Car Accident Lawyer

There is always a high risk of injury whenever a person is involved in a car accident. As a car accident attorney can attest, even a minor fender bender can result in a serious injury. Unfortunately, there are far too many crashes that occur each year that leave victims with catastrophic injuries that can leave victims permanently disabled. And each year, thousands of victims are unable to survive the injuries they sustain.

Life-threatening and fatal injuries often leave victims and/or their families dealing with devastating financial losses to deal with, in addition to the physical and emotional impacts they also are now forced to struggle with. A car accident attorney can help victims obtain the financial compensation they deserve for these overwhelming losses. Some of the more frequent type of car accident catastrophic injuries include the following:

• Traumatic brain injury: Also referred to as a TBI, these are the most severe head injuries car accident victims can sustain. These injuries can also be “silent” ones because many times there is no bruise, bump, or wound that would normally warn the victim they have been injured. A TBI can occur even if the victim’s head did not hit a surface, but simply by the jerking movements a body makes upon crash impact. Symptoms of a possible brain injury are loss of consciousness, confusion, headaches, and changes in personality. Other common catastrophic injuries to the head that can cause brain injury is a penetrating wound and fractured skull.  
• Penetration of the abdomen or chest areas: Whenever an object penetrates the abdomen or chest areas, there is a high risk of a fatal injury. Organs in these areas that sustain damage are the bowels, heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs. Major arteries and vessels can also be punctured.
• Fractures: Depending on the severity of the break, fractured bones can cause all kinds of medical issues for a victim, even requiring surgery and physical therapy to help the bones heal. Facial fractures are common in serious car accidents and victims often have to endure multiple surgeries, including plastic surgery, before they are completely recovered. In many cases, there is permanent disfigurement or scarring. Fractured bones can also create a potentially fatal injury if the broken bone punctures an organ.

Car accident victims who have suffered catastrophic injuries should contact a car accident attorney in order to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the party or parties responsible for the crash. Some of the losses a victim is entitled to receive financial compensation for includes:

• All past, present, and future medical expenses. This includes all hospitalizations, surgeries, physician appointments, diagnostic testing, physical therapy, medications, and medical equipment and devices.
• Lost wages from any time missed from work while the victim was recovering. This also includes benefits the victim may have lost. If the injuries have left the victim unable to return to work, then they may also receive loss of future compensation benefits.
• Non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, permanent disability, scarring, disfigurement, and loss of life enjoyment.

When a victim does not survive their injuries, their family can pursue a wrongful death claim against the liable party.

If you have been injured or have lost a loved one in a crash, a car accident lawyer Des Moines, IA relies on can meet with you and explain what all of your legal options are.

Thank you to our friends and contributors at Johnston Martineau, LLP for their insight into car accidents and personal injury.