Have you suffered catastrophic injuries in an accident in Chula Vista, California? Now is the time to call the award-winning team at Mission Personal Injury Lawyers at (619) 722-3032 for a free consultation. Our experienced Chula Vista catastrophic injury lawyers can help you fight for a maximum recovery.
Mission Personal Injury Lawyers is a nationally respected personal injury law firm dedicated to fighting for the rights of the catastrophically injured. Fighting for our clients’ futures, we’ve successfully won tens of millions in damages for our clients. Now, we’re ready to help you make the most of your legal claim in the wake of a catastrophic injury, too.
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Why Choose Mission Personal Injury Lawyers to Help After a Catastrophic Injury in Chula Vista?
Victims of catastrophic injuries in Chula Vista, CA, turn to Mission Personal Injury Lawyers for help because we’re:
- Award-winning Chula Vista personal injury attorneys with a proven ability to win tough cases
- Top-rated litigators at Avvo and Justia
- Five-star rated by hundreds of former clients on trusted platforms like Google and Facebook
- Local Chula Vista trial attorneys who are genuinely invested in making our clients’ lives better
Recognized as Super Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, San Diego Metro Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40, Best of the Bar by the San Diego Business Journal, we’ve made a name for ourselves as trustworthy litigators who don’t back down in the face of adversity.
Instead, we have the resources and determination needed to go head-to-head with powerful corporations and leverage life-changing settlements and jury verdicts for the people we represent.
There’s no time to waste when you’ve been catastrophically injured in an accident in Chula Vista, so don’t hesitate to reach out to our legal team for assistance right away. Your first consultation with a Chula Vista catastrophic injury attorney is always free.
What Makes an Injury Catastrophic?
An injury is considered catastrophic when it causes severe, often long-term or permanent, impairment.
While any injury can be catastrophic if it’s bad enough, the most common types of catastrophic injuries include:
- Spinal cord injuries, particularly complete spinal cord injuries that result in paraplegia, tetraplegia, or another type of paralysis
- Severe burn injuries affecting a large percentage of the body
- Severe traumatic brain injuries
- Amputation of an appendage or limb
- Multiple severe fractures or broken bones
The more severe an injury and the more the injury changes a victim’s quality of life and ability to function normally, the more likely it is to be considered catastrophic.
What Is My Catastrophic Injury Case Worth?
It depends. Everyone who suffers a catastrophic injury will face different challenges. Ultimately, the type of catastrophic injury you’ve suffered and its overall impact on your life – physically, emotionally, and financially – will have the greatest impact on the value of a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
While several injuries can be classified as catastrophic, there can be different levels of severity. Different injuries will have varied consequences across your life, too. So, the type of injury you suffer can have a sizable impact on the potential value of your catastrophic injury claim.
Treatment costs can be high and don’t include things like lost income, disability, out-of-pocket expenses, or the harder-to-value life changes you might experience in the wake of catastrophic trauma. All of these things should be considered, too, when assessing your damages and determining what your catastrophic injury case might be worth.
What Kinds of Damages Are Available to Catastrophic Injury Victims?
Whether you go through an at-fault party’s insurance company or request money through a civil tort claim, you’ll have the opportunity to recover compensatory damages.
In California, compensatory damages fall into two distinct categories: economic and non-economic. Each type of award is designed to alleviate different consequences of catastrophic trauma.
Economic damages cover the objective costs of a catastrophic injury, such as:
- Emergency room treatment, diagnostic testing and labs, surgery, hospitalization, transportation, and other current medical bills
- Reasonably necessary future medical expenses, such as medical devices, medical equipment, or medication
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Temporary lost wages and income
- Permanent disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Property damage
- Nursing assistance
- Funeral expenses if a catastrophic injury is ultimately fatal
Non-economic damages cover the more subjective consequences of being catastrophically injured, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Emotional distress
- Physical disfigurement
- Permanent scarring
- Chronic physical pain
- Reduced quality of life
- Embarrassment
If you’ve been catastrophically injured because of someone else’s malicious or grossly negligent actions, you can also potentially receive an award of punitive damages at trial.
Can I Get Compensation if I’m Blamed for My Catastrophic Injuries?
Yes, but any compensation you’re awarded will be limited based on your role in contributing to your catastrophic injury.
California adheres to a system of pure comparative negligence. A defendant can argue that a plaintiff shares responsibility for an accident in which they’ve been injured or an injury they’ve sustained. If the defendant has evidence to back up these claims, the plaintiff’s ability to recover compensation is reduced proportionately to fault.
For example, let’s say you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident in Chula Vista. You’re assigned 25 percent liability for the crash. As a result, a settlement or jury award issued to you will be reduced by 25 percent of its value. If your claim was initially worth $10 million, your maximum recovery is capped at $7.5 million.
What Does It Cost to Hire a Catastrophic Injury Attorney in Chula Vista?
There’s no cost to hire our California catastrophic injury attorneys in Chula Vista until we win compensation for you.
We represent clients on contingency, so our fees are tied to the case results we achieve.
When we obtain a settlement or win a verdict for you at trial, our attorney fees are deducted from that award. It varies from case to case, but the typical cost is anywhere between 30 and 40 percent.
What Are the Potential Complications or Long-Term Consequences of a Catastrophic Injury?
While it depends on the person and the type of trauma they’ve suffered, some of the most common consequences of a catastrophic injury include:
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Limited mobility
- Paralysis
- Chronic physical pain
- Cognitive deficits
- Neurological damage
- Vision loss
- Hearing loss
- Seizure disorders
- Increased risk of infection or illness
- Respiratory distress
- Organ damage or failure
- Changes in mood and behavior
- Death
Individuals who suffer catastrophic injuries are also likely to experience significant financial burdens and stress, as well as several psychological and social consequences, including anxiety and depression, social isolation, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
We Fight for Victims of Catastrophic Trauma in All Types of Personal Injury Cases
At Mission Personal Injury Lawyers, we advocate for clients in Chula Vista who’ve been catastrophically injured because of:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bus accidents
- Train accidents
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Boating accidents
- Aviation accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Construction accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Negligent security
- Assault
- Sexual assault
- Medical malpractice
- Birth injuries
- Defective products
While many catastrophic injuries are evident right away, that’s not always the case. Sometimes the shock of a violent accident can mask serious signs of trauma, and the longer it takes to seek medical care, the more serious the injury can become.
So, always seek prompt medical attention after an accident in Chula Vista, whether or not you believe you’ve been catastrophically injured. Then, call our Chula Vista catastrophic injury attorneys to discuss your legal rights and options.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit in California?
While there are some exceptions, you’ll generally have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit with a California state court after you’ve been catastrophically injured.
The two-year statute of limitations might differ if you’re suing a government entity, were hurt at work, or if the victim was a child.
Once the statute of limitations runs out, the right to hold another party accountable for your damages disappears.
Contact Our Chula Vista Catastrophic Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Don’t hesitate to contact Mission Personal Injury Lawyers for help if you’ve been catastrophically injured in an accident in Chula Vista. You have rights as a victim, but you’ll face an uphill battle as you fight to get compensation for your life-changing trauma. Our Chula Vista catastrophic injury attorneys can level the playing field and help you recover the top-dollar financial award you deserve.
Our personal injury law firm has helped clients win tens of millions of dollars in monetary awards. Now we can help you achieve the best possible results after you’ve been catastrophically injured, too.
Call our law office to arrange a free case review today.
