Unfortunately, the answer to the title question is yes. While most car crash injuries consist of broken bones, strains or sprains from which you can fully recover, albeit after experiencing a good deal of pain, some car crashes can result in injuries so serious that you will never again be the same.
Known as catastrophic injuries, The Lawyer Monthly lists the following examples of injuries from which you can never fully recover:
- Severe burns that leave permanent scars, often disfiguring ones, on various parts of your body
- Spinal cord injuries, i.e., SCIs, that can paralyze the lower half of your body, known as paraplegia, or virtually your entire body, known as quadriplegia
- Traumatic brain injuries, i.e., TBIs, can leave you with numerous lasting problems, such as with your speech, mobility or cognitive functions
- Crush injuries that can require the amputation of one or both of your arms or legs
- Eye injuries that can leave you with a severe loss of vision, up to and including total blindness
- Ear injuries that can leave you with a severe loss of hearing, up to and including total deafness
Skyrocketing financial costs
A debilitating catastrophic injury that requires you to adjust to a “new normal” way of life also carries substantial costs. Your medical expenses likely will skyrocket during your stay in the hospital, but this is only the beginning. You probably will require ongoing rehabilitation and physical therapy services after sustaining such an injury. In addition, you may well incur costs for medical equipment, such as for a wheelchair, walker, cane or another necessary device to allow you to move from one place to another, even in your own home.