Experienced Trial Lawyers Advocating For Catastrophic Injury Victims Throughout Iowa

Any injury caused by a negligent act can disrupt daily life and result in personal and financial hardships for the victim and their family. The consequences are especially serious, however, when an injury is catastrophic. While definitions vary slightly, catastrophic injuries are typically described as injuries that result in long-term or permanent disability and substantially alter the course of a person’s life.

At Hixson & Brown, P.C., we understand the many challenges seriously injured people and their families face. We help rehabilitate and restore those that can be fixed by helping our clients get the resources they need. For those things that cannot be fixed or replaced, we work hard to maximize the compensation and monetary damages that people are entitled to through our civil justice system. We pride ourselves on achieving outstanding results for our clients.

Together, our attorneys are able to provide decades of combined legal experience. We have obtained over a billion dollars in jury verdicts and settlements on behalf of deserving clients. With a strong focus on personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death, our catastrophic injury lawyers have the knowledge, experience, skills and track record to help you maximize your compensation.

Steadfast Legal Advocacy After A Traumatic Brain Injury

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 1.5 million people suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) each year. These injuries result in more than 50,000 deaths and 270,000 hospitalizations annually.

If you or someone you care about suffered a concussion due to another party’s negligence or wrongdoing, our Iowa traumatic brain injury lawyers are ready to provide head injury legal help. We handle cases involving brain injuries caused by:

• Falls: This includes slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accidents due to unsafe property conditions, hospital falls due to poor supervision and more
• Auto accidents: Motorcycle crashes, car accidents, semi-truck collisions and more
• Birth injury: Brain injuries caused by the negligence of medical personnel during birth

All TBIs are caused by head trauma, either an outside object striking the skull or an accident that causes the brain to make contact with the inside of the skull. The physical and mental effects may not appear right away. Sometimes, victims go weeks or months before they begin experiencing or noticing behavioral changes, mood changes and other signs of damage.

Recovery from a brain injury is typically a long and very expensive process. An experienced brain injury attorney like ours can help you hold the at-fault party accountable and fight for compensation that covers your medical treatment, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. For years, our team has been a trusted resource for Iowa TBI compensation.

Recognized Leaders In Spinal Injury Legal Help

Any type of motor vehicle accident, construction site accident or other trauma that affects the spine can have catastrophic consequences. In the most severe cases, spinal cord damage can lead to permanent paralysis, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia.

Our Iowa spinal cord injury lawyers will seek the maximum compensation available under the law to help you cover all current and future costs associated with your injury. We understand the dramatic effects the accident had on your life, and we are committed to aggressively upholding your rights as we guide you through the legal process.

Common Symptoms And Consequences Of Spinal Cord Injuries

While complete immobility is an obvious sign of the most severe spinal cord injuries, some damage is less severe but still serious. Symptoms of spinal cord injuries may include:

• Loss of sensation, including the ability to feel heat, cold or touch
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Exaggerated reflex activities or spasms
• Changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity and fertility
• Pain or intense stinging sensation caused by damage to the nerve fibers in your spinal cord
• Difficulty breathing, coughing or clearing secretions from your lungs
• Difficulty with balance and walking
• Extreme back pain or pressure in your neck, head or back

Many spinal cord injury victims may require years of rehabilitation or extensive medical treatment. In addition, you may need to remodel your home to make it wheelchair-accessible or buy a specially equipped vehicle.

Our West Des Moines law firm is a recognized leader in Iowa spinal injury compensation. We fight for full and fair compensation for individuals throughout the state who have suffered spinal cord damage due to other parties’ negligence. In addition to considerable legal experience, our spinal injury attorneys are proud to offer personalized service and attention to each of our clients.

Paraplegia And Quadriplegia: When Your Injuries Last A Lifetime, The Compensation Should, Too

As mentioned above, partial or complete paralysis is the most severe outcome of a non-fatal spinal injury. They are among the most life-changing injuries any person can endure.

Because the costs associated with paraplegia and quadriplegia are so extensive, many people find that a personal injury settlement or verdict is the only thing standing between them and bankruptcy. Our Iowa quadriplegia compensation firm will bring all our resources to bear in pursuing the money you may need for all past, present and future expenses, including:

• Surgery
• In-home care
• Rehabilitation
• Specialist visits
• Wheelchairs
• Specially built vans or other vehicles
• Home alterations such as ramps, wider doors, etc.
• Respite care for your loved ones

Our paralysis injury attorneys understand that the entire family is affected when one member is injured by someone’s negligence. They are professional and attentive advocates whose mission is to get you the full amount you deserve to provide for both your family and your future.

Whether you have suffered permanent paralysis from a truck collision, a serious fall at work, a construction site accident or any other accident, contact us today to discuss your legal options with an experienced and caring Iowa quadriplegia lawyer.

Our Firm Is A Trusted Name In Iowa Burn Injury Compensation

Often combining extreme pain, skin grafts, reconstructive surgeries and permanent scars, burns are some of the most physically and emotionally damaging injuries Iowa residents can suffer.

At Hixson & Brown, our legal team handles all types of burn injury cases, including those related to:

• Thermal burns caused by hazards like exploding gas tanks or fires in car or truck accidents
• Abrasive burns or road rash in motorcycle accidents
• Chemical burns or hot liquid scalds in workplace accidents
• Electrical burns that often accompany electric shocks

Our severe burn attorneys understand that the overwhelming challenges burn victims face are emotional and psychological as well as physical. They provide comprehensive representation to ensure that you obtain the immediate and long-term help you and your family need.

For instance, the bodies of children and teens are still developing, so not many doctors will recommend plastic surgery to repair facial scars until your loved one has reached maturity. This means if your child may require reconstructive surgery in the future, you need to obtain money not only for their current needs but also for medical care years down the road.

Our Iowa burn injury lawyers will fight for the maximum compensation available to help you cover the costs of medical care, mental health care and counseling. They will also help you seek damages for pain and suffering, scarring and disfigurement and all other remedies available under state law.

Did You Lose A Limb Due To Someone Else’s Negligence?

Whether you have lost fingers or an entire limb, you already know that it will have a significant impact on your life. In addition to the physical pain and distress, you may have years of future surgeries and expenses ahead of you.

Our Iowa amputation injury lawyers handle serious injury cases where clients have lost arms, legs, fingers or toes in an accident or in medically necessitated amputations related to an accident. Such cases often stem from car and truck accidents, industrial machinery accidents and more.

Maximizing Your Iowa Amputation Compensation To Ensure Your Ongoing Needs Are Met

After the accident, the at-fault party’s insurance company may offer to settle the matter for a certain amount of money. Insurance companies will rarely offer the full amount you deserve. The amount offered to you may not be enough to cover the ongoing care you will need or compensate you for the loss of enjoyment you may experience in daily life.

Our loss of limb attorneys will fight for more than just the bare minimum to cover your current hospital bills. They will pursue the full and fair amount you may need in the future for:

• Prosthetic devices
• Physical therapy
• Psychological counseling
• Prescription pain medications
• Any modifications to your home or vehicle necessary to accommodate a lost limb

This kind of attention to detail and personalized service to clients are just two of many reasons that our firm has long been a trusted resource for severe injury legal help in West Des Moines and beyond.

Attorneys Fighting For Loss Of Vision Compensation After A Serious Accident

Sight is one of the most fundamental ways most people make sense of their world. Suffering sudden vision loss or complete blindness presents a major challenge. Some eye damage can be treated or mitigated, but in many cases, the damage cannot be reversed.

If you suffer from vision impairment or blindness, you may be unable to continue to work in your chosen profession. You will likely need to learn new ways of doing things, and your life may be circumscribed by the inability to participate in the same activities as before.

At Hixson & Brown, our Iowa blindness injury lawyers represent people who have suffered all types of eye damage caused by the negligence of others, including:

• Damaged and detached retinas caused by impacts to the eye
• Misdiagnosis of eye diseases and eye conditions
• Surgical errors during Lasik procedures and other eye operations
• Injuries to the eye caused by lacerations, burns, chemical exposure and foreign objects
• Total loss of an eye caused by impacts and explosions

When you retain our firm for eye injury legal help, our team will investigate the accident and establish the responsible party’s liability. We will also work with your doctor or other medical experts to determine your needs.

Our Iowa vision impairment attorneys will work diligently to help you obtain the financial resources needed to pay for medical care, vocational rehabilitation and other personal services, as well as compensation for other economic and noneconomic losses.

Skilled Legal Assistance For Victims Of Electric Shock And Electric Burn Injuries Across Iowa

An electric shock can cause extreme injuries, depending on the intensity of the voltage and the route the current takes through the individual’s body. Strong voltage commonly causes electric burns or even death by electrocution.

Our West Des Moines electrical injury attorneys represent individuals throughout Iowa who have suffered serious electric shocks or burns due to the negligence or carelessness of another party. Our lawyers also handle wrongful death claims for families that have lost loved ones to electrocution. They have decades of combined experience in these and other personal injury cases.

Common Causes And Consequences Of Electrical Injuries

A wide range of dangerous conditions can cause electrical shock injuries. They may result when a person has contact with:

• High-voltage power lines during repair work or when lines are down after a car accident
• Electrical arc flashes from power lines on construction sites or other locations
• Electrical outlets on the floors of restaurants or industrial plants that have gotten wet
• Metal ladders or machinery that has picked up an electric current

Injuries can include cardiac arrest from electricity passing through the heart, nerve and tissue damage from current passing through the body, and thermal burns at entry or exit points on the body. Our attorneys are highly knowledgeable in this area of injury law and are passionate about providing electric shock legal help to victims and their families.

More About Iowa Electrical Burn Compensation

Burns are a subset of injuries that occur to those who have come into contact with dangerous levels of electricity. There are two common ways that this happens.

First, electric shock can directly burn the skin and tissue at the entry and exit points of the current. Second, it can ignite other materials that then burn the skin. In some cases, the most serious injuries occur when the electric arc causes clothes to catch fire. In addition to intense pain, the scarring and disfigurement resulting from electric burn injuries can cause significant mental pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious burn injuries in an accident caused by another party’s negligence, our Iowa electric burn injury attorneys will fight for the compensation you need and deserve.

We Take A Comprehensive Approach To Catastrophic Injury Cases

Our serious injury lawyers at Hixson & Brown, P.C., have earned a reputation throughout Iowa for their advocacy skills, high ethical standards and track record of success in litigation. Our team works tirelessly to help our clients obtain full compensation and the medical care they need to live as normally as possible after a life-changing injury.

When you choose our firm to represent you, we will:

• Establish the liability of the responsible party – Our attorneys have extensive experience investigating acts of negligence. When necessary, we can augment those capabilities with those of experts in appropriate disciplines.
• Learn about your medical needs – We will work with your doctor or medical specialists to learn about your medical care, rehabilitation therapy and other services you need to recover to the fullest extent possible.
• Determine your losses – Our Des Moines injury lawyers will calculate the full value of all losses for inclusion in your claim, including medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering.
• Be your strong advocate – In settlement negotiations or at trial, our attorneys will seek the most favorable results available in your case.

Our commitment to you isn’t limited to legal work. Our team is dedicated to serving the whole client. We care about helping you access the resources and support networks you need as your case progresses, and we always offer personalized attention and service. We want you to rest assured that you and your family are a top priority for the firm.

What Compensation Is Available In Catastrophic Injury Litigation?

If your injuries were caused by another’s negligence, you deserve compensation. The term “damages” refers to money that is owed to someone for the harm they’ve suffered. You will likely be entitled to economic damages to compensate you for expenses like medical bills and lost wages. You may also be entitled to noneconomic damages (those without an objective financial cost) for things like pain and suffering, permanent disability, scarring and disfigurement, and reduced enjoyment of life.

In some cases, you may even be entitled to punitive damages, which are meant to punish the at-fault party. Punitive damages are somewhat rare. In order to claim them, you must show that the person who injured you acted with a “willful and wanton disregard” for your health and safety and that their actions were directed specifically at you or someone else who was with you at the time of the accident. Our Des Moines catastrophic injury lawyers can discuss which types of damages might be appropriate during your free initial consultation.

The Role Of The Life-Care Planner

In many catastrophic injury cases, we engage the services of a life-care planner. This professional develops a complete outline of all the medical care, rehabilitation therapy and personal services the injured person and family will need over the course of the accident victim’s life. With this in hand and having all other aspects of the case prepared, our attorneys can then go into settlement negotiations or trial in a strong position to obtain full compensation for our client.

Discuss Your Legal Options With An Iowa Catastrophic Injury Lawyer For Free

From our office in West Des Moines, Hixson & Brown serves clients throughout the state. Under Iowa’s statute of limitations, you typically have just two years from the accident date to file a claim. Therefore, you cannot afford to delay consulting with an attorney.

Thankfully, we make it safe and easy to explore your legal options by offering free initial consultations. Our firm also represents clients on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you pay no legal fees until and unless we help you recover money. To get started, call us today at 515-644-6133 or reach out online. If your injuries prevent you from traveling, our attorneys would be happy to meet with you at the hospital, your home or another location convenient for you.