After a Catastrophic Injury, Turn to Holladay Law

Catastrophic injuries can arise from a wide range of accidents, including motor vehicle crashes, workplace accidents, industrial accidents, assaults and explosions. Regardless of how the injury occurred, the consequences are often life-changing.

Holladay Law represents Texans who have suffered catastrophic injuries because of the negligence of others. Founder R. J.  Holladay is an attorney with 18 years of experience in personal injury law. He helps good people put their lives back together after being injured through no fault of their own.

Get Compensation to Meet High Post-Accident Recovery Costs

Expenses for the treatment of life-altering injuries can reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Combined with an inability to work, paying these costs can be difficult or impossible for a survivor and their family members. In times like these, it is important to have someone on your side who can fight for the full and fair compensation you both need and deserve. As a retired U.S. Navy veteran and experienced lawyer, R. J.  Holladay is up to the challenge of advocating on your behalf.

Common examples of catastrophic injuries include:

• Head injuries, also known as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis
• Amputation injuries
• Loss of eyesight or hearing
• Severe burn injuries resulting in scarring or chronic pain

Costs include not only the initial emergency treatment, continuing care and physical therapy but also, in many cases, lifelong personal care attendants’ services, home remodeling and other disability accommodations.

If you or a loved one has suffered a life-altering injury in the Houston area because of another’s negligence, contact Holladay Law to discuss your path to physical and financial recovery. The firm is available to assess your case and determine which legal options may be available to you. Tell the firm about your accident, injuries, and pain and suffering.

Understanding the Compensation Options for Catastrophic Injury Victims in Texas

Serious personal injuries can arise from various circumstances, but catastrophic injuries stand out due to their severe and life-altering nature. These injuries often result from car crashes, workplace incidents or medical malpractice.

In Texas, compensation for catastrophic injuries encompasses a range of factors, providing support for the unique challenges faced by those affected. Therefore, knowing the nature of your injury and working with an experienced attorney can help you get some insights before seeking compensation.

What Sets Catastrophic Injuries Apart from Other Injury Claims?

Catastrophic injuries entail a range of severe and life-altering conditions that significantly impact an individual’s ability to lead a normal life. These injuries often involve long-term medical treatment and rehabilitation and may result in permanent disabilities. Unlike minor injuries, catastrophic injuries have a profound and lasting impact on the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of the victim.

Types of Catastrophic Injuries

Some of the most common types of catastrophic injuries include:

Traumatic brain injuries:

A brain injury is one of the most serious injuries that a person can face. With the potential to result in severe cognitive, emotional and physical consequences, an injury to the brain can be life-altering not only for the victim but for their family as well. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury due to the negligent actions of another person, you should immediately seek legal help. You may be entitled to compensation for your losses, including the cost of your medical bills, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, and more.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when a person experiences physical head trauma that causes damage to the brain. Often, brain injuries are the result of things like motor vehicle crashes, construction accidents, workplace accidents, assaults and sports injuries. The most severe injuries can lead to permanent brain damage or even death.

There are five types of traumatic brain injury:

• Concussion, the most common type of TBI
• Coup-contrecoup, in which the brain strikes the skull on both sides
• Contusion, in which an area of bruising (bleeding) on the brain
• Diffuse-axonal injury, in which strong rotational forces cause brain structures to tear
• Penetration, in which the skull and brain are penetrated by a foreign object

When a traumatic brain injury is caused by the reckless or careless actions of another person or entity, that person or entity may be held legally responsible for compensating the victim. For example, if a reckless driver caused a car collision because they were speeding and making unsafe lane changes, they may be sued for compensation.

These can lead to cognitive impairment, memory loss and personality changes.

• Spinal cord injuries: These can result in paralysis and loss of motor function.
• Amputations: The loss of a limb is a life-altering event that necessitates adaptive strategies and emotional adjustment.
• Severe burns: Burns that cover a large area of the body or damage deep layers of skin can be life-threatening and require extensive treatment.
• Organ damage: Injuries to internal organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, or kidneys can be fatal or lead to long-term health problems.
• Spinal cord injuries: These injuries can cause paralysis, loss of sensation and difficulty breathing.

With the help of an attorney, victims of catastrophic injuries can seek compensation for the significant physical, emotional and financial burdens they face. The more serious an injury is, the higher the compensation may be.

A Spinal Cord Injury:

A spinal cord injury is one of the most serious injuries a person can experience. Called a “catastrophic injury,” a spinal cord injury can cause paralysis that can permanently affect a person’s independence, quality of life, mobility, and ability to work. If you have been injured in an auto accident, construction accident, assault, slip/trip-and-fall accident or another type of preventable accident caused by another person’s negligence, you may be eligible for compensation.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

Your spinal cord injury may fall into one of the following categories:

• In an incomplete injury, the spinal cord is only partially severed. If you have an incomplete injury, you may still retain some degree of function depending on the extent and location of the injury.
• In a complete injury, the spinal cord is fully severed. If you suffered a complete spinal cord injury, you will likely suffer a complete loss of function below the location of the injury.

More specifically, your spinal cord injury may be of one of the following types:

• Tetraplegia, resulting in damage to the cervical spinal cord, a loss of function below the level of the injury, and difficulties with bladder and bowel control, respiration and other functions.
• Paraplegia, in which function is lost in the lower half of the body. As with tetraplegia, the higher up on the spinal cord the injury takes place, the more severe the injury will be.
• Triplegia, which may mean a loss of movement and sensation in one arm and both legs.

Injuries sustained below the lumbar spinal cord typically do not result in paralysis, but they can result in reduced function in some areas of the body and produce nerve pain. If you suffered this type of spinal cord injury, you may require surgery as well as physical therapy, but you may be able to walk after a time of recovery.

The High Costs of Living With a Spinal Cord Injury

The financial burdens of a spinal cord injury depend on the location and severity of the injury as well as the age at which the injury occurs. The cost of living with one of these devastating injuries can be substantial. Long-term medical care, medications, home care, home environment adaptation and other expenses can initially be very expensive and continue to cost for the rest of your life. Limited by an inability to earn income or perform the same household duties that you could when you were healthy, you may experience serious financial strain, affecting others in your household, too.

According to data published by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, a person diagnosed with paraplegia may incur nearly $519,000 in medical bills during their first year and $70,000 each subsequent year. Expenses for high tetraplegia (also called quadriplegia) can reach well over $1 million during the first year and nearly $182,000 for each year thereafter. With inflation, these dollar amounts are likely higher now than when this information was published.

As an innocent survivor of a serious accident, you should not be responsible for paying these costs when someone else was negligent. If your injury was caused by the careless or intentional actions of another person, they can and should be held liable for your injuries. The firm can help you hold the appropriate party or parties responsible for their misconduct.

Burn Injuries:

A burn injury is one of the most physically and emotionally painful injuries that a person can endure. Different types of burns include:

• Thermal burns from hot objects or flames
• Scalds caused by boiling liquids or steam
• Chemical burns caused by exposure to corrosive substances
• Electrical burns resulting from exposure to electric currents

A serious burn may require lengthy hospitalization and multiple surgeries. If you have suffered from burn injuries such as those listed above, you may be facing permanent scarring or disability. These lasting effects can have a number of physical and financial consequences and can make it difficult for you to lead a normal life.

Why Choose Holladay Law?

Below are serval reasons why Holladay Law may be the right choice for you:

• Free, no-obligation case evaluations
• No fees unless you win your case
• Representation led by a skilled former insurance and business defense lawyer
• A record of hundreds of previous clients who have obtained maximum compensation per insurance policy limits

The firm has fought tenaciously for the rights of catastrophic injury survivors for years. The firm is fully committed to aggressively advocating and litigating to protect the rights of clients and help them secure satisfactory verdicts and settlements.

Get Started With a Free Consultation

Because Holladay Law believes that all people should have access to justice, it operates on a contingency fee basis, which means that if you don’t get paid, the firm won’t either. The firm believes that no one should have to forfeit their right to legal counsel simply because they can’t afford an attorney. When you choose the firm, you will pay nothing for a consultation and nothing to begin your case. If the firm wins your case, its reasonable fees will come from a portion of the settlement or verdict, which means you have absolutely nothing to lose and potentially much to gain by getting legal advice.

You can reach the firm by calling 281-984-3948 or completing the online inquiry form.

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Catastrophic Spinal Cord Lesion