Catastrophic Injury
California Catastrophic Injury Claims and Litigation
At the AV-rated* San Jose law firm of Shea & Shea, our attorneys concentrate on the proof and recovery of damages in cases involving permanent or catastrophic injuries such as brain damage, paralysis, amputation, and severe burns. To learn more about our approach to client service in the worst accident cases, contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer at our firm.
We work closely with each of our clients and their families in order to ensure that we are providing the best possible service to you. We assign a case management nurse to your case to help minimize the burdens of litigation and smooth the logistical hurdles that many accident victims encounter with respect to medical appointments, insurance claims, and coordination of care. In many instances, we are able to help resolve problems concerning diagnostic tests or rehabilitative therapies that your health care insurer will not cover.
In all catastrophic injury cases, we carefully select and assemble a multidisciplinary team of medical, rehabilitative, and life care planning experts, whose experience and credentials match your specific situation. These professionals are not only indispensable to the proof of your damage claims, but they can also be helpful in promoting your physical recovery, and in helping your family adapt to the difficult realities of an uncertain prognosis or a permanent disability.
The following are examples of the kinds of catastrophic injury cases we handle on behalf of our clients:
- Birth injuries caused by professional negligence before, during, or immediately following delivery
- Pediatric injuries, where the accident victim is an infant, toddler, child, or adolescent
- Spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia
- Severe neck and back injuries, especially those involving a period of disability before and after spinal or disc surgery
- Burn injuries, whether caused by fire, electrocution, explosion, or chemical exposure
- Severe or moderate traumatic brain injury
- Mild traumatic brain injury
- Acquired brain injury resulting from infection, toxic exposure, or hypoxia
- Closed head injuries such as concussion
- Post-concussion syndrome involving physical, emotional, or cognitive symptoms
- Brain injuries involving coma of various depth and duration
- Amputation of a limb, hand, or foot, or loss of an eye or ear
- Extensive scarring or disfigurement
The main legal challenges in most catastrophic injury cases are to make a persuasive and comprehensive presentation of your injuries by using solid evidence supported by highly credible expert opinion, while identifying responsible defendants whose resources or insurance will be sufficient to meet your documented damages. Our past success in the most severe injury cases allows us to commit substantial investigative, professional, and forensic resources to the proof of your damages claims. We only recover our expenses when we collect damages on your behalf.
To learn more about our ability to represent your interests effectively in a catastrophic or fatal accident claim, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Shea & Shea.
* CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings evaluate two categories--legal ability and general ethical standards.