When a life-altering injury strikes, the consequences can be overwhelming for your physical health, your career, and your sense of purpose in life. Catastrophic injuries don’t just cause temporary setbacks; they fundamentally change your future, your family dynamics, and your ability to enjoy life as you once did. In addition to immense medical bills, many catastrophic injury victims see their income often stop entirely. You may also face a lifetime of specialized care and adaptive equipment.
At Carcione, Henderson & Markowitz, LLP, our San Mateo catastrophic injury lawyers understand the profound impact these injuries have on every aspect of your life and the lives of your family and loved ones. With over four decades of protecting the rights of seriously injured individuals throughout California, we have secured multimillion-dollar recoveries for our clients while fighting to hold negligent parties accountable. Our professional, aggressive, and knowledgeable attorneys will stand by your side during this challenging time.
Contact CHM Law Firm today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for your case.
Why You Need a San Mateo Lawyer After a Catastrophic Injury
Many injured individuals believe they are capable of representing themselves in their compensation claims. However, this approach can be highly risky. After you suffer a serious injury, insurance companies often quickly offer settlements that seem substantial but rarely account for the actual lifetime costs of catastrophic injuries. Without proper legal representation, you risk accepting far less than you deserve and need for your future care.
Hiring a San Mateo catastrophic injury attorney from CHM Law Firm can provide you with critical advantages, such as the following:
- An Accurate Valuation of Your Claim – We can work with medical experts, economists, and life care planners to calculate the true lifetime cost of your injury.
- The Identification of All Liable Parties – We can investigate the injury-causing incident thoroughly to determine every responsible party and potential source of compensation.
- Skilled Negotiation – We can leverage our reputation and experience to negotiate effectively with insurance companies.
- Trial Preparation – We build every case as if it will go to trial, which can significantly strengthen your position during settlement talks.
- Personal Support – We can help you connect with medical specialists, rehabilitation facilities, and other services to improve your quality of life.
Our catastrophic injury lawyers in San Mateo take on a limited number of cases so that we can give you and your case the attention you deserve. This selective approach allows us to build stronger cases and pursue maximum compensation for your injuries.
What Are the Differences Between Catastrophic Injury Cases and Other Personal Injury Cases?
Catastrophic injury cases differ significantly from standard personal injury claims in several key ways. Unlike temporary injuries, catastrophic injuries typically result in permanent disability or disfigurement. As such, the lifetime costs of medical care, lost income, and suffering are substantially greater. Your legal team must accurately forecast decades of future care costs, adaptive equipment needs, and lost earning capacity.
The higher stakes of catastrophic injury cases mean insurers tend to fight more aggressively to minimize their payout. If litigation becomes necessary, these cases often involve multiple defendants, complex medical evidence, and specialized expert testimony.
At CHM Law Firm, we understand these crucial differences and have the experience, resources, and determination to effectively handle your complex catastrophic injury claim.
What Kinds of Compensation Can Be Recovered for a Catastrophic Injury?
A successful catastrophic injury lawsuit can provide substantial compensation for both economic and non-economic losses. You may be eligible to recover the following:
- Current and future medical expenses, including hospitalization, surgeries, medications, and therapies
- Home and vehicle modifications to accommodate wheelchairs, lifts, or other medical equipment
- Specialized medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, prosthetics, communication devices, and other adaptive technology
- Long-term care costs of in-home nursing care, rehabilitation services, and residential care facilities
- Lost income for both current lost wages and the projected lifetime income you can no longer earn
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium to compensate you for the impact on your relationship with your spouse or registered domestic partner
The appropriate catastrophic injury compensation depends on factors including the severity of your injuries, your age, your occupation, and the clarity of liability. At CHM Law Firm, we work tirelessly to maximize our clients’ recovery.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Catastrophic Injury?
Identifying all responsible parties is crucial to maximizing your compensation. Potentially liable parties may include the following:
- Negligent drivers in vehicle accidents causing severe injuries
- Property owners who are responsible for dangerous conditions leading to serious falls or other accidents
- Product manufacturers who have made defective products that cause catastrophic harm
- Medical professionals whose negligent care has led to serious injuries
- Construction companies for major accidents resulting from dangerous conditions
- Government entities for harm caused by poorly maintained roads or public facilities
Our dedicated attorneys can conduct a thorough investigation to identify every party that may share responsibility for your injuries, so that no potential source of compensation is overlooked.
How Long Do I Have in California to File a Catastrophic Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Strict deadlines apply to injury claims in California:
- Personal Injury Lawsuits – You generally have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit.
- Government Claims – If your case involves a government entity, you must file a formal claim within six months.
- Medical Malpractice Claims – These cases have a one-year deadline from the discovery of the injury or three years from the date of injury, whichever occurs first.
Missing these deadlines can permanently bar your right to recover compensation, regardless of how severe your injuries are. Contact our firm promptly after an injury to protect your legal rights.
What Must My Lawyer Prove in a Catastrophic Personal Injury Claim?
To succeed in your catastrophic injury case, our attorneys must demonstrate that the defendant’s action or inaction was a direct cause of your injuries and that you suffered measurable losses as a result. To prove your case, our legal team can gather and preserve critical evidence, including the following:
- Accident reports and witness statements
- Medical records linking your injuries to the incident
- Expert testimony from medical specialists
- Documentation of your financial losses
- Economic projections of future care costs
- Evidence of the defendant’s negligence
CHM Law Firm has the resources and experience to build compelling cases that document the full extent of your losses and establish clear liability.
What Are Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries?
Understanding the following causes of catastrophic injury can help identify liable parties and strengthen your claim:
- Motor vehicle accidents due to driver inattention or impairment
- Falls from heights, including construction falls and ladder accidents
- Medical malpractice, including lifelong impairments from surgical errors, birth injuries, and misdiagnoses
- Sports and recreation accidents, including diving accidents and extreme sports
- Workplace accidents involving industrial machinery, toxic exposures, and construction hazards
- Assaults and other acts of violence
- Defective products, such as faulty machinery, vehicles, or consumer products
Our firm has extensive experience handling catastrophic injury cases arising from all these causes, so we can develop a strategy tailored to your specific situation.
What Types of Injuries Are Considered Catastrophic?
Certain types of catastrophic injuries fundamentally alter a person’s ability to function, such as the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries can affect cognitive function, memory, personality, and basic motor skills.
- Spinal cord injuries can result in partial or complete paralysis, requiring lifelong care and assistance
- Severe burns can cause permanent disfigurement and chronic pain and often require multiple surgeries
- The loss of limbs, either through direct trauma or necessary surgical amputation, requires prosthetics and comprehensive rehabilitation.
- Multiple fractures may never fully heal, leading to long-term disability and chronic pain.
- Organ damage can often cause permanent disability.
- Vision or hearing loss can affect the injury victim’s independence and quality of life.
CHM Law Firm understands the unique challenges each type of catastrophic injury presents and can fight for compensation that addresses your specific needs.
