Tampa Catastrophic Injury Lawyers
Finding Hope After Life-Changing Injuries
At Gunn Law Group, P.A., we have intentionally focused our efforts on the most serious and complex personal injury cases. Our Tampa catastrophic injury lawyers are not afraid of claims that other law firms would find “too difficult.”
We are not intimidated by insurance companies that might be used to pushing around inexperienced lawyers. With a former insurance defense attorney leading our law firm, we are ready to support and uplift our catastrophic injury clients.
We fight in and out of court for our clients. Call our team at 813-228-7070 now to learn more.
What Qualifies as Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury is one that causes devastating physical damage and which results in some form of disability or severe disfigurement. It is a life-changing injury from which the victim will never fully recover.
More specifically, Florida Statutes §766.118 defines “catastrophic injuries” as including spinal cord injuries which result in severe paralysis, amputation of a limb, traumatic brain injury which results in severe sensory, motor or cognitive disturbances, second and third degree burns covering 25% or more of the body or third degree burns which cover 5% or more of the face or hands, blindness or loss of the reproductive organs.
What Do You Do After a Catastrophic Injury?
- Seek medical care
- Report the accident
- Collect any evidence
- Talk to a catastrophic injury lawyer
Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries are more likely to occur following violent accidents. But such situations are not the only ones that can leave someone permanently injured. Wherever there is negligence and the risk of a serious accident or mistake, there is also the risk of a catastrophic injury.
A few common causes of catastrophic injuries are:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Defective products
Different Types of Catastrophic Injuries
Wherever someone in Tampa, Lutz, or Odessa is catastrophically injured because of the negligence of another person or party, Gunn Law Group, P.A. will be there. We have more than 100 years of collective legal experience among our attorneys.
During all of those years, we have seen some of the most complicated catastrophic injury cases on record — and we have made a long history of successful case results for our clients. No matter what sort of catastrophic injury has changed your life, we want to be the legal team you trust to seek fair and maximized compensation.
There are many types of catastrophic injury cases we accept, including:
Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord is a highly sensitive bundle of nerves that run up the spinal column and is responsible for transmitting signals between the brain and the rest of the body. Due to its vulnerability, even accidents that seem mild can result in a serious spinal cord injury that causes lifelong complications. Injuries are classified as either complete, where there is a total loss of function below the level of the injury, or incomplete, where some sensory or motor function remains. A severe spinal cord injury might even result in partial or total paralysis.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
Perhaps the most devastating of all catastrophic injuries is a brain injury. Defined as damage to the brain caused by an external force, TBIs range from mild concussions to severe brain damage. The slightest harm to the brain can create unpredictable consequences and side effects, like memory issues, loss of muscle control, speech impediments, and more. It is possible that a brain injury can cause complete disability, too, forcing someone who was once perfectly healthy to become entirely dependent on the 24-hour care of others. These injuries are most often the result of accidents or malpractice.
Multi-System Trauma
Multi-system trauma refers to injuries that affect multiple body systems simultaneously, presenting a complex challenge for medical professionals. Examples include severe car crashes or industrial accidents where the victim may suffer from a combination of TBIs, spinal cord injuries, and internal organ damage. These incidents require a highly coordinated emergency response and long-term treatment plan to address the multifaceted nature of the injuries sustained.
Burn Injuries
Fires, electrical hazards, hot surfaces, and caustic chemicals can cause severe burn injuries that leave people with chronic pain and disabilities. Whether your burn injury was caused by a defective appliance, truck accident, or another incident, we can help you seek compensation from the liable party.
Burn injuries are classified into four degrees, with each level representing the depth and severity of the damage to the skin and underlying tissues. First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of the skin, causing redness and pain. Second-degree burns extend into the second layer of skin, leading to blistering and more intense pain. Third-degree burns reach the fat layer beneath the skin, destroying both the epidermis and dermis, and may not cause pain due to nerve damage. Fourth-degree burns are the most severe, affecting muscles and bones, and are often life-threatening.
Amputations
The loss of a limb will cause immediate and permanent disabilities. Day-to-day tasks that most people take for granted can become frustratingly difficult if not impossible to manage. If you are living with an amputation caused by an accident that was not your fault, then you deserve to be fairly compensated so you can receive the necessary treatments and therapies.
Sensory Damage
Our senses of hearing and sights are as important as they are sensitive to damage. When someone has been rendered partially or totally blind or deaf in an accident, it will change their life forever. They will have to readjust everything about their day-to-day life due to their new disability, and they should be compensated for that hardship.
Broken Bones
A broken bone is not always a catastrophic injury if it can heal correctly and readily. However, if the bone cannot be set correctly, heals slowly and becomes misplaced, becomes infected, or otherwise does not heal as expected, then it can be considered a catastrophic injury due to its lasting consequences.
Visible Disfigurement
Not all catastrophic injuries cause a disability. Some injuries are considered catastrophic if they cause a visible and permanent disfigurement, such as scarring across the face, neck, and forearms. Living with a visible disfigurement can cause psychological damage like a steep loss of self-esteem.
Calculating Maximized Damages for Our Clients
The damages and expenses you might have already experienced due to a catastrophic injury might only be the start of a lifetime of costs. Future damages in catastrophic injury cases are often the most significant part of a plaintiff’s claim. Our Tampa catastrophic injury attorneys from Gunn Law Group, P.A. are capable of carefully calculating your future damages using our years of experience in practice.
Damages in a catastrophic injury claim can be sorted into three categories:
- Economic or special: Economic damage relates to tangible costs incurred by the claimant or plaintiff. Medical treatment costs and lost wages are the most common forms of economic or special damage. In a catastrophic injury case, economic damage can be significant because the cost of medical care and income loss needs to be calculated for years to come.
- Non-economic or general: Non-economic damage relates to abstract forms of harm and damage endured by the claimant. Severe physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional trauma are the three most common types of non-economic damage.
- Punitive or exemplary: Rarely, a court will approve punitive damages in an injury case, but they are more likely in a catastrophic injury case. Punitive damages are used to punish the defendant if their egregious negligence or criminal wrongdoing caused the plaintiff’s life-changing injuries. Insurance companies are not obligated to cover punitive damages, so they must be paid directly from the defendant’s accounts and assets, which is why they are rare compared to special and general damages.
We have seen all types of cases and can work with trusted experts from various fields to get a clear idea of what compensation you need to take care of your damages both now and years into the future. For example, your primary care physician may recommend physical therapy once a month for several years to help with the chronic pain and mobility issues caused by a spinal cord injury. Each of those therapy sessions will come at a cost, and you should not be the one who has to pay for them out of your own pocket.
Statute of Limitation for Catastrophic Injury Cases
Florida has a comparatively generous statute of limitations for catastrophic injury cases brought within the state’s borders, set at two years from the date of injury. The two-year statute of limitations can also begin on the day that the injury first was diagnosed or became reasonably noticeable, which is useful for cases involving brain injuries and chronic illnesses.
It is best not to wait the entire two years to take legal action, though. Waiting too long can cause you to forget the key details of your case, so you should speak with our attorneys as soon as possible.
When It’s Time to Fight, Call Our Winning Team
Insurance companies put up a fight when they see a catastrophic injury claim. You should be prepared to fight right back. Let the Tampa catastrophic injury lawyers of our firm handle all aspects of your case from start to finish, so you will always be ready for anything the opposition throws at you.
Start your case with an award-winning firm on your side by dialing 813-228-7070.
