Serving clients throughout the state of California
You Could Be Owed Significant Compensation for Your Injuries
A catastrophic injury is often described as an injury that causes or will likely cause a permanent disability, or an injury that puts the victim’s life in immediate danger. When someone has been catastrophically injured due to someone else’s negligence, they could have a claim for significant compensation. Unfortunately, insurance companies know that catastrophic injury cases can be highly valuable, too, so they will work diligently to defeat any such claim filed against them.
When you could be staring down a serious fight with an insurance company, you should get ready with serious legal representation of your own. If you were catastrophically injured in or around Los Angeles, then BD&J can help you understand your legal rights and take action. We’re considered a premier personal injury law firm with the resources and insight needed to handle virtually any claim, including those dealing with life-changing injuries.
Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries can occur in a variety of ways. As a personal injury law firm, we often work with clients who have suffered catastrophic injuries due to car, truck, motorcycle accidents, or premises liability.
In addition to vehicle crashes, our team also assists people who have experienced workplace injuries. For example, construction accidents often cause severe injury, especially for tradespeople working at a height or with heavy machinery.
You may also wish to consider consulting a catastrophic injury attorney if you or someone close to you has been injured due to a product defect. If you believe a negligent design or manufacture of a product led to your injury, we may be able to assist you.
What Is Considered a Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury, such as a spinal cord or brain injury, causes permanent disability. This contrasts with a non-catastrophic injury, where the injured person is expected to make a full recovery. A non-catastrophic injury can still be severe, but the difference is that after a healing period, the person is able to return to normal life without suffering any long-term impairments.
A catastrophic injury has a lasting impact on the injured person’s quality of life. They may be unable to return to their job or enjoy their normal hobbies. In some cases, they might face ongoing medical expenses or costs for home adaptations and personal care support.
If you have suffered an injury that leaves you unable to go about your day-to-day life, our team of personal injury lawyers is here to discuss your case and help you obtain compensation that can help you access long-term care.
Forms of Catastrophic Injuries
Whether your catastrophic injury was caused by a car accident, a defective product, or another type of serious incident, you can depend on our legal team to manage your case. With more than $3 Billion* recovered for our clients throughout our practice histories, we have seen all sorts of cases. One goal of ours when working on a catastrophic injury case is to better understand your injury and the many ways it has impacted your life. We can work with medical and financial experts to do just that.
A few forms of catastrophic injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): A minor injury to the brain can actually be the start of a life-changing brain injury, depending on what part of the brain was injured. Traumatic brain injuries are usually incapable of healing fully, so brain injury victims will live with the consequences of that injury for the rest of their lives.
- Burn injuries: Third-degree burns are likely to permanently scar the victim, even with emergency medical care, skin grafts, and other forms of treatment. Even after the pain of the burn has faded, it can be emotionally painful for a burn victim to adjust to their new appearance.
- Spinal cord injuries: Like a brain injury, a spinal cord injury can cause permanent debilitations or paralysis with just a “minor” amount of damage. The spinal cord cannot heal readily, either.
- Amputations: Losing a limb is obviously catastrophic and life-changing. Modern prosthetics can do much to help replace some functionality of the lost limb, but there will still be a noticeable difference in control and day-to-day comfort.
Worth of a Catastrophic Injury Claim
The end goal of any catastrophic injury claim we manage is to secure your complete satisfaction as our client, which is usually reflected in obtaining you the largest settlement or award possible for your damages. With this in mind, we can go above and beyond what you might expect of an attorney and legal services. We want to uncover all of your damages and any insurance policies that the liable party holds. There could be a chance to file against multiple policies, so we can confidently pursue the most compensation without hitting an insurance cap.
The worth of your catastrophic injury claim will be determined by your damages, such as:
- Medical costs: The medical treatments required to care for your catastrophic injury could be significant. For example, treating a brain injury can easily cost six figures within the first few days of hospitalization and surgeries. You should not have to pay that yourself if someone else caused your brain injury. Furthermore, all future medical treatments should be covered, too, because you could feasibly need routine rehabilitative therapy for the rest of your life.
- Lost income: A catastrophic injury could take you completely away from your career path without any hope of returning. For example, someone who works in construction but suffers a spinal cord injury cannot safely return to that job. A catastrophic injury claim can sue for the income you will likely be unable to make for the rest of your life, even after you reach your maximum medical improvement (MMI).
- Permanent disability: As described, a catastrophic injury will almost always cause a permanent disability in one form or another. You can sue for damages that reflect the hardships caused by your disability.
- Pain and suffering: Another form of non-economic damage you can pursue in a catastrophic injury claim is called “pain and suffering” damage. Although no amount of money can undo the pain you’ve experienced from your serious injury, knowing that you can receive financial compensation to help keep you afloat as you recover can help ease some of the frustrations.
How We Establish Negligence and Liability
Every successful catastrophic injury claim has four elements: duty of care, breach, causation, and damages. Our team begins investigating immediately to preserve evidence, interview witnesses, retain medical and accident reconstruction experts, and work with life care planners to document the full extent of your injuries and future needs. We show that the defendant owed a legal responsibility to act safely, that they breached that responsibility through specific negligent conduct, and that their actions directly caused your harm. We gather medical records, expert testimony, surveillance footage, maintenance logs, and other documentation to build a case that withstands scrutiny from defense attorneys and insurers. In California, catastrophic injury cases often involve multiple defendants and layers of insurance coverage, and we have the experience to identify every possible avenue of compensation.
The Legal Process for Your Catastrophic Injury Claim
Your case begins with a free consultation where we review the facts, explain your rights under California law, and outline realistic timelines and outcomes. Once retained, we file claims, handle all communication with insurers, and, when necessary, file a lawsuit and take your case through discovery, depositions, mediation, and trial. Our team is always prepared to go to trial to show insurers we mean business. This helps us secure fair settlements for our clients as quickly as possible. California’s statutes of limitation are strict, and government claims require notice within six months, so early contact with our firm protects your legal options.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
We pursue both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include past and future medical expenses, rehabilitation, in-home nursing care, assistive devices, home and vehicle modifications, lost wages, and loss of future earning capacity. Non-economic damages address pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, and loss of consortium for spouses and family members. Our attorneys work with medical experts, economists, and life care planners to project costs accurately and account for inflation, changes in medical needs, and life expectancy.
Why Select BD&J as Your California Catastrophic Injury Attorney
BD&J has recovered over $3 billion* for clients across California, and our attorneys are members of both nationally and locally recognized legal organizations, such as the American Board of Trial Advocates and Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. We operate on a contingency fee basis with no upfront costs. Our firm is available 24/7, and we meet clients at their home, hospital, or rehabilitation facility when coming to our local office isn’t possible. We have the resources and trial experience to take on insurers, trucking companies, manufacturers, and corporate defendants in even the most complex cases.
Frequently Asked Questions About Catastrophic Injury Cases
What if I Am Partly at Fault?
California applies comparative fault, which means you can recover compensation even if you share responsibility for the accident. Your award will be reduced by your percentage of fault, but partial fault doesn’t prevent you from receiving compensation. Contact us to evaluate how fault may affect your specific case.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit in California?
Personal injury claims generally must be filed within two years, but claims against government entities require notice within six months. Deadlines vary by case type and defendant. Reach out to our team as soon as possible to protect your rights.
Will My Case Go to Trial or Settle?
Most catastrophic injury cases settle, but we prepare every case for trial to demonstrate our commitment to your full recovery. Settlement depends on the insurer’s willingness to offer fair compensation. When given the choice between settlement or trial, you are always in the driver’s seat. We offer guidance at each step of the process.
How Do Attorneys Get Paid if I Win?
We work on a contingency fee basis. We advance all case costs and only collect attorney fees when your case resolves. Fees and costs are outlined in a written agreement at the start of your representation.
Start Your Free Consultation with BD&J
If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury in California, contact us for a free, confidential case evaluation. Our team is available 24/7 to answer your questions, review your case, and explain your legal options. There are no upfront costs, and you pay no fees until we win. We handle the most complex catastrophic injury cases across California, and we’re ready to help you pursue the full compensation you and your family deserve.
