Ascension Parish Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

Catastrophic injuries include life-altering injuries like severe traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, blindness, loss of organ function, limb loss, and severe burns. They can have long-term consequences like limitations on mobility, nerve damage, chronic pain, mental trauma, substantial financial costs, and long-term care needs. When these injuries are someone else’s fault, an Ascension Parish catastrophic injury lawyer can help you file a claim for damages.

Get the Compensation You Are Entitled to With Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers

The attorneys at Gauthier Amedee know how difficult it is to navigate the aftermath of a catastrophic injury. On top of severe pain and uncertainty, you have a lot of costs and financial losses. Our attorneys have over 40 years of collective experience in personal injury, and we want to be your Go2Lawyers. It’s not easy to navigate an insurance or civil claim when you are seriously injured. Let our firm handle your case for you and get the damages you deserve.

What Is a Catastrophic Injury?

Catastrophic injuries are a type of personal injury that is expected to affect the injured individual for a long period of time or the rest of their life. These injuries permanently affect a part of a person’s body or otherwise cause a permanent disability. Compensation for catastrophic injuries is typically much higher because they cost a lot more and cause many other damages in a person’s life.

Liability in Catastrophic Injury Claims

Not all catastrophic injury claims result in valid claims for compensation. When a catastrophic injury is caused by negligence, recklessness, or misconduct by another party, they can likely be held liable in a claim. That party may be an individual, a business, or another entity. You must typically prove the following to hold another party liable for your injuries:

1. Duty of care. The party owed you a duty of care. Different parties are held to different standards of care. Drivers owe each other a level of care to avoid causing injury, while medical providers must meet a professional standard of care.
2. Breach of duty. The party breached that duty of care. Most commonly, this is due to negligence. Negligence does not require intent or an action that is careless and is not what a reasonable person would do. Injury claims can also be filed due to criminal action or misconduct.
3. Causation. Their breach of care was a direct cause of your injuries. If the accident had occurred without the party’s breach of care, they are likely not liable.
4. Damages. You suffered legally recognized economic and non-economic damages because of your injuries. This includes medical bills, lost income, property damage, emotional trauma, and pain and suffering.

An attorney is incredibly helpful in investigating the accident, gathering evidence of all these elements, and determining who can be held liable for your injuries.

Common Accidents Leading to Catastrophic Injury Claims

Many types of personal injury claims have the potential to be catastrophic injury claims. However, there are certain injuries and accidents that are more likely to cause severe injuries that affect someone for the rest of their life. This includes:

• Vehicle accidents. Not all motor vehicle accidents cause catastrophic injuries. Certain types of accidents, like head-on collisions or accidents that involve drunk drivers, are more likely to be fatal or catastrophic. In Ascension Parish, there were 61 suspected serious injury crashes in 2024.

  Commercial truck accidents are vehicle collisions that are more likely to be catastrophic. These crashes often involve numerous vehicles piling up, rollover accidents, and the potential for explosions or chemical spills, depending on the commercial truck’s cargo. Vehicle accidents can also be more severe when they involve vulnerable individuals.

  Motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are especially likely to suffer catastrophic injuries because of the lack of protection they have from crashes. In these accidents, a driver is most often held liable.

  Other parties that may be liable include a driver’s employer, the owner of a vehicle, a mechanic, a governmental entity, or a product manufacturer. The exact liable party will depend on the cause of the crash.

• Medical negligence and malpractice. When medical professionals make mistakes or deviate from the standard of care, they can cause serious and costly injuries. In 2024, medical malpractice report payments in Louisiana totaled $62.65 million. $15.49 million in these payments were 23 payment reports between the value of $500,000 and $999,999.

  Catastrophic injuries from medical negligence and malpractice can be caused in many ways. This includes hospital negligence, surgical errors, misdiagnoses, incorrect prescriptions, nursing home abuse, and many other offenses and acts of negligence. Healthcare providers themselves and healthcare facilities could be held accountable for injuries due to malpractice.

• Workplace injuries. Injuries in the workplace are especially likely in hazardous workplaces, such as those in the industrial sector. Accidents like falls, chemical spills, machinery malfunctions, vehicle collisions, explosions, falling objects, and structure collapses can cause catastrophic injuries. In 2023, there were 208 severe injury reports in workplaces in Louisiana. Three of them occurred at businesses in Gonzales, such as roofing, vehicle repair, and wholesale distribution industries.

  Employees can usually recover partial damages through workers’ compensation insurance claims. In some cases, employees can file civil claims. Talking your case through with an attorney is important. An attorney can determine your potential methods of compensation and help you fight for your interests in one or both claims.

There are other types of accidents that could lead to catastrophic injuries, such as sports accidents, injuries from violent crime, slip and fall accidents, and defective products. In some cases, you can hold a party liable for your injuries.

What to Do After an Accident

If you are involved in an accident, you should call 911, particularly in a vehicle accident. Hospitals in Ascension Parish include:

• Baton Rouge General – Ascension, located on 14105 Highway 73 in Prairieville
• Our Lady of the Lake St. Elizabeth, located on 1125 Highway 30 in Gonzales
• West Ascension Parish Hospital, located at 301 Memorial Drive in Donaldsonville

Getting medical treatment is important for many reasons. It helps protect your health and well-being. It also ensures there is documentation of your injuries and their treatment, which is necessary to prove any claim you make in the future.

Get in Contact With Gauthier Amedee in Ascension Parish Today

At Gauthier Amedee, we can investigate the cause of your injury and determine if you have the grounds for a claim. We charge on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t owe upfront costs. Contact our firm today and learn how we can support you.