What to Know After Suffering a Life-Changing Injury in a Car Wreck in Columbia, SC

South Carolina Life-Changing Injuries 

Suffering from a catastrophic injury in a car wreck is difficult and painful, especially when you do not know if you will be able to fully return to life as you previously knew it. The treatment and rehabilitation process for catastrophic injuries can be incredibly costly, often leaving the injured person and their family with the immense pressure of high medical bills on top of recovering from serious injuries. You also may not be able to return to work if your injury has resulted in a permanent disability. This could mean a lifetime of lost wages if your injury prevents you from being able to work at all. 

You should not have to worry about the financial burden of paying for your medical care during this difficult time. While car accidents can cause a range of different injuries, it is important to understand what your options may be to seek compensation if you have suffered a catastrophic injury due to a car accident.  

Our South Carolina personal injury attorney at The Law Office of Kenneth Berger focuses on life-changing injury and wrongful death cases. We are truly sorry for what you are going through and are here to provide guidance and help you seek full justice. Our goal is to remove all stress so you can focus on healing while we take care of everything else. Contact us today for a free consultation to see how we can help negotiate with the insurance companies, reduce your medical bills, and help you secure a full, fair settlement for the harm you experienced. 

What is Considered a Catastrophic Car Accident Injury? 

A catastrophic injury is a severe, debilitating injury that has long-term or permanent effects on the survivor’s life. The injured person may struggle with communicating, caring for themselves, or being able to work. 

Suffering from a catastrophic injury may also mean a lifetime of physical therapy, rehabilitation, medication, or other costly medical treatments. Understanding the different types of catastrophic injuries can help you understand how you may be able to seek compensation for these costs. 

Types of Catastrophic Injuries

Car accidents can result in a wide range of injuries, but there are generally a few types of injuries that are considered catastrophic due to the potential long-term effects that survivors may suffer from. Common catastrophic injuries due to car accidents include:

• Spinal Cord Injuries: Spinal cord injuries can result in complete loss of sensation or movement. Depending on the location of the injury, an individual may experience quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs) or paraplegia (paralysis of the legs). Permanent paralysis can severely limit an individual’s ability to care for themselves or work. 
• Traumatic Brain Injuries: Car wrecks can often cause brain injuries, swelling, or internal bleeding due to the force of impact during the accident. This can lead to permanent damage of brain tissue, which may cause physical or cognitive impairment. 
• Internal Organ Damage: The severe force of a car accident can rupture internal organs such as the liver or kidney. Internal organ damage may not be diagnosed immediately after the wreck, which could lead to internal bleeding. If internal bleeding occurs for too long, it can cause serious complications that may need multiple surgeries. 
• Other catastrophic injuries may include: severe burns, loss of limb, bone fractures, disfigurement, or range of motion impairments. 

Treatment After a Catastrophic Car Accident Injury 

The best course of treatment will depend on the type of catastrophic injury you have suffered. Treatment for most catastrophic injuries typically involves surgery or medical procedures, cognitive and physical rehabilitation, and some form of constant care. 

A catastrophic injury survivor may need mobility aids, such as a wheelchair, or in-home modifications to make daily life easier with their mobility impairment. Some injured individuals may receive in-home care, while others may be placed in a residential care facility. Individuals with a permanent disability may need 24/7 care, which may require family members to hire a full-time caregiver or quit their job to support their loved ones. 

No matter the type of injury, most catastrophic car accident injury survivors will need some level of long-term care. Injured individuals often face mounting medical bills due to the numerous doctor visits and rehabilitation costs associated with catastrophic injury care. These costs, in addition to the potential lost ability to work, can lead to financial strain on top of the difficulty of suffering from a life-changing injury. 

You do not have to take on the financial burden of a catastrophic injury on your own. Our experienced legal team is here to hold all responsible parties accountable, help reduce your medical bills, and negotiate with the at-fault party’s insurance provider, so you can focus on healing. 

What Compensation Can You Seek After a Catastrophic Car Accident Injury?

If you or a loved one have suffered a catastrophic injury in a car accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit. Catastrophic injury cases can be complex, and it can be difficult to know exactly how much compensation you may be entitled to. It is important to consult with a personal injury lawyer who can assess your situation and help you understand what damages you may be able to seek compensation for. 

Examples of compensatory damages may include:

• Medical expenses (hospitalization, surgery, and ongoing treatment/care)
• Loss of income (lost wages and loss of earning capacity) 
• Out-of-pocket expenses (medication, medical supplies, specialized medical equipment, home or vehicle modification, attendant care) 
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium (damages related to the impact of your injury on loved ones) 

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How a Columbia Injury Lawyer Can Help with Life-Changing Injury Cases 

Our firm understands how painful a catastrophic injury can be from a physical, mental, and financial perspective. Life-changing injuries are just as serious as they sound and you have the right to seek justice to the fullest extent. This isn’t just another personal injury case; this is your life.

Our catastrophic injury lawyers understand how sensitive and complex these cases can be. Hiring an attorney can help you achieve maximum compensation and hold the negligent party responsible for the significant harm they have inflicted. Although we cannot reverse the pain you have suffered from, our goal is to provide you with peace of mind knowing that we are taking care of all the legal aspects of your case on your behalf so you can focus on your recovery and rehabilitation.

Below is an overview of what our catastrophic injury attorneys do to maximize your case’s value and achieve a full, fair outcome. 

• Hire experts. Catastrophic injury cases often involve complex medical diagnoses and treatments. Our firm has the available resources to hire experts who can determine how your injuries may affect you for the rest of your life, which can provide strong evidence to insurance companies or a jury. We can also hire experts to calculate what your lost earnings over the course of a lifetime might look like if your injury has left you permanently unable to work or return to your job.
• Reduce medical bills and prevent collections. If your case is particularly complex, it can take months or years to resolve. During this time, your medical bills can continue to grow and may even be sent to collections. We are able to send a “letter of protection” to your medical providers which constitutes a legal promise that your bills will be paid out of your settlement funds when your case is resolved. At the end of your case, our team does everything it can to reduce your medical bills to maximize the amount that goes in your pocket.
• Negotiate with insurance providers. When you have suffered from a devastating, life-changing injury, the last thing you want to do is deal with pushy insurance adjusters. Insurance providers may try to undervalue your case and pressure you into accepting a settlement that is significantly lower than what your case is worth. Our experienced attorneys know how to communicate with insurance companies so they fully understand the impact your injuries have had on your life, enabling them to compensate you fairly. 
• Take your case to trial. When the insurance company won’t budge on their offer, we are prepared to take your case before a jury so you can receive full justice. Our firm focuses solely on life-changing injury cases, so you can rest assured we have the necessary experience to maximize your case value. 

Some injury cases that result from a car accident are relatively minor and can be resolved without the help of an attorney. However, if you have suffered from a catastrophic injury that has severely impacted your life, hiring an attorney can help you achieve justice to the fullest extent possible. 

Get Legal Help After Suffering a Catastrophic Injury in Columbia, SC

The Law Office of Kenneth E. Berger understands the pain and stress your family is faced with when a loved one suffers a catastrophic injury after a car accident. Such injuries are life-changing for everyone involved, and we treat our clients with the empathy we would want for our own loved ones. If your catastrophic injury was caused by a negligent driver, our team of professional attorneys can help you seek justice in the form of compensation. 

While no amount of money can restore you or your loved one’s life to what it was before, a settlement can ease the financial strain that comes along with such devastating injuries. Our firm focuses solely on catastrophic and life-altering cases, which means we have years of experience and can help you recover the full extent of compensation you are entitled to. 

Our offices are conveniently located in Columbia and Myrtle Beach, and we have been proudly servicing clients throughout the surrounding areas. Contact us online today or call us at 803-790-2800 (Columbia, SC) / 843-427-2800 (Myrtle Beach, SC)