A catastrophic injury can dramatically change your life. You may be faced with significant expenses for medical treatment, permanent disability, and be either unable to return to work at all or unable to earn what you did before your injury.
If you have been seriously injured in a preventable accident, Youman & Caputo can help. Our Philadelphia catastrophic injury attorneys understand how difficult the aftermath of an injury can be and how important a lawsuit can be to having the resources you need for your recovery and to provide for your family. Call today for a free and confidential case evaluation.
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Our Firm’s Experience in Catastrophic Injury Litigation
What is a Catastrophic Injury?
Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries
Lifelong Costs of a Catastrophic Injury
What Compensation May Be Available in My Case?
What Are the Time Limits in Catastrophic Injury Litigation?
What’s The Role of an Attorney in a Catastrophic Injury Case?
When is it Worth Pursuing a Personal Injury Case?
What to Look for in an Attorney
Speak to a Lawyer Today
In cases involving serious, life-changing injuries, experience matters. At Youman & Caputo, our attorneys have extensive experience handling cases involving serious, catastrophic injuries. Andy Youman and Dave Caputo have secured or helped secure more than 100 settlements or verdicts in excess of $1 million in their many years of representing catastrophic injury victims. We have obtained verdicts or settlements in catastrophic injury cases in 30 counties throughout Pennsylvania as well as in New Jersey and in the federal courts in both states.
A catastrophic injury is serious, life-altering and usually results in permanent loss of function, disfigurement or pain. Catastrophic injuries typically involve injuries to the brain or spinal cord, but can also include:
Catastrophic injuries are devastating not just because of the physical damage and impact on a victim’s life, but also because they result in substantial life-long financial costs for medical treatment and assistance with activities of daily living.
There are many different ways in which you could become injured to the point of permanent disability or disfigurement. These include accidents with:
If a catastrophic injury is caused by the negligence of another, then the only way to be compensated for the harm sustained is to file a lawsuit against the persons or corporations whose negligence caused the injury.
Since personal injury case values are based largely on the severity of the injury suffered by the plaintiff, catastrophic injury cases are often the highest in value. Catastrophic injuries can impact every aspect of a victim’s life. For these substantial losses, a matching award is typically granted. The amount provided should reasonably cover all of the victim’s economic and noneconomic lifelong costs tied to a catastrophic injury, which can be immense. These include:
This list includes economic or monetary costs associated with a catastrophic injury. It does not touch on the noneconomic side of a severe injury – the intangible and personal losses suffered by a victim. Yet these can impact a victim’s life just as much as the financial aspects of a catastrophic injury. They include physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, disfigurement, post-traumatic stress disorder, diminished enjoyment of life, low self-esteem, inconvenience, and psychological trauma.
In personal injury cases, victims may seek compensation for their losses in the form of monetary damages. In Pennsylvania, damages fall into two broad categories, economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages refer to the monetary losses or expenses that a victim incurs as a result of an injury. This can include past and future medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and other financial expenses.
Non-economic damages cover the less tangible effects that an injury had. This includes pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of previous activities, loss of companionship, permanent disfigurement and emotional damage, among others.
In rare cases, punitive damages may also be available. Punitive damages exist to punish wrongdoers in especially egregious cases, where injuries result from recklessness, intentional acts, or malice, and to deter similar misconduct.
In any catastrophic injury case, correctly calculating your damages can be difficult and requires extensive experience and a full understanding of the law, the medical issues involved, and the available insurance. Our attorneys are prepared to help you assess your legal options in a range of scenarios, from premises liability cases to motorcycle accident lawsuits in Philadelphia.
You may be entitled to financial compensation for a catastrophic injury in Pennsylvania if it was caused by someone else’s negligence. Negligence is the failure to use a reasonable level of care, resulting in harm to someone else. If you or your lawyer can prove that a defendant’s negligence is more likely than not responsible for causing your catastrophic injury, the defendant (or, more likely, the defendant’s insurance company) must pay for your related losses.
Proving a negligence claim requires proof by a preponderance of the evidence of four elements:
Typically, the more severe the injury, the greater the amount of damages. If you had to undergo one or multiple surgeries, miss time at work, or are facing a long-term disability because of an injury caused by the negligence of another, you are most likely entitled to financial compensation. The lawyers at Youman & Caputo can help you prove your case and obtain the financial recovery that you are eligible to recover.
There are strict time limitations for filing catastrophic injury lawsuits with the court. Failure to comply with those time limitations will result in losing the right to sue forever. In many injury cases, the deadline is two years from the date of the injury but the deadline can be longer or shorter depending on the age of the injured party, the nature of the claim, the date that you became aware of the injury, and the jurisdiction where the injury occurred. If the injury was caused by a government employee, there may be separate notice requirements with their own unique deadlines.
If you have suffered a catastrophic injury as the result of the negligence of another party, the only way to make sure your claims are timely filed is to hire an experienced attorney. Hiring a Catastrophic Injury Attorney from Youman & Caputo as soon as possible after your injury will ensure that all legal deadlines are met and that all your options remain open for pursuing adequate compensation for your catastrophic injury.
An experienced Philadelphia catastrophic injury attorney is vital to achieving a successful outcome in a catastrophic injury case. As a victim, your only get one chance to file a lawsuit. Your financial losses may be staggering and the injury may affect your life in ways that you cannot yet imagine. The attorney that you hire must understand how to accurately estimate the value of your case, how to document and prove the extent of your injuries and fight for compensation on your behalf. An attorney can:
While some personal injury cases settle without filing a lawsuit, it is usually necessary to file a lawsuit in catastrophic injury cases. As a result, it is extremely important that you hire a law firm with a demonstrated record of success trying cases. At Youman & Caputo, we have significant experience in the courtroom and approach each and every case as though it will go to trial.
If you suffered a catastrophic or life-changing injury as a result of another’s negligence, it rarely is possible to obtain fair compensation for your injuries without filing a lawsuit against the defendant(s). Insurance companies typically do not offer “quick settlements” that are fair in cases involving serious injuries.
Although every situation is unique, filing a lawsuit is often the right choice for an accident victim in the following circumstances:
Choosing to pursue a personal injury case comes with pros and cons. It is a risk, as it may end in $0 if a jury rules against you. You may end up receiving less than you would have by accepting an insurance settlement – or nothing at all. It can also be more expensive than a settlement. However, if your lawyer believes you have a good chance of winning your case, a jury verdict could be worth substantially more than the insurance company is willing to pay in a settlement. This is especially important with an expensive catastrophic injury.
Selecting your catastrophic injury attorney is an important process that requires due diligence on your part. Take the time to research a few top options for attorneys in Philadelphia. Then, schedule free consultations with these lawyers and bring a list of questions to ask. Narrow down your choices until you find the ideal attorney for your case, needs and goals. Some of the traits you should be searching for in your catastrophic injury attorney include experience in your type of case and injury and years spent practicing personal injury law.
Here are some of the most important questions to ask when researching your lawyer:
Not all personal injury lawyers are equal in terms of skill, experience or capabilities. Finding the right one to handle your case can make a difference to your case’s outcome, as well as your overall legal journey. The right lawyer should make you feel comfortable, confident and cared for throughout your case. Your lawyer should listen to your concerns, answer your legal questions, create a personalized legal strategy and do what it takes to achieve your case goals. When you’re ready to speak to a top catastrophic injury lawyer in Philadelphia, bring your list of questions to a free case consultation at Youman & Caputo.
If you or a loved one have suffered from a serious injury, please contact the Philadelphia catastrophic injury attorneys at Youman & Caputo today. We offer a free consultation with on-staff medical professionals who assist in reviewing the facts of your case, and our attorneys will apprise you of your legal options. If you decide to retain our services, we handle all personal injury and medical malpractice cases in Philadelphia on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t charge any fees unless we successfully resolve your case.
Client Review:
“I was hit by a car while walking across a street in Philadelphia. Dave Caputo came to my rescue from a legal perspective. Personable, smart, focused and experienced, he avoided a costly trial and negotiated a very sound settlement on my behalf. If you need a good lawyer, I highly recommend Dave Caputo. You won’t be disappointed..” – Kristine S.
