Did you or a family member suffer a catastrophic injury in St. Petersburg, FL? Your life has changed in ways that you might not yet realize. If someone else was responsible, you may be entitled to compensation. An experienced St. Petersburg catastrophic injury lawyer at Winters & Yonker, P.A. can help you fight to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Our lawyers have been working tirelessly to help accident victims recover the fair compensation they deserve since 2001. Collectively, our lawyers have over 119 years of experience handling personal injury cases.
All you have to do is call (727) 314-5988 or contact our law office in St. Petersburg, Florida and schedule a free consultation today.
How Winters & Yonker, P.A. Can Help With a Catastrophic Injury Claim in St. Petersburg
Choosing a lawyer can be a daunting task–especially if you’re coping with a life-changing injury. Our St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers at Winters & Yonker, P.A. are here to put over a century of combined legal experience to work for your family.
Over the years, we’ve earned a reputation for providing aggressive and skilled legal services for our clients.
When you hire our St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys to handle your case, we will:
- Provide the personal attention and support your case deserves
- Conduct a thorough investigation into your accident and injury
- Protect your rights if you’re blamed for causing your own injuries
- Retain leading experts and specialists to support your case
- Identify all parties who share blame for your injuries
- Negotiate with the insurance company and defense lawyers
Our lawyers know how to negotiate top-dollar settlements. After all, we face off against large insurance corporations every day. Still, we won’t hesitate to take your case to court if necessary. To get started, call our legal team in Pinellas County for a free consultation today.
Overview of Catastrophic Injuries
By definition, a catastrophic injury is one that will cause fundamental life changes even once you’ve reached maximum medical improvement (MMI). Catastrophic injuries can prevent you from engaging in any work or earning a living. These types of injuries can significantly decrease your quality of life.
Insurance companies know that the costs associated with a catastrophic injury are high. They’ll invest more resources to fight your claim and avoid paying the full compensation you deserve. That means it’s especially important to retain an experienced lawyer who can protect you.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries
Many different types of injuries can be classified as catastrophic.
Examples of injuries that are most likely to have a catastrophic impact on your life include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Blindness and vision loss
- Severe burns covering a large portion of the body
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Severe types of nerve damage
- Internal organ damage
- Chest and thoracic injuries
In some cases, even complex fractures or multiple broken bones can be considered catastrophic. The common element is that these are the types of injuries that are life-altering.
How Common Are Catastrophic Injuries?
Catastrophic injuries aren’t as uncommon as you might think.
According to the CDC, between 80,000 and 90,000 suffer a permanent disability because of brain injuries each year in the U.S. About 185,000 new amputations are performed in the United States every year. Studies show that in Florida alone, over 800 new spinal cord injuries are reported each year.
Florida residents sustain catastrophic injuries every day. If you were one of them, reach out to our attorneys in St. Petersburg for a free initial consultation today.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences of Catastrophic Injuries?
Catastrophic injuries can impact every aspect of your life. Your relationships, work, and quality of life can all suffer after sustaining a dramatic and permanent injury.
Some examples of the long-term impact of a catastrophic injury include:
- Loss of mobility
- Cognitive impairments
- Loss of your ability to earn a living
- Inability to perform basic activities of daily living without assistance
- Inability to enjoy the hobbies and activities you participated in prior to the injury
- Damage to your personal relationships
- Inability to actively participate in your child’s life
- Loss of fertility
- Ancillary medical conditions, including sepsis and infection
- Respiratory disorders
- Bed sores
- Mental health disorders, including severe depression, anxiety, and damage to your emotional well-being
- Chronic pain
- Dependency on pain medications
Our lawyers at Winters & Yonker, P.A. know how devastating a catastrophic injury can be. Over the years, we’ve helped our clients recover the resources they need to face the challenges a catastrophic injury can create.
We’re well-prepared to help with your personal injury claim or lawsuit. Whether you were hurt in an auto accident or a slip and fall, call our personal injury law firm in St. Petersburg for legal advice today.
What Causes Most Catastrophic Injuries?
There’s always a chance that you’ll be injured if you’re involved in an accident. Depending on the severity of the accident, it’s also always possible that you could sustain catastrophic injuries.
At Winters & Yonker, P.A., we’re here to fight for clients who have been injured because of:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Uber or Lyft accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Boating accidents
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Dog bites and animal attacks
- Defective products
- Dangerous premises
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home abuse
- Intentional criminal acts
Most of the time, catastrophic injuries happen because someone was careless. If you or a loved one were injured in a preventable accident, call our lawyers in St. Petersburg for a free case evaluation today.
What Is My St. Petersburg Catastrophic Injury Case Worth?
You don’t have to let the insurance companies diminish the cost of your injuries. After all, an injury is classified as catastrophic because the consequences will be severe and far-reaching.
Over the course of a lifetime, it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat a catastrophic injury. These types of severe injuries are also likely to cause significant harm to your emotional health and well-being.
The value of your personal injury case will depend on:
- The cost of your medical treatment to date
- The types of future medical care you will require
- Your age, life expectancy, and overall health
- Your prior earnings history and future earning potential
- The types of assistance you’ll need with everyday activities
- The age and identities of your dependents, including children
- How the injury impacts your quality of life
- Whether you share any blame for causing the accident and injuries
Our lawyers will aggressively work to demand the full compensation you deserve. We’ll retain top-rated experts and specialists in medicine, economics, life planning, and other specialties who can testify about the dollar value of your losses.
Contact our St. Petersburg catastrophic injury attorneys to learn more about your legal right to compensation today.
What Compensation Can I Recover for My Catastrophic Injuries in St. Petersburg, Florida?
Catastrophic injuries generate significant financial costs. As a victim, you’re entitled to seek compensation for any costs associated with the accident and injury.
You may be entitled to compensation for economic damages, including:
- Current medical bills
- Lost wages, income, and employment benefits
- Future medical expenses
- Lost future earning capacity
- Physical therapy
- In-home assistance
- In-home modifications
- Long-term care in a nursing facility
- Medications and medical devices
- Property damage
Your non-economic, personal losses may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of your independence
- Damage to relationships
- Chronic pain
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Severe depression
- PTSD
- Anxiety
- Loss of consortium
Many catastrophic injuries are so severe that the victim does not survive. If you lost a family member due to someone else’s negligence, our wrongful death lawyers in St. Petersburg can help you fight to recover compensation for loss of financial support, burial costs, and more.
How Long Do I Have To File a Catastrophic Injury Lawsuit in Florida?
Under Florida law, accident victims must file a personal injury lawsuit within four years of the date they sustain the injury. Once the four-year deadline passes, you lose your right to compensation in most cases.
Four years is the statute of limitations in most personal injury cases. Depending on the exact circumstances of your accident, however, a different deadline may apply. For example, if your injuries were caused by medical negligence, you typically have only two years from the date you discover the injury to take legal action.
Building a catastrophic injury case is a long process. Even after we finish our investigation into the accident, it can take time for your doctor to develop a prognosis and treatment plan. The sooner you get started, the better your chances of recovering the maximum compensation you deserve.
Contact a St. Petersburg Catastrophic Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you were injured because of someone else’s careless, reckless, or wrongful acts, our lawyers are here to help. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you never pay attorneys’ fees unless we recover compensation for you. To discuss your case, contact an experienced St. Petersburg catastrophic injury lawyer at Winters & Yonker, P.A. and schedule a free consultation.
Our personal injury law firm in St. Petersburg, FL also provides:
- Bicycle Accident Attorneys in St. Petersburg, FL
- Brain Injury Attorney in St. Petersburg, FL
- Car Accident Lawyers in St. Petersburg, FL
- Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in St. Petersburg, FL
- Construction Accident Attorney in St. Petersburg, FL
- Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in St. Petersburg, FL
- Truck Accident Attorneys in St. Petersburg, FL
- Uber Accident Lawyer in St. Petersburg, FL
- Workers’ Compensation Attorney in St. Petersburg, FL
- Workplace Accident Lawyers in St. Petersburg, FL
- Wrongful Death Attorneys in St. Petersburg, FL
