SERIOUS INJURIES
Serious Injury Lawyer in Massachusetts
At Snook Law Office, we understand that serious injuries often change an accident victim's life forever. With Attorney Douglas Snook's 30 years of experience litigating here in Massachusetts, he knows what it takes to protect you and your family during one of the most difficult times in your life.
If you have been seriously injured, it is extremely important that you hire a personal injury lawyer to protect you and your family's rights in the process.
Snook Law Office Will Protect You and Your Family's Rights
Serious injury cases come with increased expenses, physical and emotional distress, and sometimes long-term impact on the victim's career and earning capacity. With such high stakes, the victim’s rights must be protected at every stage of the claims process.
We Provide Aggressive Negotiation in High Stake Cases
Serious injury cases are notoriously difficult to negotiate, and some even end up at trial. As a top personal injury lawyer in Massachusetts, Attorney Snook has the expert skills and knowledge needed to investigate responsible parties, negotiate aggressively, and obtain maximum compensation.
He will fight for every client both in and out of court to make sure they get the compensation they and their families need.
We Fight for Maximum Emotional Distress Compensation
In serious injury claims, emotional distress is often much higher than in other cases. Here at Snook Law Office, we know that for victims, the experience of having to relive their injury just to prove their own emotional distress can be extremely traumatic. If retained, Attorney Snook will fight that battle for you.
A veteran personal injury lawyer in Massachusetts, Attorney Snook has successfully litigated all kinds of serious injury claims in the state. He is ready to fight for the compensation you deserve.
How Do I Know if My Injury is Serious?
Serious injuries are injuries that substantially affect, impair or result in the loss of a body organ, member, or system; damage to your cognitive capacity; or that result in permanent and severe disfigurement. These are catastrophic injuries that alter your life forever and significantly affect your family as well.
A serious injury can come in many forms. They can result from any kind of accident, including a motor vehicle, truck collisions, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, and defective products or drugs. Serious injuries include:
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Traumatic brain injury
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Spinal injuries
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Loss of a limb
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Loss of hearing or sight
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Severe burns
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Permanent and significant disfigurement
Serious injuries may take other forms as well. Whether your injury is serious depends on the long-term or permanent impact it has on your physical or cognitive function.
As a skilled personal injury lawyer in Massachusetts, Attorney Snook can help you determine how your injury will qualify under the law.
Learn More About Serious Injuries
Brain Injuries
A brain injury ranges from a simple concussion to more substantial injuries such as:
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Diffuse axonal injury is when the brain shifts inside the skull. This disrupts cognitive function and often leaves the injured in a coma.
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Subarachnoid hemorrhaging is bleeding in the brain from blunt force trauma that can lead to a coma, paralysis, and cognitive dysfunction.
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Subdural or intracranial hematoma is the formation of a blood clot from a blow to the head that can lead to traumatic brain damage or death
The symptoms of a brain injury can vary depending on the severity of the injury, certain risk factors, and how quickly the injury is treated. For example, in the case of subarachnoid hemorrhaging, brain damage can be reduced if the pressure caused by the bleeding is relieved immediately. The following are common symptoms of a brain injury:
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Nausea
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Dizziness
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Confusion
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Mood changes
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Memory loss
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Sensitivity to light and noise
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Balance and coordination issues
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Any kind of head injury should be immediately checked by your physician and monitored.
The medical prognoses of brain injuries also vary. Determining how a prognosis will impact your personal injury claim is also a complicated legal question. A skilled personal injury lawyer in Massachusetts will be able to analyze the various medical documents relevant to your case and provide you with counsel accordingly.
Spinal Injuries
A spinal injury can be a whiplash injury or strain to the tendons, tissues, or muscles of the neck and back that traumatizes the spinal column. More serious injuries are disk herniations and complete or incomplete spinal cord injuries that cause partial or complete paralysis.
Diagnostic testing will confirm the nature and extent of spinal injuries. A clinical exam will usually establish where the injury is focused, the degrees of muscle strength and movement, and sensory limitations.
Similar to brain injuries, spinal injuries vary depending on the focus of the injury and the severity. A spinal injury will exhibit various symptoms, such as:
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Sensory difficulties such as feeling heat or cold
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Numbness and tingling in toes, hands, or finger
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Inability to control bowel movements or bladder
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Spasms
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Loss of sexual function
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Partial or complete loss of movement
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Breathing problems
In paralysis cases, symptoms are often either long-term or permanent. However, many patients can restore some function through occupational and physical therapy. Early intervention is crucial and can minimize the severity of the injury.
Burn Injuries
Burns can be particularly excruciating and the treatments just as painful. They can result from car or motorcycle accidents, or contact with electrical wires or harsh chemicals.
Burns are classified in four categories from first degree to fourth degree, depending on how deep the burn penetrates the dermis and epidermis of your skin. Third- and fourth-degree burns are the most severe with skin grafting and reconstruction needed.
Emotional distress is often pronounced in these cases.
Permanent Disfigurement and Scarring
Motor vehicle, motorcycle accidents, work injuries, among other incidents can result in permanent scarring or loss of an eye, ear, or other body parts. Many victims experience deep emotional distress and long-term psychological difficulties. Deep scarring can also interfere with motor function from nerve or spinal cord damage.