After a catastrophic injury, your life will never be the same. These tend to be costly and leave accident victims facing daily challenges they never expected. Moving forward with your life after a catastrophic injury can be difficult without recovering fair compensation from the liable party.
At Pacific West Injury Law, we know the challenges that accident victims face after a catastrophic injury. Our team of catastrophic injury lawyers in Sunrise Manor has the experience necessary to help victims recover the compensation they need.
Determine Who Is at Fault for Your Catastrophic Injury
The first step in pursuing compensation after a catastrophic accident is to determine who is liable for your damages. If you are lucky, liability will be clear and easy to establish. However, in many cases, determining liability can prove quite challenging. Fortunately, an experienced catastrophic injury lawyer should be able to help you sort things out.
The Process of Filing a Catastrophic Injury Lawsuit
When you hire a catastrophic injury lawyer in Sunrise Manor, one of the first steps they will take will be to begin investigating your accident. The focus of this investigation will be both on proving liability and gathering evidence to support your claim.
Upon completing their inquiry, your lawyer will assess the damages you have suffered and determine how much your claim is worth. Once this is done, your attorney will submit all the necessary paperwork for filing a catastrophic injury lawsuit with the court.
After the target of your lawsuit has been notified, the pretrial process will begin. Steps of the pretrial process include:
- Discovery
- Depositions
- Mediation
Discovery
During the discovery process, both parties exchange all the evidence they have gathered about the case. Discovery is a crucial step in ensuring a fair trial as it allows both sides to examine all the evidence that will be presented at court and build their cases accordingly.
Depositions
At the conclusion of the discovery phase, depositions are given. A deposition is a recorded testimony given by a witness or party involved in the incident in question. Depositions are given outside the courtroom and recorded by a court stenographer. Both parties have the opportunity to question the deponent about the incidence. This testimony can later be used at trial.
Mediation
Mediation is the last step in the pretrial process before a lawsuit proceeds to court. During mediation, the two sides meet in a neutral location where a mediator attempts to help them find a mutually acceptable resolution to the lawsuit. If mediation is successful, the two parties will agree to a settlement, and the case will not proceed to trial.
From the time you hire an attorney, they will be in communication with the other party’s lawyers attempting to negotiate a settlement deal. However, if a deal is not reached by the end of mediation, your case will proceed to trial, where your attorney will represent your interests and fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
Damages You Can Recover for Your Catastrophic Injury
After suffering a catastrophic injury, there are several types of damages you will likely be eligible to recover. The damages that apply to your case can be sorted into three overarching categories.
Economic Damages
Any financial losses you suffer as a result of your catastrophic injury are considered economic damages. Common economic damages include:
- Property damage
- Modifications to your home or vehicle needed for accommodating a disability
- Lost wages
- Lowered earning ability
- Medical bills
- Future medical costs
Non-Economic Damages
All the other losses you incur due to your catastrophic injury are considered non-economic damages. Common non-economic damages include:
- Diminished quality of life
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Permanent disability
- Mental anguish
- Scarring and other disfigurements
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are only awarded in a small percentage of cases. These damages are concerned with losses suffered by an accident victim. Instead, the focus of punitive damages is on punishing the liable party for their actions. Punitive damages are only awarded if the at-fault party acted in a criminally negligent manner.
Statute of Limitations for a Catastrophic Injury Lawsuit in Sunrise Manor
When planning to file a catastrophic injury lawsuit, it is critical that you pay attention to the deadline for doing so. Under NRS §11.190, injury victims have two years from the date of the incident that caused their damages to file a lawsuit against the liable party. If you fail to file within this time period, you could find that your chance to recover compensation has passed.
However, you should also be aware that many exceptions to the statute of limitations exist. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may still be able to collect compensation even after the end of the two-year period. Alternatively, you could find that you have much less time to file a lawsuit.
Hiring a Sunrise Manor catastrophic injury lawyer soon after you get hurt is the best way to ensure that all deadlines are met.
Catastrophic Injury Lawyers Get Paid for Results
People are often wary of hiring an attorney because they are worried that they won’t be able to afford to pay their fees. While this is a legitimate concern when hiring many types of lawyers, it should never be a barrier to hiring a catastrophic injury attorney. Rather than charging a high hourly rate, catastrophic injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis.
That means that you will only have to pay your attorney if they are able to recover money on your behalf. If your lawyer does get you compensation, the only fee they collect will be a fixed percentage of the payout from the liable party. Since your lawyer’s pay rises the more money you receive, you can feel confident they will work hard to get you as much money as possible.
Speak With a Sunrise Manor Catastrophic Injury Attorney Today
At Pacific West Injury Law, our team of catastrophic injury lawyers in Sunrise Manor understands the challenges faced by victims of these types of injuries. We are dedicated to providing the legal counsel needed to help you recover fair compensation. Give us a call or use our online contact form to get started with a free case review today.
