Catastrophic Injuries

Santa Monica Catastrophic Injuries Attorney

A catastrophic injury is one which has a substantial and/or permanent impact on a victim. A catastrophic injury could:

• Deprive a victim of the ability to work
• Result in permanent impaired cognition
• Leave a victim paralyzed
• Cause permanent scarring/disfigurement
• Cause a victim to endure lifelong discomfort/pain

Those are just a few examples. Hopefully, you will never sustain such an injury. That said, if you already have, it’s possible you were injured because another party was negligent.

You may be eligible to recover financial compensation for your various losses and damages if so. To learn more about your legal options, review your case with a lawyer. A Santa Monica catastrophic injuries attorney at Randolph and Associates will explain how you may proceed. If we choose to work together, we’ll also help you aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve.

Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries

A person can sustain a catastrophic injury for many potential reasons. Common causes of such injuries include (but aren’t limited to) the following:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Assaults
• Falling accidents
• Exposure to hazardous substances
• Accidents resulting from defective products
• Workplace accidents

Catastrophic injuries often result from someone’s actions or negligence. For example, perhaps you were involved in a car accident because another driver was intoxicated behind the wheel. Or, maybe the manufacturers or designers of a product overlooked a defect which caused a serious accident.

You can file a claim with the liable party’s insurance to seek compensation if you were injured because someone else was negligent. Before doing so, strongly consider scheduling a consultation with a Santa Monica catastrophic injuries law firm.

Santa Monica Catastrophic Injuries: Seeking Financial Compensation

Examples of losses/damages for which you may seek compensation after being injured because of negligence include:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Pain and suffering

Because catastrophic injuries often result in permanent struggles, it’s frequently necessary for victims to account for future losses when seeking compensation in these circumstances. For instance, if your injuries prevent you from ever returning to work, you may pursue compensation not only for past lost wages but for an overall loss of earning potential as well.

Thus, when victims reach fair settlements in catastrophic injury cases, the payouts they receive are often quite significant. Insurance companies know this.

They respond to claims accordingly by either attempting to deny claims altogether or attempting to convince claimants to settle for less than they deserve. When you file a claim, the goal of the insurance company will be to minimize its financial losses.

A Santa Monica catastrophic injuries lawyer can help you reach a proper settlement by:

• Investigating your accident to identify the liable parties and gather evidence of
  negligence
• Calculating the potential value of your claim
• Entering into negotiations with the insurance company if they refuse to offer a fair settlement right away

How a Santa Monica Catastrophic Injuries Lawyer Investigates Your Case

Conducting a thorough investigation is often a critical first step when building a case against a negligent party responsible for your catastrophic injuries. Because you likely don’t have the resources or expertise necessary to conduct such an investigation yourself, it’s best to enlist the help of an attorney who can handle this task on your behalf.

The specific ways in which a Santa Monica catastrophic injuries lawyer may go about
investigating an accident will vary depending on the circumstances. Often, an investigation involves such steps as:

• Contacting witnesses: You may have a clear recollection of your accident. However,
  when filing a claim to recover compensation, you might find the insurance company will attempt to cast doubt on your version of the events in an effort to avoid paying you what you may be owed. If your lawyer can get statements from witnesses who corroborate your story, it will be significantly more challenging for an insurer to justify denying your claim.
• Securing footage, records, etc.: There may be various forms of evidence your attorney can gather to strengthen your case. For example, perhaps your accident occurred at a location that was being monitored by security cameras. If so, they could request access to available footage to show that the accident transpired in the manner you claim it did. Or, if your accident involved any form of equipment failure, they could request maintenance records to determine if those responsible for keeping a piece of equipment in good working order were negligent.
• Examining defective products: Victims may sustain catastrophic injuries when using certain defective products. If this has happened to you, a catastrophic injuries attorney in Santa Monica could examine the product, conduct tests with the product, and take other such steps to demonstrate that its designers or manufacturers overlooked a defect which caused you harm.
• Investigating the accident scene: It’s not uncommon for conditions at the scene of an accident to provide valuable information about how the accident happened. Thus, your lawyer may investigate the accident scene to take photographs, draw up diagrams of the accident, etc.

You must remember that insurance companies are virtually always reluctant to pay claimants when they seek compensation. When a victim has sustained catastrophic injuries, an insurer may be particularly inclined to fight a claim instead of paying a victim. This is due to the fact that catastrophic injury victims are often entitled to large settlements.

You need to gather as much evidence as possible to illustrate that you deserve compensation when an insurance company strives to avoid paying you. A lawyer can gather this evidence for you by thoroughly investigating the accident scene, reviewing materials and equipment involved in the accident, and coordinating with witnesses.

Contact a Santa Monica Catastrophic Injuries Attorney

At Randolph and Associates, we understand that being involved in an accident that leaves you with major injuries can be a devastating experience. Our Santa Monica catastrophic injuries attorneys work to relieve some of your burdens during this challenging time by pursuing compensation on your behalf. Learn more about how we can help by contacting us online or calling us at 310-395-7900 for a free consultation.