Los Angeles Catastrophic Injury Lawyers

Representing victims and families dealing with life-altering injuries in California

A catastrophic injury is one that alters a person’s entire life, sometimes on a permanent basis. Years of therapy, medication and ongoing surgeries may be required in order to help the victim fully recover. The result of a catastrophic injury makes it difficult to sustain the quality of life the individual had prior to the accident, and can greatly impact the victim’s family and friends.

McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP has earned its reputation as a premier Los Angeles catastrophic injury law firm. We understand the stress caused by these types of injuries, and we combine tenacious representation with the compassion you need during this difficult time. It’s important to act quickly when you or a loved one has been injured. Contact us today to learn more.

$ million
for the victims of an aviation accident
$ million
for eight victims of childhood sexual abuse
$ million
for five LAPD trainees who had to leave the department after being hurt during their academy training
$ million
for a construction worker who was injured on the job
$ million
for a pregnant woman who fell from a set of commuter stairs
$ million
for a woman who suffered a brain injury in a car crash

McNicholas & McNicholas selected as a finalist for National Law Journal’s 2021 Elite Trial Lawyers, in the area of Catastrophic Injury.

What makes an injury “catastrophic”?

Catastrophic injuries lead to long-term or even permanent damage to a person’s overall health, but not all long-term injuries are considered catastrophic. For example, a fractured femur may take weeks or even months to heal, but under most circumstances, they do heal, so this is not a catastrophic injury.

A catastrophic injury is different. It usually requires extensive or lifelong treatment. The injury can make it impossible for the person to work or to live alone. Catastrophic injuries may require around-the-clock care, and some can cost millions of dollars over the course of a lifetime.

Examples of catastrophic injuries include:

This kind of major or permanent damage can severely impact someone’s ability to see, hear, speak, walk and even think. Traumatic brain injury, paralysis and disfigurement often come with a lifetime of physical, emotional and financial struggles. Other injuries may eventually prove fatal.

Many times, catastrophic injuries affect family members’ lives in permanent ways, as well. Parents may be unable to go back to work because they must care for their children. Spouses may find the person who comes home from the hospital with them is irrevocably changed from the person they married.

Practice Areas

Our Successes

$300,000,000
Class action settlement on behalf of consumers against Epson America, Inc. for installation of a “smart chip” in its printers that shut down when there was still a substantial amount of ink left on the cartridge.

Read More

310-474-1582

Request a Free Consultation Today

Signs and symptoms of catastrophic injuries

Catastrophic injuries can have wide-ranging physical and psychological effects. While some symptoms may appear immediately after an injury, others may take weeks or months to appear. The most common catastrophic injury symptoms include:

  • Extreme pain in the back, neck, or other areas of the body
  • Lethargy
  • Persistent headaches
  • Numbness
  • Irritability
  • Speech problems
  • Loss of balance
  • Blurred vision
  • Concentration problems
  • Drowsiness

Always see a doctor if you or a loved one has been involved in an incident that might lead to a catastrophic injury and result in any of the symptoms above. Immediate emergency medical care is of the utmost importance to determine any damage that may have been done.

The primary causes of catastrophic injury in Los Angeles

A catastrophic injury can happen at any time. In many cases, the cause of the injury is the negligence of another person. Some of the more common causes include:

Making a claim for damages after a catastrophic injury in California

If your injury or your loved one’s injury was the result of negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage and loss of companionship. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may also be entitled to punitive damages.

McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP has represented victims of catastrophic injuries and their families for over three decades. Our team of personal injury attorneys investigates the scene of your injury, speaks with witnesses to the event, and works hand-in-hand with medical experts, financial experts and accident reconstruction specialists to build your case. If your injuries were caused by an individual or a company, we hold that person or company accountable. If your injuries were the result of a defective product, we will pursue compensation from the manufacturer.

Because of the nature of these cases, it is very important that you not simply accept the first settlement offer you are given. Catastrophic injuries often require a lifetime of care, and you could find yourself being shortchanged by an insurance company that wants to retain profits, instead of protecting people. We hold large companies, manufacturing industries, insurance companies and government entities liable for the part they play in contributing to the accident that forever changed your life or the life of your loved ones.

Resources for injury victims in Los Angeles

Emergency services: 9-1-1

Local hospitals

  • Children’s Hospital Los Angeles: (323) 660-2450
  • Adventist Health White Memorial: (323) 268-5000
  • LAC+USC Medical Center: (323) 409-1000
  • Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center: (310) 825-9111
  • Miller Children's & Women's Hospital: (562) 933-5437

Help for caretakers

  • WDACS Family Caregiver Support Program: “This program provides support to unpaid caregivers caring for elderly relatives, or to older caregivers of younger family members. The purpose of the program is to help minimize the negative emotional, physical and financial consequences of unpaid family caregiving.”
  • Los Angeles Department of Aging: A variety or support services for caregivers throughout Los Angeles.
  • Family Caregiver Alliance: A list of services throughout California for caregivers of adult victims.

Call the Los Angeles catastrophic injury lawyers of McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP today

When you are hurt and you don’t know where to turn, contact McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP to fight for your benefits while you recover. Our Los Angeles catastrophic injury lawyers want to help you protect your family and your future. To schedule a free consultation, please call our Westwood office at 310.474.1582 or fill out our contact form. We proudly serve clients throughout California.