Filing a Compensation Claim for a Crush Injury

October 14, 2021

Intense pressure on a body part (arms, legs, chest, head, etc.) can cause a crush injury that results in long-term damage that victims may never recover from.

For example, some people who suffer a crush injury need to have a limb amputated. Others may deal with varying levels of paralysis or suffer hearing or visual impairment. Some victims do not survive their injuries. Many crush-injury victims may develop post-traumatic stress disorders and other psychological problems along with their physical symptoms.

Despite the severity of these injuries, recovering full compensation can be a challenge, as liable parties, including insurance companies, often look to escape accountability. Victims need experienced legal assistance to validate their claims and determine what they may be worth.

At Phillips Law Group, we have been helping catastrophic injury victims for nearly three decades and have obtained millions on their behalf. This includes $7.65 million for a motorcycle crash victim who suffered a skull fracture and $6 million for the victim of a retail business accident who suffered a crush injury from a heavy falling object.

Why Crush Injury Victims Can Benefit From a Lawyer

Crush injuries are often catastrophic, resulting in death or long-term injury or disability. While each case is different, it is generally true that catastrophic injury claims are worth significantly more than claims for less severe injuries. That means the insurance company is going to fight hard to avoid paying full compensation to the victim.

Given the situation, it is generally a bad idea for catastrophic injury victims to attempt to go through the legal process alone. You could greatly benefit from hiring an experienced lawyer who can deal with the insurance company and other involved parties on your behalf.

Phillips Law Group’s experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyers have the resources, legal knowledge and experience to manage a crush injury claim from start to finish. We are even prepared to go to court if the insurance company does not make a fair offer.

Unlike insurance companies focused on profit, we are focused on the victims. We know compensation cannot change what happened, but we know how important it is for victims to obtain compensation as they seek to move forward.

Without help from a licensed attorney you may say or do something the insurance company could use as a basis for devaluing or even denying your claim. Even if you are unhappy with their settlement offers, they are much less likely to negotiate in good faith unless an attorney is involved.

Learn more about the benefits of an experienced lawyer. Call today: 1-800-706-3000

Do I Have a Valid Claim?

Crush injuries can occur in a variety of situations, particularly in motor vehicle crashes and work accidents. There are many types of motor vehicle accidents that could cause crush injuries, including those involving:

Construction sites and factories are often the site of crush injuries. Workers could get caught in machinery or between a piece of heavy machinery and something else. Heavy objects or loads could fall onto a victim, putting pressure on body parts. Structures could collapse, pinning workers under them. There are also crush injuries resulting from a worker being pinned between a loading dock and a tractor trailer.

No matter the cause, if you believe negligence was involved and the accident could have been avoided, you should contact our firm to discuss possible legal options. After discussing the accident in detail, we can determine if you may have a valid case and if we may be able to assist you.

There is no risk in calling our firm, as the consultation is free, and you are not obligated to hire us to represent you.

What Forms of Compensation May Be Available?

Our goal at Phillips Law Group is to pursue full compensation for your damages, including ongoing costs and damages you may be dealing with long after your case concludes. We know how devastating a crush injury can be. Our firm has the resources and staff to carefully investigate your injury and determine the potential value of your claim.

For example, we can consult medical experts to determine the potential cost of ongoing treatment and the emotional/psychological impact of a long-term injury. Victims may need to receive treatment for things like:

We may also consult other experts to determine the financial impact of an inability to work or a severely limited ability to continue working.

The value of each case should be assessed separately, but victims may be eligible to seek compensation for some or all of the following:

At Phillips Law Group, we know crush injuries can result in severe complications, such as:

• Hyperkalemia ”“ Significant pressure to a body part can damage cell membranes and result in the release of a significant amount of potassium. This could lead to cardiac arrest. Victims may also suffer metabolic acidosis when blood returns to the tissue after a long absence.
• Compartment syndrome ”“ This may cause the death of cells in the muscles that were crushed in the accident. Excessive swelling pushes fluid into the space inside the cells and this may cause cell death.
• Hypovolemic shock ”“ This happens due to a loss of plasma volume in cell membranes and capillary walls.
• Severe kidney injury ”“ Your kidney may release a protein that could threaten your life, particularly if you also suffer hypovolemic shock.

Protecting Your Potential Claim

There are three are things that victims can focus on after a crush injury to help protect their claims for compensation.

First, get medical treatment right away and stick to the treatment plan. This is for your ongoing health and to protect the value of your claim. Insurance companies look for any reason to deny or undervalue your claim, no matter how severely you were injured. If you wait to seek treatment or miss appointments, they will use that against you.

Make sure to keep your doctors informed about the progress of your treatment and any new symptoms or improvements in your condition.

The second thing to focus on is limiting what you say to insurers or other liable parties. Many injury victims do not realize how easy it is to say something the insurance company can use to hurt their claim for compensation. The more you say to the insurance company, the more likely you are to say something that downplays the severity of your injuries or sounds like an admission of fault.

If the insurance company calls you, you can refer them to your attorney. Keep the conversation brief and only provide the basic details about the accident. If they press you for more details about your injuries, it is okay to say you are being treated, but you do not want to get into specifics.

The third thing is to call an attorney to help manage your case. Trying to manage the legal process on your own is beyond hard, particularly with something as severe as a crush injury.

Phillips Law Group is Here to Help. Call to Learn More

For nearly three decades, our firm has been recovering compensation for Arizona injury victims in a wide variety of cases. If another’s negligence caused you harm, call today to learn how we may be able to help you during this difficult time.

Our founder Jeff Phillips is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Association ”“ Top 100 and has secured verdicts in several Arizona counties.

There are no upfront fees or obligations. We do not get paid unless you get paid. We are dedicated to pursuing maximum compensation for injury victims to help them start to rebuild their lives.

Call Phillips Law Group for legal help. Phone: 1-800-706-3000