While most of us are fortunate to walk away from accidents with only a bruised ego, some injuries can permanently alter your life. These injuries may inhibit your ability to move or operate as expected. These physical setbacks can affect your quality of life and may prevent you from working in your industry.
Some injuries might entitle you to legal compensation. Suppose your injury is on your medical record and it was a common injury offense, such as a car wreck, job-related injury, or negligence on someone else’s part. In that case, you may have a strong personal injury case. Schwartzapfel Lawyers, a team of injury attorneys in New York, advise that personal injury victims reach out to a legal expert to discuss their options. That way, you can claim the money and benefits you deserve and sidestep financial upheaval.
Read on to learn more about the types of life-altering injuries and how they can affect your daily activities. With these life-altering injuries and their far-reaching impacts in mind, you can readily acknowledge the importance of workplace safety measures, such as personal protective equipment, posted signage, and other safety protocols.
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury is an injury to any part of the spinal cord or the nerves at the end of the cord and can result from a car accident, a work injury, or something else. In most cases, a spinal cord injury can significantly affect the function of all the areas below the injury site, including paralyzation.
Unfortunately, there’s no cure for a spinal cord injury. You can undergo rehabilitation and treatments to improve your quality of life, but your life will be different. You may not be able to work in the same field as before, and you’ll incur many medical and equipment costs.
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury, also known as TBI, is any brain injury that causes lasting damage to the brain. There are many ways to get a TBI, including blunt force applied to the head like in a fall or car accident or a penetrating force, like a gunshot. An injury can range from a mild TBI (sometimes a concussion), moderate TBI, all the way to severe TBI.
In most cases, a mild TBI doesn’t have a significant impact on your life long-term, but a mild or severe TBI can have lasting effects or even result in death. You may experience anything from headaches and fatigue to seizures, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. You’ll likely incur a high medical bill and may need full-time care.
Loss of limb
The loss of a limb can include losing one or more body parts such as a hand, foot, leg, finger, or toe. You can lose a limb during an injury or after an injury that results in an amputation. Any loss of a limb is traumatic, but some can be completely life-altering.
If you lose a foot, leg, hand, or arm, it will have a significant impact on your day-to-day life. You’ll need help with routine daily functions and may no longer be able to perform your job. Prosthetics and other equipment, though helpful in restoring quality of life, can be pretty costly.
Burns
While not all burns cause permanent damage, third- and particularly fourth-degree burns can cause lasting damage. A third-degree penetrates the fat under the skin, and a fourth-degree burn can go all the way to the tissues, muscles, and bones.
After a severe burn, you may experience nerve damage and disfigurement. You may even have organ damage. Severe burns often require lifelong care and may prevent you from working and living a normal life.
Internal injuries
Internal injuries are usually the result of blunt force trauma or penetrating trauma and happen to organs other than the brain. Should you sustain internal injuries, internal bleeding or permanent organ damage may be the potentially fatal consequences. You can get internal injuries after an accident, such as a car accident or a fall.
Depending on the severity of your injury, you may not be able to return to your normal activities. You may need multiple surgeries and physical therapy, incurring thousands of dollars or more in medical bills.
Wrap up
While you can recover from most injuries, some injuries can have a long-term or permanent impact on your life. Any of these types of life-altering injuries can be devastating to your future.
Though it is possible to adjust to many of these afflictions, the best policy is still to avoid situations where there is a risk of serious injury.
