A catastrophic injury can be devastating and disorienting. These kinds of injuries change your life forever. Hiring the right Cleveland personal injury lawyer means getting results that can help you live more comfortably.
At Tittle & Perlmuter, we work hard for you so you do not have to take on insurance companies by yourself or navigate the legal process while you’re recovering from injuries. We work to get justice when you have suffered a permanent injury caused by another party.
When your life changes, we remain constant and ready to put in the work. For a free consultation with a catastrophic injury lawyer in Cleveland, contact our law firm today.
What Qualifies as a Catastrophic Injury Under Ohio Law?
Under Ohio law, a catastrophic injury causes the victim permanent damage or disfigurement and can include the loss of a limb or severe damage to an organ. These injuries can also keep an individual from being able to care for themselves or perform daily functions without assistance.
Catastrophic injuries can incur significant expenses from medical costs while also drastically decreasing income by compromising an individual’s ability to earn a living. Not only must individuals navigate the pain caused by the accident, but processing the trauma and loss of autonomy can also be incredibly difficult to deal with.
While seeking damages cannot undo your situation, hiring our Cleveland catastrophic injury lawyers can help ease your legal and financial burden.
Common Types of Life-Altering Injuries in Cleveland Accident Claims
When you hire a catastrophic injury lawyer near you, they can help you navigate claims involving several common types of life-altering injuries. These conditions can include:
- Permanent damage caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries
- Amputation or the loss of a limb
- Accidents that result in a loss of vision or hearing
- Organ damage or failure
- Severe burn injuries
The Severity of Your Injuries and the Causes Can Impact Your Claim
The damage caused by these injuries varies by accident type, and the specialized care needed for each injury is different. For example, a traumatic brain injury and severe burns are each going to require specific treatment. Our lawyers can provide nuanced guidance on recovering the losses related to your specific condition.
The cause of your accident can also make a difference in how your case is handled. These accidents can result from motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, falls, violence, sports, and more. How you sustained your injury can influence what evidence you need, who you can file your claim against, and what you may be able to recover, which is why legal representation is essential.
Calculating Future Financial Needs and Life-Care Plans
Catastrophic injuries not only require extensive emergency care, but they also require lifelong management and medical support. Only focusing on the current financial needs in your case could leave you without the financial support you need down the road.
That is why lawyers also calculate and factor in your future financial expenses as part of your catastrophic personal injury claim in Cleveland. Lawyers seek to secure robust settlements that sufficiently provide for your losses.
How Future Expenses and Medical Needs Are Estimated
When a local catastrophic injury lawyer evaluates your losses, they can start by calculating your existing losses. This generally includes your emergency treatment, life-saving surgeries, medications, physical and occupational therapy, and medical equipment and accommodations.
Compensation can also include the wages you have lost while you have been out of work receiving medical care. Depending on the type of accident, you may also be able to recover property damage costs.
Next, your lawyer can move to your future losses and develop a life care plan. This document is based on research and input from medical professionals and economists. Your lawyer consults these professionals to get detailed information about:
- Your specific conditions
- What it means for your required medical care and expected expenses over the lifetime of your injury
- How inflation and projected market fluctuations can impact costs
A life care plan provides clarity and evidence, which is valuable during negotiations.
Navigating Ohio Non-Economic Damage Caps for Severe Injuries
Your financial expenses are not the only losses that you can recover as part of a settlement in a catastrophic personal injury claim in Cleveland. The emotional and mental distress of a catastrophic injury can cause intense pain and suffering. These injuries decrease your quality of life and the quality of your relationships, especially those between spouses.
While these losses are a common reality for victims of catastrophic injuries, they are considered subjective and intangible.
How Are Non-Economic Damages Calculated?
To determine how much they are worth, lawyers can use one of two formulas to calculate these losses.
- The multiplier method multiplies your economic damages by a value between 1.5 and 5 to determine the value. For catastrophic injuries, this is likely to be closer to 5.
- The per diem method multiplies your economic damages by a daily value up to the point of maximum medical recovery.
There Is No Cap on Non-Economic Damages for Catastrophic Injuries
In most personal injury cases, the amount of non-economic damages you can recover is capped. However, according to Ohio Revised Code § 2315.18, there are no damage caps when an accident results in a catastrophic injury. This is intended to help offset the greater level of pain and suffering you have endured because of your life-changing injury.
A severe injury attorney in Cleveland, Ohio can help you determine how much you can recover as part of your case.
Why Experienced Trial Representation Matters in Catastrophic Injury Cases
An experienced attorney in Cleveland is critical for navigating catastrophic injury cases, especially if your case has to go to court in Ohio. Opposing parties are likely to try to aggressively avoid liability so they are not responsible for the full extent of your losses. This only adds to the inherent complexity of a catastrophic personal injury claim in Cleveland. If your lawyer cannot reach an agreement on a fair settlement amount, then your case may have to go to court.
A Cuyahoga County court can handle your case if you need to go to court to resolve it. A lot rides on the strength of your case and how it is presented. That is why it is crucial to ensure upfront that your lawyer has the necessary experience to represent you in court in case you go to trial. Your lawyer should be able to deftly navigate discovery, develop your case and the strategies you will need, and argue your case before a judge. They should also be able to protect your rights along the way.
Tittle & Perlmuter Will Put in the Work If You’ve Suffered a Life-Changing Injury
If for some reason you receive an unfavorable verdict in your case, you can submit an appeal with the Supreme Court of Ohio. They can review your case to determine how it was handled and whether the decision was reached unfairly. A judge may decide to overturn the initial decision in your favor, uphold the initial court’s decision, or send your case back down to the original court for further review.
When you hire Tittle & Perlmuter, you can be confident that our attorneys have the credentials and experience needed to skillfully and effectively fight for you whether we settle or go to court. We work diligently to get you the results you need.
Contact a Cleveland Catastrophic Injury Attorney Near You
Tittle & Perlmuter help you stand up to insurance companies and fight to recover the compensation you need for the catastrophic injuries. We take on Goliaths every day, and it means a lot to us to help people just like you. Put us to work. For a free consultation with a local catastrophic injury lawyer here in Cleveland, contact our law firm today.
