Personal Injury law covers a vast range of injuries, ranging from minor to severe. The most severe injuries fall within a specific subset of personal injury cases called Catastrophic Personal Injury cases.
A serious or catastrophic personal injury can be distinguished from more common injuries by the long-term effects of the injury. An injured person may be left severely disabled. They may not be able to work again. They may require complex care and nursing needs for the rest of their life. Their ability to enjoy activities that they might have enjoyed previously can be restricted.
If you or a family member have sustained a catastrophic injury, it is essential that you seek expert legal advice to ensure that the current and future needs of you and your family are protected. At O’Reilly Stewart, we have considerable expertise in advising clients on high value injury claims, ensuring that arrangements are put in place to protect the interests of the family of an injured person.
Common Examples of Serious Personal Injury
Whilst this list is not exhaustive, serious or catastrophic personal injuries can often relate to the following:
- Brain injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Severe burns or scarring
- Serious facial injuries involving problems with the eyes, ears or mouth
- Multiple fractures
- Amputations of the limbs or extremities
Such injuries are most often caused in a serious road traffic accident, an accident at work, or in an accident involving a fall in a public area.
Complex Cases
Serious injuries can attract a significant financial settlement – compensation not only for the injuries sustained, but also for the future financial requirements to care for an injured person for the rest of their life. These can include the following:
- Loss of earnings
A severe injury can prevent the affected individual from ever working again. If this is the case, then a loss of earnings claim can be pursued. To calculate this aspect, we will obtain expert accountancy reports on your behalf to estimate how much money you could have earned in your working life had the injury not occurred.
- Care
An injured person may have complex care needs that cannot always be met by themselves or by their family. Financial arrangements must be put in place to look after the needs of the injured person and for their family. We will arrange for a Care Expert to assess a victim and, in conjunction with input from financial experts, devise a care plan for future care needs.
- Occupational Therapy
A victim of a serious personal injury may require alternative accommodation if their existing home is not suitable for their needs. Alterations to the original home may be appropriate. In that event, an assessment by an Occupational Therapy expert will be required.
- Loss of Amenity
A person suffering from life-changing injuries will often find that their ability to pursue sport, hobbies and other pastimes is significantly impaired, if not made impossible. At O’Reilly Stewart, we appreciate that this forms a significant aspect of a serious injury claim and will ensure that your personal life as well as your professional income is considered when presenting your case.
O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors have considerable experience in instructing experts in the fields above to ensure that every aspect of your needs, financial and otherwise, are looked after.
If you or your family have been affected by an injury of this nature, it is important to seek expert legal advice to ensure that your future needs are considered and provided for. If you wish to discuss this in further detail, and discover if you are entitled to compensation, please contact our Director, Stuart Gilmore, or a member of our Personal Injury Team.
