New Jersey Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in New Jersey

As you go about your day, you never think that your entire life will suddenly change due to a negligent party’s actions. The unfortunate truth is that this happens more often than you might think. There are thousands of people across New Jersey who have been in an accident and have sustained catastrophic injuries.

This not only changes the victim’s life but also the lives of those around them. Often, family and spouses turn into caregivers after these types of accidents, and they might lose important financial support for the household.

An entire family gets thrown into chaos after a loved one suffers a catastrophic injury; meanwhile, the party that caused the accident can move on and continue their life as usual. The law respects that this situation is unfair, especially when the catastrophic injuries were preventable if not for the other party’s negligence.

In such situations, the law allows an injury victim to seek compensation from the responsible party or parties. This is a challenging process, especially considering you already have overwhelming injuries. You need a New Jersey catastrophic injury attorney from Reinartz Law Firm to handle your legal case.

Trusted Representation after Severe Injuries

At Reinartz Law Firm, we regularly see firsthand how catastrophic injuries can affect every aspect of a victim’s life. We regularly represent clients with life-altering injuries and obtain the maximum compensation possible for them and their families.

Some past results we have achieved for severely injured clients include:

• $1,320,000 for serious injuries from a slip and fall in an apartment building
• $550,000 for a spinal injury from a construction accident
• $575,000 for injuries due to a fall down stairs
• $400,000 for severe back injuries from a motor vehicle accident

These are only a few examples of how we obtain successful financial recovery for our clients. We never take the easy route in injury cases. If the insurance companies will not be fair, we do not hesitate to represent our clients in litigation and at trial.

Our firm’s mission is to aggressively fight for the rights of injured victims to achieve the best possible results in each case while providing the highest level of personal attention and care. We treat our clients like family - not case numbers. However, we take a much more vigorous approach when dealing with insurance companies and adverse parties.

Contact our office directly for a free case evaluation and to learn more about how we help clients with catastrophic injuries.

How Do Catastrophic Injuries Happen?

Catastrophic injuries happen when you least expect them. An accident occurs in a single moment, yet the effects of your injuries can last a lifetime.

While these injuries can result from many types of incidents, some of the most common causes include:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Bus accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Pedestrian accidents
• Slip and fall accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Construction accidents
• Workplace accidents
• Assault and battery

Any of these can result in severe injuries, and victims with catastrophic injuries require emergency medical care. This is only the beginning of long-term treatment and the injury’s effects on their personal and professional lives.

In New Jersey, you can get into a crash on I-287, I-295, or even on a local roadway in your town, and your life will never be the same. You might go in for a routine surgical procedure at Hackensack University Medical Center, only to come out irreversibly disfigured from a severe surgical error.

If you are in this position, you deserve to recover financially for your losses. Speak with Reinartz Law Firm about your legal options right away once you are in stable condition.

Types of Catastrophic Injuries

Catastrophic injuries are those that change a victim’s life forever. They may suffer permanent disability, lose bodily functioning, or have permanent disfigurement as a result. These injuries also require extensive medical treatments, surgeries, and a lifetime of continued care.

Some of the most common types of catastrophic injuries are below, though this is not an exhaustive list of injury claims we can handle.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Any injury to the spinal cord can result in life-changing effects. These are also some of the most common types of catastrophic injuries our attorneys encounter. Most often, they happen in traffic accidents, construction accidents, or falls from heights.

Spinal injuries can cause paraplegia and quadriplegia, which is permanent paralysis. This means a victim cannot use their limbs or torso, and they might lose certain organ functioning, depending on the diagnosis.

Paralysis changes every aspect of your life, as you will need to rely on wheelchairs and other medical assistance simply to navigate each day. The costs of ongoing treatment and care can easily reach into the multi-millions.

Amputations

A devastating injury that victims can suffer is an amputation or loss of limb. Amputations can either be traumatic or surgically necessary if doctors cannot repair an injury, such as a crushed limb. The adjustment to this injury is unfathomable for many victims.

While prosthetics are available, the loss of a limb is not something you can easily recover from. There is no way to get your limb and your previous abilities back. Even with a prosthetic, you will need to be refitted over and over through the years to ensure it still meets your needs. This is costly.

Initially, you can be in the hospital for an extended period of time and might need multiple surgeries. While in the hospital, you might also be undergoing inpatient rehabilitation programs and physical therapy. This will continue until the medical staff feels you are at a point where you can go home. There will be years of doctor visits and treatment adjustments. The cost associated with these injuries is extensive, and average families cannot afford it on their own.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

This type of injury directly affects your brain and can impair your cognition, physical abilities, and more. We often see these injuries resulting from bicycle or pedestrian accidents, falls, or any other event when the victim suffers head trauma.

Many victims will require help completing even the simplest of tasks following a TBI. They might not return to previous jobs or educational programs. Many victims of severe brain injuries must entirely switch paths in their lives. There are also serious emotional consequences that the victim and their family will suffer.

In the most catastrophic cases, a severe TBI can result in an extended coma. If the victim wakes up, they might have significant memory loss, and they might need to relearn how to complete basic activities. Some victims tragically end up in a permanent vegetative state, in which case their families should speak to a catastrophic injury attorney immediately on the victim’s behalf.

Burn Injuries

Burns are another common injury that can be life-changing. There are different categories of burns. Typically, the categories of burns that cause a catastrophic injury are third and fourth-degree burns, though these degrees can also be fatal in many cases. Survivors often experience disfigurement, scarring, and chronic pain. They may also suffer from impaired movement.

Burn injuries can destroy all layers of skin and even reach down to damage the bones, muscles, and even organs. It can be difficult to recover from these injuries, and many people spend weeks or months in burn centers. They might need painful skin grafts and possible amputations of parts that cannot heal. The risk of life-threatening infections and other complications is also high.

Even if you can reach some level of comfort after burn injuries, the emotional scars can remain. Severe burns can cause widespread scarring and disfigurement, which can lead to mental pain and suffering and changes in the way you live your life.

There are numerous other types of catastrophic injuries, and the survivors of these injuries always have a steep uphill battle to contend with. Your entire life will change, and you will likely be unable to work or return to the normal functions of life. Chronic pain will be a daily struggle, and the emotional toll is indescribable.

You need a support system to help you through this time, and the catastrophic injury lawyers at Reinartz Law Firm are ready to advocate for you in the legal realm. Reach out for more information about how we can assist clients with severe injuries.

Who Can I Hold Liable for a Catastrophic Injury?

Depending on how your accident occurred, there are different parties that can be liable. Multiple parties can share liability for your catastrophic injuries.

The first party we will pursue is the one who caused the accident to begin with. If your injury occurred due to medical malpractice, it will be the negligent doctor who should be liable. In some cases, it can be an employer or even a medical facility. If you sustained an injury from a slip and fall accident, then you can hold the property owner liable for your injuries. Drivers are most commonly responsible in traffic accident cases.

These catastrophic injury cases can be complex, especially since the injuries require extensive care and lifelong medical treatment. The losses are complex, as many are intangible or future losses, and we work to ensure insurance companies cover the maximum amount possible.

Insurance policy limits can be a concern in some cases, which is why we always identify all possible liable parties. For example, if you were in a car accident with a driver on the job, we might also file a claim against the employer. The driver might not have enough coverage for your extensive losses, but the employer’s corporate policy likely has much higher limits. This is an important aspect of catastrophic injury cases.

After an accident, you should not have to worry about the legal nuances but should instead focus on healing. We understand that this is a difficult time, which is why you will need to let Reinartz Law Firm work to hold responsible parties accountable for your injuries.

What Kinds of Compensation Can You Recover?

Since these injuries often require a lifetime of care, this also means there will be a lifetime of medical bills and expenses to follow.

If you have suffered catastrophic injuries, you may recover compensation for:

• Past and future medical bills
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of future earning potential
• Permanent disability
• Permanent disfigurement
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Prosthetics
• Medical equipment
• Modifications to your home or vehicle

Our New Jersey catastrophic injury attorneys can work with several experts to determine the types and amount of compensation you need to cover all your losses.

They can include:

• Lifecare planners
• Medical experts
• Medical billing experts
• Financial experts
• Vocational experts
• Occupational experts
• Liability experts

Together we will determine the amount of damages we will seek from the liable party for your injuries. This will vary from case to case, and it is important to discuss your legal options with an experienced catastrophic injury attorney as soon as you can.

Seek Help From a New Jersey Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Today

You should act fast if you have suffered a life-changing injury. There is a two-year statute of limitations in New Jersey for injury lawsuits. While two years might seem like a long time, it flies by quickly when you are dealing with a catastrophic injury, and these cases take time to prepare.

After seeking medical attention, you will need to contact a catastrophic injury attorney. We can begin building your case to obtain the compensation you deserve. While compensation cannot turn back time or heal your permanent injuries, it can help with the financial burden that will come as a result. You can also get a sense of justice when parties are accountable for the harm they caused you and your family. Reach out to a personal injury lawyer.

If you or a loved one have been in an accident, never wait to speak with the office of Reinartz Law Firm. Contact us today at (201) 778-4878 for your initial consultation today. Case evaluations are always free, and we are ready to help you.