Common ways catastrophic injuries occur in Atlanta

There are multiple types of injuries, some more severe than others. One of these injury types is called a catastrophic injury. In order to qualify as a catastrophic injury, said injury has to fulfill certain conditions. Specifically, a catastrophic injury is either fatal, causes one or more permanent disabilities, and/or causes one or more permanent disfigurements. Common disabilities manifesting from a catastrophic injury include blindness, deafness, amputation (or diminished use) of limb(s), back/neck/spinal cord injuries, and more. Burns that are severe enough may also qualify an injury as a catastrophic one.

All of these things are a frightful thing for people to experience, and as such, are things people will often do whatever they can to mitigate the risk of them occurring. For people in Atlanta trying to reduce the risk, a common thing to do is ask what some common ways catastrophic injuries occur?

Common ways catastrophic injuries occur in Atlanta

Workplace injuries

Depending on the kind of workplace, the risk of a catastrophic injury is going to be bigger or smaller. For example, someone who works at a desk job in an office is not likely to experience a catastrophic injury. However, other jobs are not quite as safe, no matter how much effort your employers put into it. Some jobs inherently carry that severe risk. For instance, construction jobs deal with a lot of heavy machinery, and a single thing going wrong can do quite a lot of damage, and in many ways. For instance, a person could fall and sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI), or even have something heavy fall on them. They may also experience a crush injury. Meanwhile, if you are a cook, there is a risk that you could suffer from a severe burn, which, depending on the physical impact of the burn, could qualify as a catastrophic injury.

Medical injuries

When you are dealing with a medical professional, it is understood that you are going to be handled by professionals. Even with that, however, that medical professional is only human, and can still make mistakes, even catastrophic ones. A brain surgeon is dealing with a very important organ, and one mistake could result in lifelong quality of life loss, or even see the person being operated on passing away. It is an extremely small chance in most cases, but no matter how small a chance, there is still someone out there who finds themselves on the wrong end of that small chance. There are also instances where a medical professional acted negligently or even maliciously. This is referred to as medical malpractice, and it becomes more significant when it involves a catastrophic injury.

Car accidents

Car accidents are an extremely common cause of catastrophic injuries, mainly due to how severe they can be, and how relatively common they are compared to many other injuries. While catastrophic injuries can occur between two drivers, there is an even bigger risk for pedestrian stuck by a vehicle. As such, both pedestrians and drivers should be fully aware of each other to ensure that no tragedy has to occur. If you find yourself or a loved one the victim of a catastrophic injury as a result of a driver’s negligence (or any other catastrophic injury cause), be sure to get in contact with skilled catastrophic injury lawyers, who will determine what your options are and handle the most complicated and frustrating aspects of things.

Explosions

Explosions are not the most common occurrence (for good reason), but they are no slouch when it comes to catastrophic injury. Not only can they produce extreme burns, but the sheer force of the explosion can kill you instantly. Explosions can manifest for a number of reasons. One thing you are sure to have thought of is a gas explosion, as a lot of households use gas-burning stoves. Thus, it is a risk that these kinds of people have to be mindful of. Electrical hazards are also something to mind. Static electricity may seem like a fairly minor thing to worry about, and honestly, it is — most of the time, anyway. If your static electricity creates a spark in an environment that has a combustible element close enough, it can create an unexpectedly large explosion. Explosions can also be nuclear, but we think it is safe to say that if there is a nuclear explosion, a catastrophic injury lawyer is probably not high up on the priority list.

Sports accidents

As time passes, people are only becoming more aware of how much risk is involved in sports, especially for younger players. It’s why kids are participating in high-impact sports like hockey and football less than they used to. Sports that involve high-impact play inherently having its participants moving at fast speeds and crashing into each other, potentially damaging their head and/or spine in the process. This can lead to concussions, TBIs, paralysis, and more. Hockey adds an extra layer of impact, given how much faster the players can go when they are skating. While higher-impact sports are inherently going to be riskier, this does not mean that they are the only sports that confer a risk, so always be careful when practicing your favorite sport. For example, even if you are just playing tennis, you still run the risk of sustaining a concussion.

Violent crime

This should not come as a surprise that violent crime can result in a catastrophic injury. When looking at homicides in the United States, firearms are by far the most common type of killing method. Handguns comprise 45.7 percent, rifles 2.6 percent, shotguns 1.4 percent, and other unidentified types of firearms collectively account for 23.9 percent. Combined, this adds up to 73.6 percent, an overwhelming percentage compared to blades, which account for 10.6 percent of homicides. As we all know, firearms are an effective means by which to inflict a catastrophic injury, especially death, so it should come as no surprise that firearms are so much more popular than other options. The circumstances of violence are also an important factor. For instance, a lot of violent crimes are committed by strangers, while some are committed by loved ones.

Trampoline accidents

This may seem like a silly thing to list among all the other risks, but the risk of a catastrophic injury from a trampoline accident is no laughing matter. In one report, there were nearly 100,000 injuries to children within just one year that the researchers examined. It does make sense though; for as fun as a trampoline is, there is a lot of risk involved in a child getting some vertical momentum and, potentially, coming crashing down onto the side of the trampoline or the ground. The risk becomes that much greater if multiple people are using a trampoline at the same time. People trying to do stunts on the trampoline only make the risk greater. For example, we are sure you have seen someone attempt a wicked aerial somersault, but not all of those land successfully. And tragically, if that person lands the wrong way, that could lead to a permanent spinal injury. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that no one outside supervised athletes should use a trampoline.