The hallmark of catastrophic injuries is that they change your life, usually long-term. These injuries may include everything from a traumatic brain injury to paralysis.
The changes to your body are only one part of how such an injury will impact your life. Healing and learning to cope are just a fraction of what you will deal with moving forward.
Financial changes
Your finances will take a hit with any catastrophic injury. Even if you receive workers’ compensation or can sue a third party, you will have some upfront costs that you must pay. Furthermore, if your settlement or award does not cover everything you encounter, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for some expenses.
Another way it will impact your finances is how it changes your ability to work. You may have to change careers, or you might be unable to work anymore. In either situation, it can lead to serious financial issues. You might even have to file bankruptcy due to the situation, which only adds to the financial impact.
Personal impacts
Relationships will often change when someone suffers a life-altering injury. It can impact your ability to relate to others and their ability to relate to you. You may find you lose people from your life or relationships break down. The stress of handling a catastrophic injury can often be too much for people and make them distance themselves from you. It can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Your whole life can change in an instant if you suffer a catastrophic injury. You may not even realize until much later all the ways it impacted your life.