Oakton, VA Personal Injury Lawyer

Serious Injuries Resulting from Negligence

Motor vehicle accidents and other situations involving negligence can lead to catastrophic injuries that may affect a person for years or for the rest of their life. These injuries will often require multiple forms of extensive medical treatment, and ongoing care may be required. Some of the most serious injuries that people may experience include:

• Spinal Cord Injuries: The central nervous system contains a large number of sensitive nerves, and in cases involving harm to the nerves in the spinal cord, the damage is often irreparable. Depending on the extent of the damage, a person may lose sensation or function in certain parts of the body, or they may be completely paralyzed. Injuries to the lower parts of the back can lead to paraplegia affecting the legs and lower body. Injuries to the neck or upper back could lead to quadriplegia/tetraplegia, which may cause total bodily paralysis and require assistance with breathing.
• Amputations: The loss of a limb can occur when an arm, leg, hand, foot, or other body part is severely injured, crushed, or severed. These injuries will result in permanent disabilities that may affect a person's mobility, their ability to perform fine motor tasks, their employment opportunities, and other parts of their daily life.
• Severe Burns: Vehicle fires, explosions, or other hazardous conditions can cause devastating burn injuries affecting different parts of the body. A person may experience severe pain, and skin grafts may be required. Burns will often leave permanent scars that may affect a person's appearance, and victims may experience severe emotional trauma.
• Traumatic Brain Injuries: A blow to the head or another type of injury affecting the brain can result in ongoing physical, cognitive, and emotional impairments. A person may experience memory loss, personality changes, loss of coordination, chronic pain, seizures, sensory processing issues, difficulties with speech and language, and other issues that may lead to long-term or permanent disabilities.
• Fractures: Broken bones can occur throughout the body, and they can be very painful, while requiring months or longer to heal. Fractures in major body parts may affect a person's mobility and their ability to perform work or daily tasks. Surgeries may be required in some cases, and ongoing rehabilitation may be needed to restore motion and ability.
• Internal Organ Damage: Trauma to the body can lead to life-threatening injuries affecting major organs. Damage to the liver, spleen, heart, lungs, intestines, kidneys, or other organs may disrupt bodily functions or require transplants.

Our considerable experience and focus on personal injury law can give you a significant advantage, because we will use our knowledge and skills to protect your best interests. If insurers do not offer full compensation through settlement negotiations, Attorney Whitlock is a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom.

Premises Liability and Unsafe Property Conditions

When someone visits property owned by someone else, they expect that the premises will be reasonably safe. Unfortunately, injuries can occur when property owners are negligent and fail to repair hazards, protect against potential injuries, or warn visitors about dangerous conditions. When an injury occurs because of a property owner's negligence, a victim may take steps to obtain compensation through a premises liability claim.

Examples of dangerous property conditions include wet floors, uneven sidewalks, damaged walkways, broken handrails on stairways or upper levels, falling objects, and insufficient lighting. These issues may lead to slip and fall accidents or other situations involving injuries to visitors. Accidents may take place at a private residence or a location open to the public, such as a store or shopping mall.

A property owner or a party who was in control of a property may be held responsible if they knew or should have known about a hazardous condition and failed to correct it within a reasonable time. Evidence such as maintenance records, security camera footage, and witness testimony can play a critical role in these cases.

Wrongful Death Claims

When a fatal accident has occurred because someone has acted negligently, a family's loss of a loved one may be addressed through a wrongful death claim. These claims may address fatal car accidents, truck collisions, pedestrian accidents, unsafe property conditions, or situations where negligence led to someone's death.

The purpose of a wrongful death claim is to address the losses experienced by the family members of a person who was killed. These may include financial losses, such as the expenses related to the person's funeral and burial, the loss of income and benefits they would have provided for their family, and the costs of medical care they received prior to their death. The damages in a wrongful death case may also address a family's personal losses, including the loss of companionship with their loved one and the emotional trauma that they have experienced.

Compensation Available in Personal Injury Cases

In personal injury claims, victims may take steps to recover damages. The compensation they receive is meant to restore them, as much as possible, to the condition they were in prior to the accident. It may also address the harm done to them, both financially and personally.

The damages in a personal injury claim will generally fall into two categories. Economic damages may address any financial losses that have occurred in the past, such as medical bills and lost wages, as well as future losses, such as continuing medical care and impairment to the ability to earn an income. Non-economic damages will address intangible losses, including emotional distress, physical pain and suffering, and the loss of a person's ability to fully enjoy their life.

Contact Our Oakton Personal Injury Attorney

After suffering a serious injury, it is important to understand your rights and the legal options that are available to you. At Whitlock Law, we can help you take steps to show that another party was responsible for your injuries, and we will work with you to obtain full compensation for the injuries and losses you have suffered. Contact our Oakton, VA personal injury lawyer at 703-576-5005 to schedule a free consultation and take the first step toward protecting your future.