Louisville Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
Did you or a loved one suffer a catastrophic injury in Louisville, KY? If you’re facing life-changing injuries, having an experienced Louisville catastrophic injury lawyer in your corner is critical. At Hendy Johnson Vaughn Emery, we have the skills and experience to help you recover total compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain, trauma, and more. If you need legal help, call us today at (502) 540 5700
Our team is prepared to put decades of combined experience in personal injury law to work in your case. We’ve already used our experience to help serious injury victims recover hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.
We’ve been successfully going up against insurance companies for decades. Contact our law offices in Louisville, Kentucky, to schedule a free consultation today.
How Hendy Johnson Vaughn Emery Can Help With a Catastrophic Injury Claim in Louisville, KY
Catastrophic injuries are debilitating and painful. They’re also emotionally and financially draining. They have the potential to impact every aspect of your life and change your family forever.
Unfortunately, most of these injuries are completely preventable. If you’re suffering due to someone else’s negligent or wrongful acts, you deserve to hear what an experienced personal injury lawyer in Louisville has to say.
At Hendy Johnson Vaughn Emery, we’re known as fierce advocates for our clients. We know how insurance companies operate. We understand the lengths they’ll go to in order to avoid paying fair settlements.
We’ll do everything possible to maximize your settlement by:
- Conducting a detailed investigation into the circumstances of your injury
- Identifying all parties who are legally responsible for your damages
- Assessing your case value
- Working with experts who can strengthen various aspects of your case
- Protecting you from unfair allegations that you caused your own injuries
- Negotiating aggressively with the insurance company for a full settlement
- Taking your case to trial if the insurance company refuses an acceptable offer
You don’t have to handle this challenging time alone. Call our Louisville personal injury lawyers today to learn more about the benefits of legal representation.
Overview of Catastrophic Injuries
There really isn’t a precise definition of the term “catastrophic injury.” Any type of injury can prove to be catastrophic, depending on its severity.
In the end, catastrophic injuries are those that are life-altering and even life-threatening. Many catastrophic injury victims require around-the-clock care and ongoing medical attention. The injury will force you to make dramatic life changes.
You’re also likely to face extremely high medical bills. Many victims of catastrophic injuries can never return to work, even after reaching maximum medical improvement.
What Types of Injuries Are Considered “Catastrophic”?
Some examples of injuries that can be classified as “catastrophic” include:
- Traumatic brain injuries that result in severe brain damage
- Burns that cover a significant portion of the body
- Paralysis, including quadriplegia, tetraplegia, and paraplegia
- Blindness or extreme vision loss
- Amputations and loss of limbs
- Chest injuries and other types of severe internal organ damage
- Total hearing loss
Obviously, these are vastly different types of injuries. Still, all victims have one thing in common: they will face fundamental life changes. To deal with those changes, you’ll need money.
If someone else was responsible for your injury, our lawyers in Louisville are here to help you seek the maximum compensation possible.
How Common Are Catastrophic Injuries?
Catastrophic injuries may seem like once-in-a-lifetime events. That’s true when you consider the victims independently. However, when you look at the big picture, catastrophic injuries are far from uncommon.
According to the CDC, at least 214,110 people were hospitalized with traumatic brain injuries in 2020. About 185,000 amputations are performed in the U.S. every year. Approximately 17,810 new spinal cord injury cases are reported each year–and about 294,000 Americans are currently living with serious spinal cord injuries.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences Suffered By Catastrophic Injury Victims?
A catastrophic injury will, by definition, change your life in noticeable ways. Those changes are often permanent.
While the impact will vary depending on the victim and the injuries, some potential long-term consequences of a catastrophic injury include:
- Loss of mobility
- Cognitive disabilities
- Reliance on wheelchairs, prosthetics, and medical devices
- Pain medicine dependency and chronic pain
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Personality changes
- Severe depression and other mental health issues
- Damage to personal relationships
- Loss of the ability to earn a living
- Blood clots or stroke
- Respiratory problems and ancillary medical conditions
- Cardiac failure
- Sexual dysfunction and loss of fertility
Some victims are fortunate enough to find a way to live full and meaningful lives even with their disabilities. Other injuries are so severe that the victim cannot survive. If you lost a loved one after battling a catastrophic injury, our wrongful death attorneys are prepared to fight for your family.
What Causes Most Catastrophic Injuries in Louisville?
A catastrophe can happen in the blink of an eye. Depending on the severity, any type of traumatic event can result in catastrophic injuries.
At Hendy Johnson Vaughn Emery, we handle all types of catastrophic injury claims, including those involving:
- Car accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Firearm violence
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Sports accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Accidents involving RVs
- Boating accidents
- Poisonings
- Construction accidents, including scaffolding falls and accidents involving heavy machinery
- Workplace accidents
- Dog bites
- Defective products
- Nursing home abuse
- Assault
Call our law firm today if you or someone you love has suffered a catastrophic injury due to someone else’s acts. We offer a free case review to listen to your story and discuss your legal options without risk.
What is My Louisville Catastrophic Injury Case Worth?
While all personal injury cases are different, catastrophic injury cases tend to result in the highest settlements and verdicts. Many victims require a lifetime of care. In some cases, the costs will only increase as the years go by.
Your settlement or verdict must account for all of your current bills. It must also be enough to cover all your future expenses–not to mention the intangible personal losses that will impact your entire future.
When our team assesses your case value, we’ll carefully evaluate the details, including:
Your current medical treatment costs
- The future expenses your doctor expects you to incur
- The nature of the lifestyle changes you’ve experienced due to the injury
- The value of your lost wages, considering your lost future earning capacity
- Your quality of life before the injury and after the injury
- Your age and life expectancy
- Allegations of shared fault or failure to mitigate damages
- The nature of the responsible party’s actions
To learn more about your case value, reach out to our trusted law firm today. Our personal injury lawyers can answer any questions that you have about your legal options for recovering compensation.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Kentucky?
Our lawyers at Hendy Johnson Vaughn Emery work on a contingency fee basis. Because many injury victims are immediately faced with so many costs, they often have difficulty paying upfront fees.
Instead of charging a retainer or hourly fee, we take our attorney’s fees as a percentage of your compensation once your case is resolved.
The structure has many benefits. If an attorney can’t recover compensation in your case, you don’t have to pay their legal fees. It also encourages lawyers to work hard to maximize your compensation award.
What Types of Compensation Can I Recover for My Catastrophic Injuries in Louisville, Kentucky?
A full compensation award should include economic damages and non-economic damages.
Examples of the kinds of compensation you may recover if your case succeeds include:
- Current medical bills
- Lost wages and employment benefits
- Future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation and specialized therapies
- Lost future earning capacity
- In-home assistance
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Long-term care
- Medical devices
- Property damage
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Severe depression
- Diminished quality of life
- Lost independence
- Reduced life expectancy
- Damage to relationships
- Loss of the ability to participate in children’s lives
- Damages for wrongful death
If a defendant’s acts were intentional or malicious, courts in Kentucky may award punitive damages as punishment.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Catastrophic Injury in Kentucky?
The statute of limitations in most Kentucky personal injury cases is only one year. If you don’t file your lawsuit within one year of the injury, the court will refuse to consider your case.
We know that your injuries are severe. You may have only begun to process the life changes you’re about to experience. Still, it’s important to take legal action quickly. While you focus on your health, our attorneys will begin the legal process so you don’t risk losing your right to compensation entirely.
Call a Skilled Louisville Catastrophic Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
You’ve just experienced an unimaginable trauma. Our team at Hendy Johnson Vaughn Emery is here to stand up and protect your rights. Contact us today to learn more about how an experienced Louisville catastrophic injury attorney can help protect your family’s financial security.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Louisville, KY
600 W Main St. Ste 100,
Louisville, KY, 40202
(502) 540 5700