For people who have experienced an injury serious enough to have permanent and debilitating effects, pursuing money for their losses is both a matter of reimbursement and a reshaping of the path of the rest of their—and their loved ones’—lives.
When you find yourself or a family member in a situation like this, you need guidance from an experienced personal injury attorney from Perenich Law Injury Attorneys. As three brothers helping others, we’ve handled high-stakes cases like yours. This can be vital to obtaining the restitution you need to preserve your quality of life and that of your family. With the help and understanding of one of our Clearwater catastrophic injury lawyers, you can tilt the odds of a favorable result in your favor.
Recovering for Long-Term Losses After a Devastating Injury
While there is no strict legal definition for what constitutes a “catastrophic injury” in Florida, legal professionals broadly agree that a personal injury is “catastrophic” if it, one, causes substantial physical or cognitive dysfunction and, two, is expected to last for your or your loved one’s lifetime. One example of a devastating injury spinal cord trauma resulting in paralysis; other types of devastating injuries include high-degree burns, severe brain damage, internal organ injuries, and loss or amputation of a limb.
Regardless of an injury’s exact nature, anyone who causes such severe harm through their own negligent or malicious actions could be held financially liable. When you’re demanding a settlement or bringing a lawsuit, you and your loved one should account for expected future losses and expenses like:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Psychological trauma and distress
- Lost earning capacity and future earnings
- The costs of home and vehicle modifications
- Lost consortium and overall enjoyment of life
- Long-term medical bills for physical therapy, assistive equipment like wheelchairs, and in-home care
During a confidential consultation, one of our catastrophic injury attorneys in Clearwater could explain to you in further detail the losses you might recover.
What Could Get in the Way of Effective Civil Recovery?
Under Florida’s “no-fault” car insurance system, Plaintiffs who are injured in an automobile accident may face restrictions on their right to file a lawsuit to recover damages. Those restrictions do not apply when you or a loved one has sustained serious injuries in an auto accident, though: When you’ve experienced devastating harm in a car crash, you’re not limited to civil recovery through your personal injury insurance.
However, the “pure comparative fault” system established under Florida Statutes § 768.81 does still apply to catastrophic injury claims. This means that any amount of fault you hold for causing your own catastrophic injury may be held against you as a reduction of your final damage award.
Statute of Limitations
Although the effects of a devastating injury can last for many years or even a lifetime, Fla. Stat. § 95.11 sets out a four-year filing period for personal injury claims—and this applies to catastrophic injury claims, as well. With guidance from one of our devastating accident lawyers in Clearwater, you could be sure your claim is filed correctly and on time.
Talk to a Clearwater Catastrophic Injury Attorney Today
For both the person who is hurt and their family, a catastrophic injury is challenging to heal from physically and recover for financially. Our caring legal counselors could help you be compensated fairly for the incalculable harm done to you.
Anyone with questions about their legal rights following a disastrous accident can get the information and the answers they need from one of our Clearwater catastrophic injury lawyers. Call Perenich Law Injury Attorneys today to schedule a free consultation. We are three brothers helping others following devastating accidents.
(727) 669-2828