Virginia Beach Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

When someone is permanently impaired, they are considered to be catastrophically injured. When this is due to another person’s negligence, they have the right to bring a claim for compensation against the responsible party. A Virginia Beach catastrophic injury lawyer can help you understand your rights and options if your family is in this position.

By working with Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers, you can work with a highly experienced team of injury attorneys who know how to deal with these claims. We work with families like yours all the time and can use our experience to help you get the compensation you need and deserve.

What Is a Catastrophic Injury?

A catastrophic injury is a permanent injury that significantly impairs a person’s ability to function. Usually, these injuries are classified as the loss of a limb or a permanent impairment like a traumatic brain injury or paralysis that prevents a person from being able to live the life they had before their injury.

In a catastrophic injury case, there is a greater need for expert testimony to prove the nature and extent of the injury. The attorney will work with the doctors to ensure that the jury and insurance company fully understand the injury and its effect on the individual. These claims also need to humanize the victim and make sure the jury understands the life they had before the injury and how it will change due to the injury in order to maximize the amount of compensation awarded.

Compensating for Employment in Virginia Beach

The attorney will try to establish the past lost wages as well the person’s future loss of earnings or earning capacity in a comprehensive catastrophic injury claim. They will work with a vocational expert who can show what the person was capable of making before the accident and their reduced future earning capacity going forward so that they can be adequately compensated for that difference.

Typical examples of jobs someone may not be able to do after a catastrophic injury are being a longshoreman at Newport News Shipbuilding or a railroad worker for Norfolk Southern. Someone who was working as an engineer or conductor could have been earning $100,000 before their injury. If they are unable to go back to their job, they will have a significant loss of earning capacity in the future, even if they can return to a different job. For example, if someone who is catastrophically injured can work as a security guard or a cashier, they will only earn $20,000 to $30,000 a year. The difference of $70,000 a year becomes part of the loss of earning capacity that is compensable in a claim. A Virginia Beach catastrophic injury lawyer can help determine how an injury will affect your professional future and will work to get the compensation you need for those effects.

Finding the Right Lawyer

When a catastrophic accident happens in Virginia Beach, the person is usually transferred to Norfolk General Hospital. Often, after that happens, a close relative of the injured person will reach out to an injury lawyer who can visit the hospital to answer their questions and start building the case.

It is critical to work with an attorney who has experience handling catastrophic injury cases because they know how to prove the elements of damages to the insurance company, a jury, or a judge.  The attorney can make sure they get the highest amount of money so that the injured person can be financially stable for the rest of their life.

How a Virginia Beach Catastrophic Injury Attorney Can Help You

Catastrophic injuries are expensive. Between the medical treatment necessary and the inability to work, you may be wondering how your family can cope with the financial burden. The catastrophic injury attorneys at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers are dedicated to helping families in your position. With a comprehensive claim, you may be able to recover the compensation you need to allow your family to survive in this challenging time. Call today to set up a free consultation to learn more.