No one ever wants to suffer an injury in an accident caused mainly or entirely by someone else’s misconduct. Still, most of the time, a person who gets hurt under circumstances like this can demand compensation from whoever is at fault to pay for their losses. In some situations, though, accidental injuries are so severe that no amount of money or medical treatment can ever completely erase the damage done to you.
It’s both possible and often critical to file a lawsuit over catastrophic injuries like these. But as any experienced personal injury attorney can tell you, it works differently than suing over an injury that will heal completely with time and proper medical care. Working closely with an Eatontown catastrophic injury lawyer at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can be key to understanding how to approach your case and getting paid what you deserve.
Founding attorney Jon Ostroff has a proven track record of success, having helped more than 30,000 Pennsylvania accident victims over the past 30 years. In one case, he won a $5.7 million award on behalf of a client who sustained a catastrophic brain injury in a tractor-trailer crash. He is prepared to help you, too.
What Does It Mean for an Injury to Be “Catastrophic”?
In many states, the term “catastrophic injury” has no specific legal definition. Instead, it’s just an informal term that legal professionals and court authorities use to refer to especially severe injuries with long-lasting consequences. In New Jersey, though, a “serious injury”—an alternate term you may hear that essentially means the same thing as “catastrophic injury”—is specifically one of the following:
- Loss of limb
- Loss of a fetus
- A displaced bone fracture
- Any injury which results in a permanent loss of normal bodily function
- Any injury which results in significant scarring or disfigurement
- An injury which directly causes the injured person’s premature death
Defining an injury as “serious” based on this definition can be important to getting paid fairly after an auto accident in New Jersey. As an Eatontown catastrophic injury attorney can further explain, this is because unless you have a “standard” car insurance policy with an “unlimited right to sue” attached to it, you generally can’t file a lawsuit at all against the person at fault for your wreck unless you can prove you suffered a “serious injury” from it.
Other Unique Elements of Catastrophic Injury Lawsuits
Outside of that kind of scenario, catastrophic injury claims more or less follow the same legal rules as any other type of personal injury claim. No matter what, you’ll still need to:
- Prove you were hurt because of an irresponsible or illegal act by another person to make them pay for your damages
- File your claim within the filing deadline set by the statute of limitations
That said, one thing that makes catastrophic injury claims in Eatontown uniquely complicated is that they usually focus much more on long-term damages than short-term ones. This is because the injury at the heart of the claim is almost always permanent and debilitating, requiring long-term care. A seasoned lawyer can help identify, assign a fair financial value to, and demand payments for things like future medical bills, lost working ability, physical pain, and mental anguish.
Contact an Eatontown Catastrophic Injury Attorney for Help
Catastrophic injuries affect hundreds of people in New Jersey every year, most of whom did absolutely nothing wrong yet suffered life-changing harm because of another person’s negligence. If you’ve been hurt in this way, you may have questions about your legal options and how to pursue fair compensation for your damages.
An Eatontown catastrophic injury lawyer at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can provide the answers you need and the winning legal support you deserve. Call us today to discuss your case.
