If one of your loved ones has suffered a life-altering injury, you may both feel helpless and unable to cope. You may find yourself in a caretaking role that you weren’t prepared for, or perhaps this person was someone that you yourself had depended on.
The most severe injuries require the longest period of adjustment, but as hard as it may be, there is hope.
What are life-altering injuries?
Injuries are most likely to be life-altering when they are severe, life-threatening, or result in a lasting disability. These injuries often result from accidents, such as vehicle collisions, but may also be caused by violence or natural disasters. The injuries that are most disruptive to a person’s life are those that involve the brain or spinal cord, require an amputation, or cause severe disfigurement.
Even injuries that don’t seem severe at first may prove to be life-altering over time. For example, your loved one may have developed nerve damage or hearing loss too gradually to recognize until it was too late.
What to do for someone with a life-altering injury
If your loved one survived the incident that caused their life-altering injury, then there’s still hope for both of you. This is true even if the path to recovery is difficult or unclear.
If the injury that your loved one sustained was the result of another person’s negligent or reckless behavior, then you may have the option of pursuing a lawsuit against that person. Whether or not you choose to do this is up to you and your loved one, but if the injury required expensive medical treatment, or resulted in lost wages, litigation may be an important part of the recovery process.
Legal options for your loved one after a life-altering injury
Whether or not you and your family can successfully litigate your case depends on a few factors.
First of all, you need to present evidence that the person or organization that you’ve sued was actually responsible for your loved one’s injury. This part of the litigation process can be difficult for those who were close to the situation as it was happening. But if you do have evidence, such as photos of a car accident, or testimonies from witnesses to an assault, keep them close to you.
You will also need to understand how the law affects your loved one’s particular case. Depending on the type of incident, and even the type of injury in some cases, you may have a different time frame, known as the statute of limitations, to initiate a lawsuit.
There may also be a different course of action that you have to follow. For example, injuries from a car accident in the State of Florida are handled by car insurance carriers unless they are especially severe. And work-related injuries are almost always handled under the workers’ compensation system, unless the injured person is an independent contractor.
If your loved one is facing the challenge of a life-altering injury, don’t go through this by yourself. Let us help you. We are only a phone call, email, or text message away.