New Jersey Catastrophic Injuries Lawyer

A New Jersey catastrophic injury victim undergoes an MRI at the request of his lawyer

If you’re on this page, it’s likely that you or someone you love sustained a serious injury that altered your life, and you’re looking for help. The good news is you’ve come to the right place. Catastrophic injuries come with significant costs, and our experienced personal injury attorneys can help you seek the money you need to cover these costs and compensation for your pain and suffering, and also the emotional and psychological injuries sustained.

According to the Supreme Court of New Jersey, “Before making your choice of attorney, you should give this matter careful thought. The selection of an attorney is an important decision.” We strongly agree. Our dedicated team of 25 licensed attorneys has a proven record of success that speaks for itself: we have recovered over $1 billion for more than 35,000 clients, and we’re proud to say that 98 percent of our clients achieve a favorable verdict or settlement.

We have been representing the injured (never insurance companies) in New York and New Jersey for more than 40 years. Whether you sustained a catastrophic injury in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle crash, slip and fall, burn injury, bicycle accident, workplace injury, or other type of incident caused by someone else’s negligence, we’re available to meet with you to discuss your case. There’s no charge to meet with us, and you won’t owe a penny out of pocket. We only get paid if we win money for you.

We can meet with you in person or virtually, and we offer translation services in Spanish, Korean, Polish, Italian, Albanian, Portuguese, and many more languages. Contact us today to get started.

What Is Defined as a Catastrophic Injury?

What is a catastrophic injury? This type of injury is so severe that it results in a very low likelihood of making a full physical recovery. For example, if your injury results in a permanent disability, medical professionals may reasonably describe it as catastrophic.

Some catastrophic injuries can be managed with the help of therapy and caregivers, allowing the injured person to live somewhat independently, or at least to make their own decisions. Other catastrophic injuries render victims unable to live on their own, and likely, unable to transport themselves or manage their finances.

A person suffering from a traumatic brain injury may lose the ability to walk, work, or manage household bills. A spinal cord injury victim who becomes paralyzed, like someone suffering from quadriplegia, will have to depend on caregivers and wheelchairs simply to get around the house. Other victims of life-altering injuries may spend the rest of their lives in a permanent vegetative state and require round-the-clock nursing home care.

A few examples of the most common catastrophic injuries include:

Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries

There are many potential causes of catastrophic injuries. Some of the most common causes of catastrophic injuries include:

The Lasting Effects of Catastrophic Injuries

One of the critical characteristics of catastrophic injuries is their lasting impact. While your specific injury may have unique consequences, here are some effects many catastrophic injury victims experience:

  • Chronic pain— You may experience chronic pain following a catastrophic injury, including phantom pain following amputation. While the pain may be manageable with prescription medications, these drugs can also have adverse side effects.
  • Mobility challenges— It’s common to experience mobility loss, especially following spinal cord injuries and amputations, for example. You may require a wheelchair or other assistive devices if the injury affects your ability to use your legs.
  • Cognitive impairment— Traumatic brain injuries can cause cognitive impairment, which can result in personality changes, loss of motor skills, difficulty processing information, and more. Cognitive impairment can have far-reaching effects on your professional and personal life.
  • Psychological effects— An injury that causes permanent changes in your physical abilities can also harm you psychologically. Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder are common in catastrophic injury victims.

Managing the effects of catastrophic injuries is a complicated process and one that often requires significant adjustment over time. It typically also requires costly care and treatments.

What to Do After Suffering a Catastrophic Injury

The most important thing to do after suffering a catastrophic injury is to seek medical care and follow through on your doctor’s recommended course of treatment. Failure to do so could make it harder to heal to the fullest extent while also jeopardizing your legal options.

You should also contact our New Jersey catastrophic injury lawyers as soon as possible to discuss your case. Our attorneys can help you understand your legal rights and determine the best course of action. Additionally, your lawyer will handle all related communications with insurance companies and other third parties, protecting your legal rights and giving you time and space to focus on your healing.

It’s essential also to save all invoices, bills, and receipts related to treating your injury and other expenses resulting from the accident that injured you. That will help your attorney calculate the full extent of your losses and help you seek maximum results.

Money Damages Available for NJ Catastrophic Injuries

Determining compensation in a catastrophic injury case is a complex task, but our attorneys are well-prepared to handle it. We will take into account all the expenses and other losses resulting from your injury, including:

  • Current and anticipated future medical expenses
  • Expenses for ongoing rehabilitation
  • Cost of in-home care or long-term care in a facility
  • Adaptations to the home and vehicle
  • Lost income and loss of future earning capacity
  • Loss of quality of life
  • Loss of enjoyment
  • Physical and emotional pain and suffering

The amount you may recover depends on the extent of your injuries, their impact on your life, the extent to which you might physically recover, the circumstances that led to the injury, and other factors. Our attorneys are ready to evaluate the details of your case to determine a dollar amount that accounts for the full extent of your losses.

Statute of Limitations for Filing a Catastrophic Injury Claim

In New Jersey, an injured person typically has two years from the date of a catastrophic injury to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for their losses. New York’s deadline for filing a catastrophic injury claim is typically three years from the date of the injury. Some unique circumstances could affect the deadlines.

With this in mind, you must seek legal counsel immediately following an injury to ensure your attorney has time to investigate your case and meet all filing deadlines. If you file your case after the statutory deadline, you will lose your right to seek compensation in civil court.

It is important that you investigate the New Jersey tort claim laws. If your injury was caused by a city, town, county, board of education, or anything involving a roadway or government entity, you must file a tort claim notice with them within 90 days of your injury date.

Talk to an Experienced Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in New Jersey Today

If you’ve suffered a serious injury due to someone else’s negligence, you have the right to seek monetary damages for what you’ve lost. You deserve the support of a high-quality legal team to help you through the process. Since 1981, the catastrophic injury attorneys at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., have secured more than $1 billion for New Jersey and New York injury victims. We’re prepared to put our knowledge of catastrophic injury cases to work for you.

Our attorneys understand the significant financial challenges that accompany a catastrophic injury. That’s why your initial consultation is entirely free, and we only collect payment for our services if and when we secure results for you.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation to learn more about how an experienced catastrophic injury attorney from our law firm can help.