After sustaining a catastrophic injury in Beaufort, you do not have to work through the devastating aftermath alone. A Beaufort personal injury lawyer from Shelly Leeke Law Firm is ready to help you fight for the settlement you deserve, bringing you financial relief and peace of mind as you work toward healing.
Ways a Catastrophic Injury Can Affect Your Life
Injuries considered catastrophic are those that affect your life significantly, and in most cases, permanently. Their consequences reach almost every area of your life.
Physical Abilities
Often, catastrophic injuries affect your mobility, leaving parts of your body weak or paralyzed. You may not be able to move or care for yourself independently. Some catastrophic injuries also cause chronic pain conditions.
Cognitive Abilities
Traumatic brain injuries can reduce your ability to concentrate, understand information, remember, learn, or communicate. Many sufferers endure injury-related seizures and are more susceptible to infections. These injuries can also cause emotional effects and personality changes, making victims more aggressive, impulsive, or anxious. Sadly, victims also face a shortened life expectancy.
Employment Ability
The physical and/or cognitive consequences of catastrophic injury will likely prevent you from holding a job or from working in the same capacity you did prior to the accident, resulting in lost income and earning potential. This loss of income, coupled with increased medical needs, puts a serious financial strain on your household.
Quality of Life
Whatever the consequences of your injuries, they will change how you live your life and, unfortunately, lower your quality of life. Physical limitations can take away your sense of independence, prevent you from attending places or events that cannot accommodate your needs, or from enjoying recreational activities you once did. Daily chores or personal care that used to take moments can now fill your day.
You may be unable to interact and communicate with family members and loved ones as you could prior to your injury, causing emotional distress for you and all who love you.
When another party’s negligence caused your accident, subsequent injuries, and these extensive consequences, you are entitled to compensation. An experienced catastrophic injury attorney in Beaufort will fight to hold that party accountable and get you the highest settlement possible.
A Settlement Can Provide a Better Future
The purpose of a fair settlement is to make the victim “whole” or restore them, as much as is possible, to their pre-accident situation. Your Beaufort catastrophic injury lawyer from Shelly Leeke Law Firm will evaluate your situation carefully, accounting for all of your losses and future needs, and will seek a settlement bringing extensive and positive changes to your situation.
Financial Stability
A settlement can cover your medical costs, including your future needs. Catastrophic injuries generally require long-term or even lifetime intervention, possibly even round-the-clock care. They can also weaken body systems, leading to complications as time passes. Your attorney will consult with medical experts to ensure your settlement will cover those potential needs.
By covering your lost income, future earnings, and retirement benefits, a settlement restores your household’s future financial security.
Improved Quality of Life
You may need to move or adjust your living space to accommodate your physical limitations. You may also need to secure new means of transportation or explore new activities to enjoy that are more suited to your changed condition. A settlement can provide financial access to these changes, boosting your quality of life and emotional well-being.
Justice
When someone else’s careless and/or unlawful behavior causes your injury and brings so much loss and suffering, it is important to see justice served. If the at-fault party is not held accountable, you are essentially victimized twice.
Securing a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Best Route to Positive Outcome
When a catastrophic injury lawyer in Beaufort handles your case, you are more likely to receive a high settlement. Your attorney knows how to work through the legal system efficiently, knows what you are entitled to, and is well-equipped to stand up to insurance companies who do not want to pay you compensation.
Filing a Claim
South Carolina requires accident victims to file personal injury claims within a three-year statute of limitations. It is best to file as soon as possible. When you contact a lawyer promptly after your accident, you are assured your claim will be filed within that deadline and with plenty of time to deal with any complications that arise. For example, if your claim is against a government entity, the legal process is different.
After filing your claim, your attorney will compile evidence to support that claim by speaking with witnesses, medical personnel, caregivers, and other experts. You can trust your lawyer to collect any other relevant materials, such as videos, photos, reports, or documents that show the at-fault party’s negligence and the effects you have suffered.
Valuing Your Case
Without experience and while in a vulnerable and injured state, it is extremely difficult to calculate what your case is “worth.” Your lawyer has the experience to make that determination and will work to ensure you are treated fairly, your losses are recovered, and your future needs are met.
Representing Your Interests
The at-fault party’s insurance company will focus its efforts on giving you as little compensation as possible. Insurance adjusters can be intimidating, using scare tactics to convince victims to accept less than they deserve. They can also act unethically, falsely accusing you of causing the accident.
Your lawyer will handle all communication with the at-fault party’s representatives, keeping your best interests front and center and refusing to fall for unfair tactics that put your settlement amount at risk.
If it is necessary to take your case to trial, your lawyer will present you with your options and potential outcomes and continue to provide the highest-quality representation at every court proceeding.
Contact a Beaufort Catastrophic Injury Attorney Today to Secure Your Financial Future
After suffering a catastrophic injury, contact a Beaufort catastrophic injury lawyer from Shelly Leeke Law Firm. Your lawyer will listen to your concerns, assess your financial needs, and work to hold those at fault for your injuries accountable. Contact us to schedule a free consultation, and start working towards a secure, more hopeful future today.
