Catastrophic Injury Lawyers in Columbus

What Makes an Injury Catastrophic?

All injuries caused by the negligence or carelessness of another warrant due compensation under our civil justice system. That said, certain injuries which have a more serious and/or permanent effect on the victim can raise a number of unique and complex issues in a civil lawsuit. These injuries are known as catastrophic injuries.

These catastrophic injuries can prevent one from being able to maintain gainful employment, create a need for future surgeries or other medical care, or in some cases even lead to lifelong disability and the need for round-the-clock assistance. These cases can have lasting effects for a victim’s loved ones as well, as family members must often make life-altering sacrifices to provide needed care and attention.

Catastrophic Injury Law

Ohio law treats many of these more serious injury cases differently in litigation, regardless of whether they are caused by an auto collision, medical negligence, defective products, or other wrongful conduct. These catastrophic injury cases can involve permanent and substantial deformities, loss of the use of one or more limbs, or those which prevent a person from being able to independently care for his or her self.

Cases rising to this level include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, amputation, loss of vision or hearing, and serious burn injuries, among others. In many situations, injuries that can be categorized as catastrophic in these respects can render the “damage caps” for noneconomic loss (such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life) inapplicable to the lawsuit. In addition to the different treatment for noneconomic damages, catastrophic injury cases oftentimes create the need for additional consultants and experts throughout the course of a case and at trial, and in some cases even after the litigation has concluded.

In order to meet the burden of proof for future economic losses, rehabilitation specialists and life care planners may be required to offer testimony as to the need for future medical treatments. Economists can offer evidence as to the present value of these projected medical expenses, in addition to the loss of income that results from a disabling injury. Nursing care consultants and specialists in insurance and disability benefits can also be involved in some cases to help provide the injured party with options to receive appropriate and needed care.

We've Recovered Hundreds of Millions

Over the past 35 years, the attorneys at Rourke and Blumenthal LLC have had the privilege of representing many plaintiffs and families that have found themselves in these dire situations due to negligence and wrongful conduct. Our firm has significant experience coordinating with teams of professionals that can address the specific needs of each individual client, with a track record of success in catastrophic injury cases that includes a number of multi-million dollar recoveries including the following:

• $8,500,000 Jury Verdict for an employee who lost his hand in a machine in a workplace injury
• $5,300,000 Combined Verdict and Settlement for a woman who suffered paralysis as a result of medical negligence
• $4,000,000 Settlement for a woman who suffered cardiac arrest and a hypoxic brain injury following a surgical procedure
• $3,500,000 Settlement for an anoxic brain injury caused by medical negligence
• $3,300,000 Settlement for a man who lost his leg in a trucking collision
• $1,400,000 Settlement for a woman who sustained multiple, permanent injuries due to a collision with a commercial truck
• $1,200,000 Jury Verdict for a woman who suffered permanent nerve damage following knee surgery