Chicago Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
Why Should You Hire Experienced Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Kurt D. Lloyd to Handle Your Case?
If you suffered catastrophic injuries that were caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Unfortunately, the insurance company isn’t going to make your recovery easy. You’re going to need the best personal injury attorney you can find if you’re going to win your case. Chicago catastrophic injury lawyer Kurt D. Lloyd has earned a reputation for taking on some of the most difficult cases in Illinois and delivering record-breaking settlements and jury verdicts to his clients.
As the author of Jury Selection, Mr. Lloyd is the lawyer other Chicago catastrophic injury attorneys turn to for help with medical malpractice lawsuits and other personal injury cases.
For experienced catastrophic injury attorneys who know how to win, call Lloyd Law Group at (312) 519-2777. Free consultation. No upfront fees. We get results.
Table of Contents
What Is a Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury is one that is so severe that it has a substantial impact on the victim’s life. These life-altering injuries typically require extensive medical treatment, prevent the injured person from working, and may even interfere with the accident victim’s ability to care for himself or herself. Catastrophic injuries are usually categorized as physical injuries, cognitive injuries, or spinal cord injuries.
Physical Injuries
Physical catastrophic injuries include severe neck injuries, amputations, crush injuries, severe burns, and similar injuries that cause substantial damage or impairment to a person’s body. Catastrophic physical injuries often result in secondary conditions like chronic pain syndrome.
Cognitive Injuries
Cognitive catastrophic injuries are a result of some type of traumatic brain injury. This can be in the form of birth injuries that cause oxygen deprivation and result in conditions like cerebral palsy, or a brain injury caused by head trauma.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Substantial damage to the spine can leave a victim with a loss of sensation, permanent mobility issues, or even paralysis. Victims with severe spinal cord injuries often require round the clock nursing care, special medical equipment, and modifications to their homes and vehicles.
What Types of Damages Can You Receive for Catastrophic Injuries?
If you suffered catastrophic injuries that were caused by the negligence of someone else, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for your losses. While economic and non-economic damages are commonly awarded in catastrophic injury cases, punitive damages may also be awarded in some situations. While no lawyer can guarantee the amount of damages you will recover, Chicago catastrophic injury lawyer Kurt Lloyd will consider the following to estimate the value of your personal injury case.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are financial losses that resulted from your catastrophic injuries. Examples of economic damages include:
- Medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Prescription medications
- Medical equipment
To help ensure that all your expenses are included in your catastrophic injury claim, be sure to keep copies of your medical bills, receipts, and earnings statements.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are your subjective losses. Since these damages are not linked to a monetary value, they are more difficult to calculate. Non-economic damages often include:
- Physical pain
- Permanent disabilities
- Disfigurement
- Mental trauma
- Future medical bills
- Loss of consortium
If the party that caused your catastrophic injury acted maliciously or their behavior was especially egregious, you may also be awarded punitive damages. These damages are intended to punish the wrongdoer, and help prevent similar actions in the future.
Call Lloyd Law Group at (312) 519-2777. Free consultation.
Lifelong Costs of a Catastrophic Injury
People who suffer catastrophic injuries, especially ones like traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries, tend to require continuous medical care, prescription medications, and assistive medical devices. Since many catastrophic injury victims are also left with a permanent disability that leaves them unable to work, these financial burdens can quickly create hardship. Depending on the nature of your injuries, you may face the following expenses over the course of your lifetime.
Ongoing Treatments and Surgeries
For many people with catastrophic injuries, frequent doctor visits, tests, treatments, and surgeries become their new way of life for months or even years. Some people need ongoing medical treatments for the rest of their lives. In the United States, a hospital stay alone can soar to over $4,000 per day.
Home and/or Vehicle Modifications
If your accident left you paralyzed, you may need to purchase a modified vehicle that can accommodate a wheelchair. You may also need to pay for renovations to your home to allow you to move about. This can include adding a wheelchair ramp, making doorways wider, or making your bathroom more accessible. Expecting to spend $100,000 or more in modification expenses would not be unreasonable.
Around-the-Clock Care
It is also common for people with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and organ damage to require around-the-clock care. For some people, this may involve moving into a nursing home. Other people depend on their family members and in-home nurses to deliver constant care. Either way, spending thousands of dollars each month for around the clock care can be expected.
Assistive Medical Devices, Medications, and Medical Supplies
Depending on the type of injuries you suffered, you may need expensive medical equipment like a wheelchair or a hospital bed. You may also need feeding tube equipment, a ventilator, or other medical devices and expensive prescription medications as well. For a spinal cord injury victim or someone with traumatic brain injuries, hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in future costs is possible.
Testimonials
“A big “thank you” to Attorney Kurt Lloyd for bringing my case to a successful close. I was hit by a car as a pedestrian, and the driver was the employee of a large corporation. Kurt Lloyd was determined in tracking down the evidence that identified the hit/run driver, in pressing the driver’s company to step up to the plate and managed the process through the court system. Kurt negotiated a great settlement. Thank you!”
~ Kathleen Kurke
What Are Some of the Common Causes of Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury can happen almost anywhere, and the causes are numerous. Chicago catastrophic injury lawyers typically see these kinds of cases arise from the following types of incidents.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents are the most common causes of catastrophic injuries in Chicago. Speeding, impaired driving, and distracted driving are the top reasons crashes occur. A serious car accident can cause traumatic brain injury, severe burns, spinal cord injuries, internal organ damage, amputations, and more.
Commercial Truck Accidents
Commercial trucks weigh as much as 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. Because of the significant size difference between a semi truck and a passenger car, injuries are almost always catastrophic or deadly when the two vehicles collide. Since truck drivers are held to a higher standard of care than most other road users, and truck accidents frequently involve special regulations, trucking company liability, and unique types of cargo, these collisions require special attention. Truck accident lawyer Kurt D. LLoyd is familiar with the nuances that accompany truck accident litigation. He has the knowledge and experience you need to win your case.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is another common cause of catastrophic injuries in Illinois. Surgical errors, diagnostic errors, and medication mistakes cause some of the most life-altering types of damages to victims’ minds and bodies. Medical malpractice may result in paralysis, severe birth injuries like cerebral palsy, brain injuries, and even wrongful death.
Falls from Heights
When property owners and managers are negligent and falls from significant heights happen, catastrophic injuries or death is almost always the result. Many victims suffer traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, severe neck injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, and more. They are often left paralyzed or with another type of permanent disability.
Dangerous Products
Defective medical devices, dangerous medications, unsafe children’s products, faulty motor vehicle parts, toxic substances, and hazardous chemicals often cause catastrophic injuries as well. If a dangerous product caused your catastrophic injury, you may be able to sue the designer, manufacturer, retailer, and others.
Fires and Explosions
Factories, construction sites, restaurants, and apartment complexes are common locations where fires and explosions occur in Illinois. When these incidents happen, multiple surgeries and long hospital stays are almost inevitable. People suffer severe burn injuries, loss of sight and hearing, perforation injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and amputations.
Did You Suffer Catastrophic Injuries in a Truck Accident?
If you suffered catastrophic injuries in a commercial truck accident, it is vital that you hire an experienced truck accident attorney who has a track record of success in these types of cases. There are important differences between truck accident cases and those that only involve smaller passenger vehicles.
To help you navigate the legal system, you’ll need a truck accident attorney who is familiar with the more severe types of injuries caused by semi crashes, the state and federal regulations that may apply to your case, the higher standard of care expected of common carriers like trucking companies, and unique evidence like “black boxes”.
How Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR)Can Impact Your Catastrophic Injury Case
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations were issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This set of rules is intended to help reduce the number of injury and fatality accidents involving commercial vehicles. They restrict the number of hours a commercial truck driver can work, and they cover speed limits, driver qualifications, maintenance, safety, and more. In Illinois, anyone who is found to be in violation of these regulations may be determined to be negligent if an accident happens. Since the FMCSR apply to truckers, trucking companies, dispatchers, fleet managers, and so on, multiple parties may be able to be held liable in a crash.
Who Can You Sue After a Truck Accident that Causes Catastrophic Injuries?
Multiple parties may be able to be held liable in a truck accident case, and some of the negligent parties may not have even been at the scene of the crash. In addition to the truck driver, you may be able to sue the trucking company, cargo loaders, truck and truck parts manufacturers, and even fleet mechanics for causing or contributing to the cause of your injuries.
Since commercial truck accidents that cause catastrophic injuries usually involve so many special rules and regulations, a tangled web of liable parties and insurance companies, and experienced teams of attorneys who are trained to defend liability claims, they are some of the most complicated injury cases to investigate, and even more difficult to litigate. Truck accident lawyer Kurt D. Lloyd has decades of experience winning tough semi crash cases. He is the attorney other lawyers turn to when their challenging truck accident cases go to court.
Contact Our Chicago Catastrophic Injury Attorneys
With so much on the line after suffering a catastrophic injury, it’s vital that you and your family have an experienced catastrophic injury lawyer on your side. You need someone who knows how to uncover the details that can help prove your case. You need an injury lawyer who will investigate to identify all liable parties. Most of all, you need a catastrophic injury lawyer who will make sure your rights are protected.
At Lloyd Law Group, we don’t pretend to be the best catastrophic injury attorneys in Chicago, we prove it. Our injury lawyers bring experience, knowledge, and skill to the table, and we win more than 90% of the cases we handle. As true trial lawyers, we aren’t afraid of taking on the most complicated personal injury cases, and fighting for your rights in court to make sure you receive maximum compensation for your losses.
Frequently Asked Questions About Catastrophic Injury Cases
How long do I have to file a catastrophic injury lawsuit in Chicago?
In Chicago, you generally have just two years to file a catastrophic injury lawsuit. When accidents happen on state or local government property, however, you must take legal action within one year. Exceptions to the statute of limitations may apply to your case, however, and you may have more or less time to sue. Contact Chicago catastrophic injury lawyer Kurt D. Lloyd right away to protect your right to seek compensation.
My accident happened at work. Can I file a catastrophic injury lawsuit
Illinois Workers’ Compensation Law prohibits employees from suing their employers directly for accidents that happen at work in most cases. However, a Chicago catastrophic injury attorney can help you file a workers’ compensation claim to recover for your losses. Additionally, you may be able to file a catastrophic injury lawsuit against a third party if that party’s negligence contributed to your accident. For instance, if a vendor caused your catastrophic injuries while you were working, you may be able to sue that company to recover compensation for your losses.
The insurance company says the accident was my fault. Can I still recover compensation for my losses?
In catastrophic injury cases, insurance companies will go out of their way to avoid paying out on personal injury claims. One of the deceitful tactics they use is to falsely blame the injured victim for the accident. As such, it’s a good idea to hire a personal injury lawyer to investigate your case and help determine liability. In Illinois, even if you were partially at fault for the accident that injured you, you may still be able to recover compensation.