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Catastrophic Personal Injury can be caused by an accident and result in the life-changing conditions below:

• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Amputation & Paralysis
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Burn Injuries

A catastrophic injury is any injury that causes a permanent disability and lifelong consequences. These types of personal injuries can leave people with crippling disabilities…unable to walk, see or live without ongoing and consistent care. Catastrophic injuries include brain damage, paraplegia, quadriplegia, serious burns, limb amputation, severe head trauma or spinal cord damage and can result in damages in the millions, if not tens of millions of dollars.

Catastrophic, life-changing injuries are often caused by serious motor vehicle accidents. Severe head trauma or spinal cord injuries leave injury victims facing a life of expensive medical treatment, disability, loss of employment and earnings, and loss of quality of life. Lifetime medical expenses for some injuries can run in the tens of millions of dollars. As a result, liability insurance companies are often reluctant to provide adequate compensation, as are medical and disability insurance carriers.

A thorough investigation of a serious accident requires considerable resources and care. At Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay we consult economists, physiatrists, health care planners, and medical experts in developing accurate, evidence-based estimates of future costs and expenses relating to our clients' injuries. We examine the total financial impact of an injury, taking into account the present as well as future lifetime needs. This includes the increasing costs over time of medical and nursing care, hospitalization and in-home care, medical equipment, home and vehicle modifications, physical and occupational therapy, future surgeries, lost wages, and loss of quality of life.

When insurance companies attempt to reduce or eliminate claim payments for lost wages, medical costs, home care and more, Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay attorneys have the experience and resources to challenge them. Since we are selective in which serious injury cases we dedicate our time and resources to, we provide our clients with the proper investigation needed to develop a well-prepared case and provide effective representation.

Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury is one that is caused by a blow or other "trauma" to the head forceful enough to cause a temporary or permanent disruption in brain function. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can be mild or severe. Often, the trauma is minor, but the injury quite severe! Symptoms range from a headache or a mild concussion to seizure disorders, coma and death. Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury, followed by motor vehicle crashes, being struck by an object or striking the head against something, and, finally, assaults.

According to information on the Family Caregiver Alliance web site:

• About two million head injuries of all types (including skull and facial fractures) occur every year in the U. S. (175 to 200 per 100,000 populations).
• Over 1.5 million Americans suffer nonfatal traumatic brain injuries each year that do not require hospitalization. About the same number are reported to sustain a brain injury resulting in a loss of consciousness but not severe enough to result in long-term institutionalization (an annual rate of 618 per 100,000 person-years).
• Another 300,000 individuals suffer brain injuries severe enough to require hospitalization, with 99,000 resulting in a lasting disability. 56,000 people die each year because of traumatic brain injury.
• Traumatic brain injuries account for an estimated 34% of all injury deaths in the United States.
• An estimated 62.3 per 100,000 adults age 15 and over are living in the community with enduring functional impairments due to TBI (excludes most survivors of mild TBI).

An estimated 5.3 million Americans are living today with a disability related to a traumatic brain injury. If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury — even a mild one — you may no longer be able to do the work you once enjoyed. TBIs can affect your memory and cause emotional upset, confusion and difficulty with even simple cognitive activities that you once took for granted.

Our firm has extensive experience in handling complex claims associated with traumatic brain injury. We understand the demands of this type of case and have the resources to employ appropriate medical experts to prove your current injuries and develop a medical treatment plan that should be followed over time. If you or are loved one have sustained a traumatic brain injury due to the negligence of others, Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay will commit the full force of its team’s estimable knowledge, skill and reputation to obtain fair compensation that meets your current and future needs.

Amputation & Paralysis

According to a fact sheet published by the National Limb Loss Information Center 2008 Fact Sheet, approximately 1.7 million people in the United States are living with the loss of a limb. The fact sheet also states that males are at significantly higher risk than females for amputations due to trauma and that for both males and females, the risk of traumatic amputation increases with age and reaches its highest point among people 85 or older.

Most amputations are related to disease, especially those that impair blood circulation. However, traumatic injuries, such as those that occur in motor vehicle crashes, account for a significant number of amputations.

At Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay, our attorneys understand that an amputation is a life-changing event that has physical, emotional and financial repercussions. We work to help our clients obtain the financial compensation they will need in order to go on with their lives after an amputation.

Our legal teams work with certified life care planners and economists to determine the current and future costs of living with an amputated body part. These may include ongoing medical care, physical and vocational rehabilitation, prosthetic devices, wheelchairs, modifications to the home and adaptations to a vehicle, loss of wages and future earning capacity, and more.

We are skilled and aggressive trial attorneys who will work tirelessly to see that those who caused or contributed to your injury live up to their legal and financial responsibility to you. While no amount of money can replace your lost limb, it can help you move forward with your life.

Spinal Cord Injuries

In a serious automobile accident, one of the most devastating injuries a victim can have is a serious spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation can be a long, painful ordeal, and expensive treatment and health costs can last a lifetime. At Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay, we help victims of spinal cord injury recover appropriate financial compensation. We work closely with specialists who diagnose severe spinal cord injuries. We also consult with economists and life care planners to provide an accurate and thorough cost-data analysis of the impact a client's injuries will have on their future.

If you or a family member suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury due to the negligence of another, please contact our office and we will carefully evaluate your case and discuss your available legal options. Our goal is to provide you with the highest-degree of professional commitment so the best possible outcome can be achieved for such a life-altering injury.

The medical expenses and rehabilitation costs associated with a catastrophic spinal cord injury have been well documented. Our skilled attorneys will help you pursue financial compensation for severe spinal cord injuries and their associated complications, including:

• crushed vertebra
• nerve damage
• bruised ligaments
• spinal cord tissue tears
• bed sores/pressure ulcers
• breakdown of the skin
• spinal stenosis
• spasticity
• heterotopic ossification
• paraplegia
• quadriplegia

A spinal cord injury victim’s initial medical expenses can be relatively easy to determine. The potential side effects, long-term nerve damage and the loss in quality of life are not. Because insurance companies often resist paying fair settlements in these types of serious injury cases, we support a case with medical expert information on potential health complications that can arise, and the related costs involved in addressing them. We also work with psychologists to define the mental and emotional impact a spinal cord injury can have on our client's life, and its associated expense.

If a fair settlement cannot be reached with the negligent parties and we proceed to trial in a spinal cord injury lawsuit, our presentation to jurors and judges is designed to ensure they understand the full impact these kinds of injuries can have on the everyday life of a person. The attorneys of Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay have the experience and resources necessary to help you recover the compensation you need and deserve.

Burn Injuries

One of the most painful personal injuries anyone can suffer is a burn injury. Intense physical pain and sever emotional fallout can result. Treatment and recovery can last for years. The damage to a victim's self-image can be devastating; the collateral impact on family, friends, careers and other aspects of their lives, overwhelming.

An estimated 500,000 people are treated for burn injuries every year in the U.S., according to statistic reported in a 2007 Fact Sheet developed by the American Burn Association (www.ameriburn.org). The Fact Sheet also states that burn injuries account for an estimated 4,000 fatalities annually and that about 3,500 of those deaths are due to residential fires while 500 are caused by motor vehicle and aircraft crashes, contact with electricity, chemicals or hot liquids and other sources of burn injury.

Burn victims often undergo multiple surgeries involving skin grafts, facing the constant threat of deadly infections, and a lifetime of serious healthcare concerns. Similar to other types of serious injury cases, burn injury cases are complex and involve extensive resources in order to build and present a compelling story of how a burn has affected a client's life.

Burn injuries are extremely painful and can cause lifelong scarring and disfigurement. People who have suffered severe burns may require treatment at a specialized burn center, and multiple surgeries, including plastic surgery. Even with the best of medical care, physical and emotional scars can last a lifetime.

At Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay, our attorneys understand the life-changing nature of burn injuries. If negligence was involved, we may be able to help you recover financial compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, disfigurement and disability, lost wages and loss of future earning capacity, property damage and more. We have assisted numerous clients in obtaining the recovery they need to move on with their lives in the best way possible.

To view representative Catastrophic Personal Injury cases our firm has handled, please click here.