Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries
Some of the most common causes include:
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car,
truck,
motorcycle, and
pedestrian accidents could lead to spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and severe fractures.
High-speed collisions or accidents that involve large commercial vehicles are particularly dangerous.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Falls in poorly maintained areas, slippery surfaces, or unsafe stairways can cause broken bones, head injuries, and paralysis.
Workplace Accidents
Construction, manufacturing, or industrial accidents may involve heavy machinery, falls from heights, or exposure to hazardous materials.
Medical Malpractice
Surgical errors, misdiagnoses, or medication mistakes can lead to life-altering injuries, including permanent disabilities.
Defective Products
Faulty machinery, automobiles, or consumer products can cause serious injuries if they malfunction or fail unexpectedly.
Violent Acts
Assaults, shootings, or other acts of violence may lead to catastrophic physical or neurological injuries.
What Damages Could Be Recovered in a Catastrophic Injury Claim?
Catastrophic injuries come with financial burdens that are as overwhelming as the physical ones. Medical bills, lost income, and ongoing care needs can quickly add up to staggering figures. That’s why we make it our mission to pursue every dollar of compensation you deserve.
We can help you fight to recover these types of damages when applicable:
- Economic damages: Economic damages often include medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and costs for future care such as at-home nursing or specialized equipment.
- Non-economic damages: The impact of your injury goes beyond economics, though. You deserve compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Punitive damages: When an injury is caused by egregious negligence or misconduct, we push for punitive damages to hold the at-fault party accountable.
We use every tool at our disposal to prepare a comprehensive and compelling case. For example, we often work closely with medical and financial experts, consult life care planners, and negotiate assertively with insurance companies so no detail is overlooked. For cases involving catastrophic injuries, the stakes are incredibly high. You can trust us to handle your case with the determination it deserves.
How Long Do I Have To File a Catastrophic Injury Lawsuit?
After a life-changing accident, many people are unsure how much time they have to take legal action, and delays can affect the options available. In California, there are laws called statutes of limitation that set deadlines for filing many personal injury lawsuits, including some catastrophic injury cases. The specific deadline that applies can vary depending on the facts of the case, such as who is responsible, whether a government entity is involved, or whether the injured person was a minor at the time of the incident.
Because these rules are complex, it is important to talk with a catastrophic injury lawyer Los Angeles residents can rely on as soon as you are medically stable enough to do so. We review the specific facts of your situation, identify all potentially responsible parties, and clarify the applicable deadlines based on California law. This is especially critical when your case involves care at major facilities like LAC+USC Medical Center or incidents on public property, where special notice requirements and shorter timelines may apply.
Meeting these deadlines helps preserve your ability to pursue compensation for medical care, lost income, and future needs, and it also protects access to key evidence such as surveillance footage, maintenance records, and witness memories. When you contact us promptly, we can begin gathering records, communicating with insurers, and putting a plan in place so you are not rushed into decisions as the statute of limitations approaches. Our role is to take the legal timing and procedural worries off your plate so you can focus on your recovery while knowing your rights are being protected.
How to Prove Negligence
To successfully prove negligence, you generally need to establish four elements:
Duty of Care
Show that the defendant owed a legal duty to act reasonably toward you. For instance, drivers need to follow traffic laws, and property owners must maintain safe
premises.
Breach of Duty
Indicate that the defendant failed to meet that duty. This could include speeding, ignoring safety protocols, or failing to fix hazardous conditions.
Causation
Make sure to establish a direct connection between the defendant’s breach and your injury. You must show that the injury likely would not have occurred without the defendant’s negligence.
Damages
Provide evidence of the harm caused by the injury, including medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and pain and suffering.
To build out these elements, we gather evidence such as police reports, witness statements, photographs, and surveillance footage, as well as detailed medical records that connect the incident to your current condition. When needed, we consult accident reconstruction professionals or medical experts who can explain how the negligence led to your injuries in a way that judges and juries in Los Angeles County Superior Court can readily understand. Our goal as your catastrophic injury lawyer is to construct a clear, fact-based narrative that leaves as little room as possible for insurers or defense attorneys to dispute what happened to you.
Do Catastrophic Injury Claims Always Go to Court?
Not all catastrophic injury claims go to court, but it’s important to be prepared for that possibility. Many cases are resolved through negotiation with insurance companies, which often prefer to avoid the risks and costs of a trial. That said, claims involving significant compensation or complex liability usually come with stubborn resistance from insurers. When that happens, taking the case to court may become necessary.
At McGee Lerer Ogrin, we prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, making it thorough and well-documented from day one. If a trial does become unavoidable, you can feel confident knowing you have experienced litigators by your side who won’t back down.
Several factors can influence whether your catastrophic injury claim is likely to settle or proceed to trial:
- Dispute over liability: When the parties strongly disagree about who caused the accident, insurance companies are more likely to force a trial rather than agree to a fair settlement.
- Severity of injuries: Extremely serious or permanent injuries often involve higher compensation, which can make insurers less willing to pay full value without the pressure of an approaching trial date.
- Strength of evidence: Clear documentation, credible witnesses, and strong expert opinions can encourage insurers to settle because they can better anticipate how a jury in Los Angeles might respond.
- Client goals and risk tolerance: Some clients prefer the certainty of a negotiated resolution, while others are comfortable waiting longer and taking on more risk to seek a potentially higher award at trial.
Even when a case settles before trial, the strength of the preparation often determines how seriously the insurance company treats your claim. As serious injury lawyers, we focus on developing strong medical proof, detailed damage calculations, and clear liability arguments so that we are negotiating from a position of strength. This trial-ready posture signals to insurers that we are prepared to present your case to a jury in downtown Los Angeles or other local courthouses if they refuse to make a fair offer, which can encourage more reasonable settlement discussions.
Contact Our Catastrophic Injury Attorney in Los Angeles Today
Catastrophic injuries demand a legal team with experience, dedication, and heart. At McGee Lerer Ogrin, we have a long history of securing exceptional results for clients facing profound challenges, and we’re ready to do the same for you.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury, contact us online today or call (310) 231-9717 to request a no-cost consultation with our Los Angeles catastrophic injury lawyers.
