Examples of Catastrophic Injuries in Car Accidents

Car accidents can be severe and result in catastrophic injuries for those involved. These injuries can cause the survivor’s life to turn upside down. They can lead to permanent disabilities, impairment, or a lifetime of pain.

Having a catastrophic injury can prevent a car accident victim from gaining and maintaining employment. It can also result in years of medical treatments, rehabilitation appointments, and surgical interventions. Understanding these types of catastrophic injuries is important when seeking compensation for them after surviving a car accident that causes them.

There are many types of catastrophic injuries that affect car accident survivors. Talk to your lawyer about your options if you’ve suffered any of the following injuries.

Severe Burns 

Burn injuries are one of the most common, painful, and catastrophic injuries a survivor can suffer. Both third and fourth-degree burns that cover larger portions of a body can be life-threatening. These types of burns affect all the layers of skin, as well as the tissues underneath, which can take a long time to heal. 

These types of burns usually require skin grafts, rehabilitation, and plastic surgery for the individual to recover. Even after receiving treatment, the survivors may also suffer permanent damage to the nerves, disfigurement, and scarring. This results in a lifetime of chronic pain.

Injuries to the Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is an important part of the body. Having injuries to this area may result in permanent, complete loss of movement. This results in the inability to move the muscles below where the injury occurred. 

Those who survive spinal cord injuries may spend the rest of their lives in a wheelchair or on a ventilator if the injuries are severe enough. In some cases, spinal cord injury survivors may need a lifetime of care from others. 

Traumatic Brain Injuries 

The brain can swell or bleed when the brain suffers an injury. These injuries can cause significant damage to the brain itself. Those who survive these types of accidents may spend years in therapy and doing rehabilitation. 

Some survivors may have to re-learn basic functions such as walking, talking, or other daily care chores they once were able to easily do. Permanent damage in some cases can result in physical and cognitive impairment for the survivor’s lifetime. 

Fractures 

Fractures are usually treated with a cast or surgery. However, there are times when some fractures are catastrophic. Multiple surgeries may be required to correct the issues.

In some of these cases, the survivors may not fully recover from the injuries. This leads to limited mobility, nerve damage, pain, and in some extreme cases, the loss of the affected limb. 

Internal Organ Damage

The force of a car accident can sometimes lead to serious internal damage. This force can rupture the liver, kidneys, lungs, or heart. This tends to lead to internal bleeding which is a life-threatening condition. 

When a survivor suffers from this internal organ damage, they may spend months going in and out of hospitals. They may also have to undergo a series of treatments and surgeries. In addition to this, they may also suffer from permanent disability. 

Get Help After a Catastrophic Injury

If you’ve suffered any of these injuries, you may have grounds for a lawsuit. These injuries can leave you devastated and suffering because of someone else’s negligence. When this happens, you may need help from a lawyer to get the results you need after a serious injury. 

When you’re ready to act, the team at Fischer Redavid PLLC is ready to help. Call our office at or fill out the online contact form on this page.