Were you injured in a catastrophic accident in Pasadena, TX?
At Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers, we provide recognized catastrophic injury representation for injured clients throughout Pasadena.
If an injury has left you or a family member with a permanent disability, the legal claim must account for a lifetime of care and lost income, not only the bills received so far. A Pasadena, TX catastrophic injury lawyer builds that claim with physicians, life care planners, and economists. That work starts while treatment is still under way.
Our founding attorneys have 12 and 13 years of experience in serious injury litigation. Their practice centers on cases where the harm is permanent. We represent injured clients and families on a contingency fee. Call us to arrange a free consultation.
Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Pasadena, TX
A catastrophic injury attorney handles claims for injuries that permanently change a person’s ability to work and live independently. The category includes brain damage, paralysis, and severe burns. These cases require proof of future costs that ordinary injury claims never reach. A catastrophic injury attorney also has to plan for how a recovery will be paid and protected over the client’s lifetime.
Texas hospitals reported 18,144 trauma patient records with severe or critical injury scores in 2021, according to state trauma registry data. Those records made up 12 percent of all trauma cases reported that year. The registry counts injuries from every cause, including falls, workplace incidents, and explosions.
Types of Catastrophic Injury Cases We Handle in Pasadena, TX
Our catastrophic injury attorneys handle cases grouped two ways. Some are defined by the injury itself, and others by the kind of incident that caused it. The cause matters because it determines who can be sued. A Pasadena catastrophic injury attorney looks at both.
- Brain injuries. Severe head trauma can impair memory, speech, and personality for life. We work with neurologists and neuropsychologists to measure deficits that standard imaging can miss. Even a brain injury labeled moderate can prevent a return to skilled work.
- Spinal cord injuries. Damage to the spinal cord causes partial or complete paralysis. The claim must cover home modification, mobility equipment, and attendant care for decades. Complications such as pressure injuries and infections add to lifetime medical costs.
- Amputations. Limb loss occurs in crush incidents, machinery accidents, and severe vehicle collisions. Prosthetic limbs need periodic replacement, and that recurring cost is part of the damages.
- Burn injuries. Deep burns require grafting, repeated surgery, and long hospitalization. Scarring and contractures can limit movement permanently. Treatment at a burn center can last months.
- Crush injuries and multiple trauma. Several fractures or internal injuries at once can lead to lasting impairment. These clients see many specialists, and we assemble the medical evidence from each one.
- Vision and hearing loss. A chemical splash, a blast, or facial trauma can destroy sight or hearing. Either loss can end a career in the trades or at a plant.
- Oilfield accidents. Blowouts, well fires, and equipment failures produce some of the most severe injuries we see. Liability usually involves an operator and several contractors. Our attorneys have recovered eight-figure amounts in these cases.
- Truck accidents. A collision with a loaded commercial truck can permanently injure the people in a smaller vehicle. Carriers and their insurers are the main defendants. The truck’s data and the carrier’s records must be preserved in the first days.
Why Choose Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers as my Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in Pasadena, TX?
A Practice Built on Catastrophic Cases
Mike Streich focuses on catastrophic cases. They include oilfield and refinery disasters, major commercial vehicle collisions, and life-altering workplace incidents. He represented a seaman with a traumatic brain injury in a case that settled for $16 million. Before his plaintiff work, he spent nearly a decade representing corporations and insurers, which showed him how defendants evaluate their exposure in the largest cases.
Matt Greenberg has a record of results in high-stakes injury litigation and prepares each case as though it will go to verdict. His results include verdicts and settlements that set county records in Texas. He has been recognized by Lawdragon and by the National Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only organization of trial lawyers. Our work as a personal injury lawyer in Pasadena, TX involves many cases where the injuries are permanent.
Recoveries in Life-Altering Injury Cases
Our attorneys have recovered more than $348 million for clients, including these results:
- $20 million for an oilfield worker who suffered severe burns
- $11 million in a wrongful death case
- $12,742,882 in an oilfield injury case
- $11 million in a bus accident case
We take catastrophic injury cases on a contingency fee, and clients pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation.
What Is Important to Understand About a Catastrophic Injury Case?
What Are Important Aspects of a Catastrophic Injury Case?
A catastrophic injury lawyer in Pasadena, TX deals with questions that smaller claims never raise. Five of them come up in nearly every case.
- Future medical care. A physician and a life care planner project the treatment, equipment, and attendant care the client will need. The plan is updated as the client’s condition changes. Houston providers such as TIRR Memorial Hermann treat brain injury, spinal cord injury, and amputation, and their records help establish those needs.
- Insurance limits. A single policy rarely covers a lifetime of losses. We look for every responsible company and every layer of coverage. Corporate defendants may also have assets beyond their policies.
- The filing deadline. The Texas statute of limitations gives most injured adults two years to file suit. The time is not counted against a child, or against a person of unsound mind, while that disability lasts.
- Decision-making capacity. A client with a severe brain injury may need a guardian or family member to act on his or her behalf. We explain how that works at the start.
- Benefits and liens. Health insurers, Medicare, and workers’ compensation carriers may claim repayment from a recovery. We address those claims before any settlement is finalized.
What Is The Catastrophic Injury Case Timeline?
Catastrophic cases take longer than other injury claims because the medical picture develops slowly. A Pasadena catastrophic injury attorney begins the investigation and evidence preservation right away, while treatment continues. A claim should not be valued until doctors can describe the client’s permanent condition, and that can take a year or more. During that period, we help the family document interim needs such as equipment and home care.
Once that point is reached, the life care plan and the economic analysis are prepared. We then present a demand to every insurer. Lawsuits arising in Pasadena are filed in Harris County, and a case that does not settle at mediation proceeds to a jury trial. Defendants in these cases retain their own physicians and life care planners, so discovery is extensive. We prepare the client’s family for each stage, including depositions and any defense medical examination.
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Catastrophic Injury Cases
Liability rests on the same four elements of negligence as any injury claim. The injured person must still prove that a defendant’s breach of duty caused the harm. The difference lies in the damages. Past medical bills are only the starting figure. Texas law recognizes economic and noneconomic damages, and a catastrophic injury lawyer documents each category below.
- Medical and rehabilitation costs. This category includes past bills and the projected cost of future surgery, therapy, and medication.
- Attendant care. Many clients need daily help with bathing, dressing, and transportation, sometimes around the clock.
- Lost earning capacity. An economist calculates the income the client would have earned over a working life.
- Home and vehicle modification. Ramps, lifts, and accessible vehicles are recoverable expenses.
- Noneconomic losses. These include physical pain, mental anguish, and disfigurement. A spouse may also have a claim for loss of consortium.
Each projection is supported by testimony from a physician, a life care planner, or an economist. Exemplary damages are available when clear and convincing evidence shows gross negligence.
What Should You Bring to Your Catastrophic Injury Consultation?
Family members often handle the first meeting while the injured person is still in the hospital. We can begin with the items listed here, in whatever form you have them.
- The accident or incident report, or the name of the agency that responded
- Hospital records and the names of the treating specialists
- Employment and income records for the injured person
- Insurance policies, letters, and any settlement offers
- A list of the daily tasks the injured person now needs help with
The consultation is free. We explain what the claim must include and how long the process is likely to take. Families preparing for a consultation after catastrophic injury should also bring any conflicting medical opinions.
Reach Out to Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation
Our Pasadena catastrophic injury lawyers will speak with you or your family at no cost. We tell you what we believe the case requires and whether we are the right lawyers for it. We charge no attorney fees unless we recover compensation. Our attorneys respond to new inquiries right away. Contact us to schedule a free consultation about a catastrophic injury in Pasadena, TX.
