Key Takeaways
- If you were seriously injured due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
- Power Rogers has decades of experience handling catastrophic injury cases, including paralysis, brain injuries, amputations, and more.
- Our Chicago attorneys have recovered over $5 billion for clients—request a free case review online to learn how we can help.
Catastrophic injuries are among the most serious and life-altering types of trauma a person can suffer. They can happen suddenly and in almost any situation, from car crashes to falls on public or private property. While some accidents are unavoidable, many are the result of someone else’s negligence.
If you or someone you love has experienced a catastrophic injury, you may be entitled to compensation for the lasting physical, emotional, and financial impact. A Chicago catastrophic injury lawyer at Power Rogers can help you understand your legal options. Contact us today for a free consultation.
What is a Catastrophic Injury?
The definition of a catastrophic injury is broad, but the term generally refers to injuries that severely impact a person’s quality of life and their ability to work, socialize, or care for themselves. Catastrophic injuries may include paralyzation, coma, or long-term physical, mental, or emotional disabilities and typically require intensive medical care and treatment.
What Causes Catastrophic Injuries in Chicago?
There are an endless number of scenarios that may result in a catastrophic injury, whether they occur at work, at home, or in a public space. Here are a few of the common types of incidents that our firm witnesses:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: High-speed car or truck accidents frequently cause catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, or amputations due to the force of impact. This is especially true in cases where there is little protection for the victim, such as bus or pedestrian accidents, and motorcycle accidents.
- Medical Malpractice: Surgical errors, misdiagnoses, or anesthesia mistakes can lead to catastrophic outcomes like brain damage, permanent disability, birth injuries, or loss of vital bodily functions. In these cases, healthcare providers can often be held liable for their negligence.
- Construction Accidents: Chicago is known as “The City of Big Shoulders” due to the large number of laborers who reside here. While catastrophic accidents can happen in nearly every trade or profession, they are most common in manual labor jobs, such as construction, where falling debris, equipment failure, and falls are everyday risks.
- Poorly Maintained Properties: The legal doctrine of premises liability mandates that property owners have a legal duty to protect visitors from becoming injured on their property. Our firm commonly handles catastrophic injuries under this category, which often include dog bites, slip and fall accidents, or falling objects.
- Violence: Sexual assault, or other physical altercations such as stabbing, punching, or shooting, can easily result in catastrophic injuries such as brain injury, internal organ failure, paralysis, or disfigurement.
- Defective Products: Product liability cases often result in catastrophic injury, whether the victim sustained a long-term illness or disability due to a harmful ingredient in a food, cosmetic, medical, or construction material, or they were injured due to unsafe manufacturing.
A “catastrophic” injury generally refers to an injury that severely impacts a person’s quality of life and their ability to work, socialize, or care for themselves
What Causes Catastrophic Injuries in Chicago?
There are an endless number of scenarios that may result in a catastrophic injury, whether they occur at work, at home, or in a public space. Here are a few of the common types of incidents that our firm witnesses:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: High-speed car or truck accidents frequently cause catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, or amputations due to the force of impact. This is especially true in cases where there is little protection for the victim, such as bus or pedestrian accidents, and motorcycle accidents.
- Medical Malpractice: Surgical errors, misdiagnoses, or anesthesia mistakes can lead to catastrophic outcomes like brain damage, permanent disability, birth injuries, or loss of vital bodily functions. In these cases, healthcare providers can often be held liable for their negligence.
- Construction Accidents: Chicago is known as “The City of Big Shoulders” due to the large number of laborers who reside here. While catastrophic accidents can happen in nearly every trade or profession, they are most common in manual labor jobs, such as construction, where falling debris, equipment failure, and falls are everyday risks.
- Poorly Maintained Properties: The legal doctrine of premises liability mandates that property owners have a legal duty to protect visitors from becoming injured on their property. Our firm commonly handles catastrophic injuries under this category, which often include dog bites, slip and fall accidents, or falling objects.
- Violence: Sexual assault, or other physical altercations such as stabbing, punching, or shooting, can easily result in catastrophic injuries such as brain injury, internal organ failure, paralysis, or disfigurement.
- Defective Products: Product liability cases often result in catastrophic injury, whether the victim sustained a long-term illness or disability due to a harmful ingredient in a food, cosmetic, medical, or construction material, or they were injured due to unsafe manufacturing.
Why Work With a Chicago Catastrophic Injury Lawyer at Power Rogers?
At Power Rogers, we are not just experienced, we are proven. Our firm has recovered more than $5 billion for our clients, including record-setting verdicts and settlements in catastrophic injury cases involving paralysis, brain trauma, amputations, and other serious conditions.
Our Chicago catastrophic injury lawyers have built a national reputation by handling high-stakes cases and delivering results. We understand the complex medical, financial, and legal issues involved in catastrophic injury claims. That’s why we bring in top-tier experts, conduct thorough investigations, and prepare every case for trial from the start.
We have decades of experience helping individuals and families who are facing the most difficult moments of their lives. If your life has been upended by someone else’s negligence, we’re ready to help.
Our Chicago Catastrophic Injury Law Firm Has Experience With All Types of Catastrophic Injuries
Beyond our negotiation and investigative skills, one of the many reasons our firm stands out among other personal injury law firms is our extensive experience taking on catastrophic injury cases. Here are a few examples of the kinds of catastrophic injuries our lawyers have handled:
Spinal Injuries
Spinal injuries can sometimes result in only mild pain and require only minimal treatment. However, when the injury is severe enough or if the impact is sustained in a particularly problematic area, spinal injuries can easily progress to permanent, long-term disability, coma, or paralyzation. Victims of catastrophic spinal injuries often suffer life-long mobility issues at best, while others may require lifelong care.
Paralysis
Many catastrophic spinal injuries result in paralysis, but they can also be caused by nerve damage as well. Paralysis can be partial or complete and may affect specific limbs (paraplegia) or the entire body below the neck (quadriplegia). Like any other catastrophic injury, paralysis is a life-changing event and requires ongoing medical care, adaptive equipment, and personal assistance to perform daily essential activities.
Brain Injuries
Traumatic Brain Injuries (commonly referred to as TBI) result from a blow to the head and result in chronic symptoms. Often, these symptoms display as emotional or cognitive issues, such as mood swings, memory loss, or slowed speech. However, they can also impact the individual physically, including balance issues, headaches, nausea, or a disruption to the senses. In the most severe examples, victims of catastrophic brain injuries may suffer a complete erosion of motor skills or cognition, which may prevent them from living or working independently.
Burn Injuries
Catastrophic burns can happen around open flames, abrasive chemicals, or even exposed electricity. In the most severe cases, catastrophic burns can not only cause life-threatening conditions but also permanent scarring, disfigurement, and mobility issues. Third-degree burns, in particular, often require skin grafts, surgeries, and extensive rehabilitation, which may last for the remainder of a person’s life.
Amputation
Regardless of whether the amputation was a medical procedure or whether it occurred as a result of a tragic accident, it’s one of the most traumatic events that a survivor may face in their life. In addition to the immediate pain and shock of the incident, survivors of amputation often face long-term challenges related to mobility, balance, and overall independence. Many require prosthetic devices, but even with prosthetics (which can be expensive and hard to acquire), daily tasks, employment, and recreation may still be significantly limited.
Electrical Shock Injuries
Electric shock can easily cause third-degree burns, but it also commonly results in nerve damage, internal organ injuries, respiratory issues, or even cardiac arrest. In catastrophic cases, the electrical current may pass through the body, damaging tissues, muscles, and vital organs along the way. These cases are almost always life-threatening and often require multiple surgeries, skin grafts, or even amputation. Recovery from an electrical shock injury is typically slow and demanding, involving extensive medical treatment, physical therapy, and psychological support to help individuals rebuild their lives.
Wrongful Death
All catastrophic injuries are considered life-changing, but in many cases, they can also be life-threatening and result in fatalities. Beyond the emotional hardship that they’re likely facing, the surviving family members of victims in catastrophic accidents are also typically left with expensive medical bills as well as funeral and burial expenses.
In some cases, the victim may have also been the primary earner in their family, meaning that their surviving loved ones will have reduced income. In these situations, and many other similar ones, family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit to address these hardships as well as seek justice for their loved one who was tragically lost.
What Catastrophic Injury Compensation Can Power Rogers Fight to Recover?
For many, the most immediate financial hardship that results from a catastrophic injury are medical bills and the loss of income due to the injury or the death of a loved one. But beyond compensation for medical bills and lost income, there are many other damages that individuals and their families can pursue through a personal injury lawsuit. These might address:
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment for life or the inability to socialize
- Chronic pain
- Emotional trauma
- Damage to property
- Rehabilitation
- Treatment and medication
How Much is My Chicago Catastrophic Injury Claim Worth?
The value of a catastrophic injury claim depends on several key factors, including the severity of the injury, the cost of medical treatment (both current and future), lost income or earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the impact on your quality of life. In some cases, damages may also include the cost of home modifications, long-term care, and emotional distress.
Because these claims involve serious, often permanent injuries, settlements and verdicts can reach into the millions. However, proving the full extent of your losses requires experienced legal advocacy. A catastrophic injury lawyer can calculate damages accurately, gather expert testimony, and build a compelling case that maximizes your compensation.
The value of a catastrophic injury claim depends on several key factors, such as the severity of the injury, the cost of medical treatment, and lost income or earning capacity.
The Catastrophic Injury Claim Process: What to Expect
The claim process for catastrophic injuries is very similar to other types of personal injury lawsuits. While every case is unique and may involve different steps and timelines, the general steps involved in a catastrophic injury case include:
- Consultation: The claim process begins with a free consultation with a Chicago catastrophic injury lawyer. This meeting gives you the opportunity to learn more about the lawyer and their approach to cases like yours. You will provide them with some initial details on the incident, and they will advise you on the next steps.
- Investigation: Once your lawyer has officially taken on your case, they will begin a much more in-depth investigation of the incident and your injuries, and begin building a case that demonstrates the negligence of the other party. This may include subpoenaing security footage and witness reports or visiting the site where the injury took place.
- Negotiation: When a solid case has been built, your lawyer will begin the settlement negotiation process. This typically starts with the lawyer submitting their findings to the insurance company assigned to your case. In turn, the insurance company will either deny, approve, or provide a counteroffer.
- Litigation: While most personal injury cases are settled out of court, catastrophic injury cases may require further litigation if the insurance company refuses to approve your settlement. Should this happen, our firm is prepared to bring your case to trial.
What to Do If You’ve Suffered From a Catastrophic Injury in Chicago: Protecting Your Health and Your Claim
Catastrophic injuries can happen at any time and in any place, and the steps to address them can vary depending on the exact circumstances. Below are some common causes of catastrophic injuries and what to do should you find yourself in such a situation:
Motor Vehicle Accident
Motor vehicle accidents, such as car or truck collisions, are incredibly common and frequently result in some form of injury. If you’ve sustained a catastrophic injury at an accident site, call 911 immediately and if you are able to do so, get to a safe location and document the scene through photos and exchanging information with the other driver and witnesses. Then, once your condition has been stabilized, contact the police to report the accident.
Unsafe Premises
Regardless of where you were injured, the first step is to seek immediate medical assistance. If your injury occurred on a commercial property, contact the property owner to notify them and request an injury report. If your injury occurred on government property, contact the agency in charge of the property and, again, ask for an incident report. In cases where a catastrophic injury occurs on private property, filing a police report may be the best option, depending on the situation. A police report that documents the situation is often a valuable piece of evidence in common catastrophic injuries, such as dog bites or assaults. In other scenarios, such as falling debris or slip and falls, a report to 311 is another viable option.
Medical Malpractice
If you believe you’ve been the victim of an act of medical malpractice, seek medical attention at a separate medical establishment for a second opinion and treatment. Collect all medical documents from both establishments and follow up with any treatment procedures. As your condition progresses (or stabilizes), document your injury and contact your doctor if you feel that your condition is getting worse.
Product Defect
In cases where an injury or illness has been caused by a product defect (such as asbestos exposure or a building collapse due to faulty materials), seek medical attention and detail the incident to your doctor. If the product was consumed, bring the packaging and the product itself with you so that your doctor can best know how to treat you, and retain it for further evidence in your case. Once your condition is stable, document your injuries and the accident site if you sustained a physical injury.
When to Contact a Lawyer
Once you’ve received a medical evaluation and treatment and have fulfilled all necessary reporting requirements, the next step is to contact our catastrophic injury law firm for a free consultation. We will review your case and any evidence you may have already collected and start building a case on your behalf.
Chicago Catastrophic Injury Lawyer: FAQs
How Much Does it Cost To Hire a Catastrophic Injury Attorney in Chicago?
Power Rogers works on a contingency basis, which means that you pay nothing upfront. Our fees are designed so that we only get paid if you win your case. If we are successful, we will only require a small percentage taken from your award.
How Long Do You Have To File a Catastrophic Injury Claim in Illinois?
In most cases, you will only have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim. However, there are some exceptions that might increase the statute of limitations (such as cases involving minors or where the injury was not discovered until later), or decrease the statute of limitations (such as cases involving government entities). This is why it’s important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible so that you will still have the right to a claim.
Will My Catastrophic Injury Case Go To Trial?
Typically, no. The vast majority of personal injury cases do not go to trial and are settled out of court. Regardless, our firm is always prepared to support and advocate for you and your family in court should it be necessary to secure full compensation.
How Long Do Catastrophic Injury Claims Take To Settle?
It can take anywhere from a few months to multiple years. If there is ample evidence that demonstrates the clear negligence of the other party and the damages are significant, it is more likely that your case will be resolved sooner rather than later. However, if evidence is limited and there are lengthy processing times on the part of the insurance company or court officials, the timeline may be longer.
What If I Was Partly at Fault in the Accident That Caused My Catastrophic Injury?
Illinois uses a modified comparative negligence rule. Essentially, this means that even if you contributed to your own injury, as long as you were less than 51% at fault, you will still be eligible for compensation. However, the amount of the settlement will be reduced by the percentage of fault you are found to have contributed.
Do You Have a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Near Me?
Power Rogers is located at 70 West Madison Street, Suite 5500, five blocks from the Willis Tower.
Schedule Your Free Consultation With the Chicago Catastrophic Injury Attorneys at Power Rogers
Catastrophic personal injury cases can be extremely complicated and contentious depending on the situation, which makes having the right attorney by your side a key part of securing the legal outcome you deserve. At Power Rogers, our Chicago catastrophic injury lawyers have spent decades representing clients, and through our efforts have recovered more than $5 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients. If you were seriously injured through someone else’s negligent or wrongful actions, give our firm a call to discuss your situation with one of our attorneys or send us the details of your case through our online form to request a free case evaluation today.
