stability, and emotional well-being.
If this injury results from someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to seek compensation for your financial damages. Consulting with a personal injury attorney is a critical step in this process. An experienced attorney can evaluate your case, guide you through the legal intricacies, and help you understand the potential for recovering damages.
