Suffering personal injury in a car crash or other incident can leave you with broken bones or other conditions that heal fully in a few weeks. You can usually go back to your life as you knew it without long-term effects. However, when you suffer catastrophic injuries, you may never be able to work again, and your future can be uncertain.
At Siegfried & Jensen, an Ogden catastrophic injury lawyer will examine the details of your case and help you seek maximum compensation from everyone at fault.
We will build a robust case designed to secure justice for you or your loved one that ensures you have the resources you need to face whatever comes next. We have helped over 35,000 clients in three decades of service, and our Ogden personal injury lawyers are ready to assist you today.
Understanding What Counts as a Catastrophic Injury in Utah
Some states have legal definitions of what constitutes a catastrophic injury, but Utah does not. However, it is generally understood to be any condition that will have long-term or permanent effects on a person’s health and well-being. This includes injuries such as:
- Traumatic brain injuries that cause substantial cognitive and motor control damage
- Amputation of both arms, both legs, or one arm and one leg
- Spinal or brain damage that causes paraplegia or quadriplegia
While these kinds of injuries often leave you unable to work or care for yourself, in some instances, a patient may actually make a full recovery. What is important is that you have clear medical evidence showing the extent and severity of your injuries. This information, along with other evidence, allows your Ogden catastrophic injury attorney to tailor their approach to securing your compensation from those at fault.
For a free legal consultation with a catastrophic injury lawyer serving Ogden, call (801) 266-0999
Factors That Affect Your Ogden Catastrophic Injury Case Value
When you sit down for a free case review with our team, we will assess your circumstances and help you understand what your case might be worth. Each claim is unique, and many elements impact the compensation we can demand. Some of these factors include:
How You Were Hurt
You can suffer a catastrophic injury from a severe car or truck accident, but you might also suffer a debilitating brain injury from something as simple as a slip-and-fall. If the liable party fails to drive safely or clean up a spill, your catastrophic injury lawyer in Ogden, UT, can use that to show negligence against you.
However, if the at-fault party’s actions were intentionally malicious or fraudulent, or they exhibited a reckless indifference to the safety of others, you could seek additional punitive damages from a court of law.
Under Utah Code Section 78B-8-201, a jury may award these damages if your attorney can show clear and convincing evidence that the defendant’s behavior met the law’s definition.
Your Age When You Were Hurt
Every life is valuable when someone else causes harm, but if a young person suffers a catastrophic injury, it changes their entire life. Their parents may need to arrange financial and medical support after their deaths if their child suffers debilitating brain injuries.
Extensive medical treatment and care over the greater number of years can range into millions of dollars, making age a critical factor in determining the value of your case.
The Extent of Your Treatment Needs
There are many reasons you may have substantial costs associated with your catastrophic injury. These could include:
- You have a traumatic brain injury and require full-time medical and personal care,
- You have burns over most of your body and require multiple skin grafts and other surgeries.
- You lose function in a major organ or system and cannot work.
- You lose both legs and require extensive physical therapy and prosthetic devices.
- You require transplant surgery to survive the injury.
Ogden Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Near Me (801) 266-0999
Potential Damages in a Catastrophic Injury Claim
Your catastrophic injury attorney in Ogden, UT, will explain what compensation is in personal injury claims so you understand what you could request.
Generally, you will include your economic damages, which are those with a clear monetary value, and your non-economic damages, which address your pain and suffering. In catastrophic injury claims, these intangible losses can often be quite significant.
At Siegfried & Jensen, we help our clients identify damages they might otherwise overlook. We also help you put a financial value on your non-economic losses, so you receive what you deserve. We often include items such as:
- Your lost wages while you recover
- Your lost earning capacity if you are permanently disabled
- Your lost insurance coverage, retirement savings, and potential bonuses
- Increases in your insurance premiums
- Repair or replacement costs for any damaged property
- All medical costs, including prescriptions, travel expenses, surgeries, and hospital fees
- Renovations to your home to accommodate a wheelchair or other needs
- Private nursing care or nursing facility costs
- Loss of enjoyment of life and activities
- Mental anguish, depression, anxiety, and loss of society
- Loss of support and comfort for your family
- Loss of intimacy with your spouse or partner
- Shock, fear, grief, and embarrassment
Your attorney will help you file appropriate insurance claims, negotiate a fair settlement, and take the at-fault party to court if necessary. We investigate every aspect of your case to ensure we find all those who contributed or caused your injury, and we do not rest until we get the compensation you need.
Our team helps you understand personal injury lawsuits and the time limits you might face, so contact us to ensure you do not lose your right to file your claim.
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Turn to an Ogden Catastrophic Injury Lawyer at Siegfried & Jensen Today
A catastrophic injury can set you back physically, financially, and emotionally. In the midst of trying to heal, you must act quickly to hold at-fault parties accountable within four years, according to Utah’s statute of limitations.
If you wait too long to seek help from an Ogden catastrophic injury lawyer, your case could be denied, and you will have no other options.
Contact us to arrange a free case review and learn how Siegfried & Jensen will fight for you. We have won over $1.2 billion for our clients since 1990, and we are ready to protect you and your loved ones. Use our online form or call us to schedule your consultation now.
Call or text (801) 266-0999 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form