Chicago Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

Catastrophic injuries can change a victim’s life forever, leading to permanent disabilities. Injured victims need a law firm that’s ready to fight for justice and ensure they receive the funds they need to recover.

Read on to find out why the catastrophic personal injury lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers are the right choice for your case.

What Is a Catastrophic Injury?

Catastrophic injury is not legally defined, but there are several types of personal injury typically classified as such. These include:

• Traumatic Brain Injury – A traumatic brain injury is typically caused by a violent jolt to the head, and it can cause permanent disability and cognitive impairment. Our traumatic brain injury lawyers will help you recover maximum compensation for your medical expenses.
• Paralysis – Paralysis is the loss of bodily functions in one or more parts of the body. They often result from spinal cord injuries. If you have suffered a spinal cord injury and subsequent paralysis, contact our paralysis attorneys for help with your personal injury claim. 
• Back Injury – Even without a spinal cord injury, back injuries can cause an injured person great pain and difficulty in their everyday life. Our back injury lawyers will hold liable parties accountable for your lost income and medical bills. 
• Broken Bones –  When a person suffers a fracture, they may require multiple surgeries to repair the damage, resulting in significant expenses. A Chicago fracture lawyer will help you recover damages to pay for these costs, as well as for the interruption to your daily routine.
• Wrongful Death – Tragically, some victims die of their injuries. A wrongful death attorney from our firm can assist the families of those killed by catastrophic injuries in seeking the funds they need to recover. 

Causes of Catastrophic Injuries in Chicago

Catastrophic injuries can result from a variety of accidents; any high-risk activity may result in severe injury. These are the most common causes of catastrophic injuries seen by our Chicago personal injury attorneys. 

What to Do After a Catastrophic Injury

Suffering a serious accident is disorienting, but it’s crucial that you stay calm and follow these steps to ensure both your physical safety and protect your legal rights. 

Call 911

As soon as an accident has happened, you should call 911 and stay at the scene. This provides a permanent record of the accident which can then be used to prove your catastrophic injury is directly related to the incident. 

Get Medical Attention

Always seek medical attention, as some injuries may not be obvious. A Chicago catatrophic injury attorney will also be able to use your medical records from right after the accident to show  your injuries are connected to the accident. 

Gather Evidence

Personal injury cases often hinge upon the evidence provided by the plaintiff. Take photos of the accident and of your injuries, and get the contact details from everyone present. Law firms can then reach out to witnesses on your behalf to obtain their testimony.

Contact Catastrophic Injury Lawyers

Call a Chicago catastrophic injury lawyer from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers as soon as it is safe to do so. We’ll provide you with a free case evaluation to explore your options in a personal injury suit. 

Why You Need a Chicago Catastrophic Injury Attorney

Working with a Chicago catastrophic injury lawyer ensures you the best possible chance at compensation in catastrophic injury cases due to our methodical approach to each part of the legal process. 

• Conduct Investigations – The other parties in a suit will be seeking evidence that you are to blame for your accident, but we will uncover the facts of the matter using our extensive resources and professional connections. 
• Determine Compensation – With our experience of similar cases, we will argue for the maximum settlement that considers both your current and future expenses.
• Negotiate With Insurance – The insurance company will seek to minimize their responsibility, but we will hold them accountable and counter their negotiation tactics.
• Represent You in Court – If we are not able to come to an agreement with the other party, a personal injury lawyer will walk you through each step of the lawsuit process, always ensuring your rights are protected. 

Establishing Liability for a Catastrophic Injury

A number of different parties may be held liable in catastrophic injury cases depending on their involvement. This can include:

• Other drivers in a car accident
• Employers, vendors, or other employees in a workplace accident
• Medical professionals for medical malpractice
• Property owners in the case of premises liability
• Manufacturers and distributors for product liability
• The City of Chicago for car accidents or premises liability

Proving Negligence for a Catastrophic Injury

There are four factors our Chicago catastrophic injury attorneys will need to prove when it comes to negligence. These are:

• Duty of Care – The liable party owed it to you to act responsibly and minimize the risk of harm to other people.
• Breach of Care – They failed to uphold this duty, such as by driving recklessly or not following standard operating procedures.
• Causation – The accident that resulted in injury was directly caused by this breach of care.
• Damages – You suffered losses as a result of the accident.

Damages Our Chicago Catastrophic Injury Attorneys Can Help You Recover

A catastrophic injury lawyer from our firm will assist you in recovering a variety of damages, which are separated into economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.

Economic damages are for financial losses that can be quantified, such as:

• Lost wages
• Medical bills
• Loss of earning potential
• Property damage
• Burial expenses in the case of death

Non-economic damages consider the impact of the accident on your life, such as:

• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Inconvenience
• Loss of companionship

Sometimes, a court will award punitive damages if it is proven the liable party’s actions went beyond negligence. If your catastrophic accident attorney feels that is a possibility, they will pursue compensation for this category as well. 

How Much is My Catastrophic Injury Claim Worth?

There is no predetermined settlement amount for a lawsuit, as it will depend on the types of injuries you have suffered and the expenses you have incurred. A Chicago personal injury attorney will utilize previous cases and the opinions of experts to assess how much your case may be worth, always pushing for the maximum amount of compensation available.

Your own liability in the accident will also play a role. Illinois uses the modified comparative negligence system to award damages. This assigns everyone involved a percentage of blame; if you are less than 50% to blame, you can seek damages, but the amount you receive will be reduced by your percentage of fault. 

Our Catastrophic Injury Settlements

We have achieved multi-million dollar settlements for our clients, such as:

• $2,100,000 – A nursing home patient developed Stage 4 bedsores due to negligence.
• $18,500,000 – The victim of a head-on truck collision suffered permanent injuries, including limited mobility.
• $7,000,000 – A pedestrian was hit by the company car of a major medical supplier. 

Statute of Limitations for Chicago Catastrophic Injury Lawsuits

In most cases, you have 2 years to seek compensation through a lawsuit under the Illinois statute of limitations, which includes car accidents, sexual assault, and medical malpractice. There are some exceptions; for example, if a person did not die immediately after an accident, a lawsuit can be filed up to 2 years after death. 

Contact Our Chicago Catastrophic Injury Lawyers Today!

A catastrophic personal injury attorney from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers will fight for your rights, ensuring that you receive justice for the physical pain and emotional trauma of a catastrophic accident. Call us at (888) 424-5757 or contact us online for a free consultation. 

We also serve clients from Buffalo Grove, Champaign, Naperville, Springfield  and throughout Illinois.

References: [1] Illinois Secretary of State, [2] Illinois Department of Transportation, [3] University of Chicago, [4] University of Illinois-Chicago, [5] US News and World Report, [6] Illinois Department of Public Health, [7] Data USA, [8] City of Chicago, [9] US Bureau of Labor Statistics, [10] Encyclopedia Britannica, [11] City of Chicago