Suffered a Catastrophic Injury?
Contact an Attorney at Mark L. Karno & Associates, LLC Today
A catastrophic injury can permanently change your health, independence, income, and future. Call Mark L. Karno & Associates, LLC at (312) 701-0090 or contact the firm online to schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options with a Chicago personal injury lawyer after a life-changing injury.
Why Choose Mark L. Karno & Associates, LLC?
- We have decades of experience handling serious injury claims involving long-term medical care, disability, and major financial losses.
- Clients receive direct attorney involvement, clear communication, and practical guidance throughout the legal process.
- Injury claims are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means clients pay no attorney fees unless compensation is recovered.
What Is a Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury causes permanent or long-term harm that affects how a person lives, works, moves, communicates, or cares for themselves. These cases often involve more than emergency treatment. Many victims require surgery, rehabilitation, assistive devices, home modifications, in-home care, or lifelong medical support.
Catastrophic injuries can also create immediate financial pressure. Medical bills arrive quickly, income may stop, and family members often take on caregiving responsibilities.
Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries in Chicago
Catastrophic injuries can happen in many types of accidents throughout Chicago. Dense traffic, busy intersections, construction zones, public transportation areas, commercial properties, and workplaces all create risks when people or businesses act carelessly. Common causes include:
- Car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents.
- Construction site accidents.
- Defective products, tools, vehicles, or machinery.
- Medical negligence.
- Workplace accidents involving heavy equipment.
The cause of the injury matters because it helps identify every party that may be legally responsible, such as a driver, employer, contractor, property owner, product manufacturer, medical provider, etc. In addition, a single case can involve multiple liable parties.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injury cases often involve severe trauma that changes a person’s daily life. For example:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury can affect memory, speech, balance, mood, concentration, and personality. Some victims lose the ability to work, drive, or live independently. Even when imaging does not show obvious damage, symptoms can interfere with every part of daily life.
Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
Spinal cord injuries can cause partial or complete paralysis, loss of sensation, chronic pain, and mobility limitations. These injuries often require wheelchairs, braces, accessible housing, specialized transportation, and continuing medical care.
Amputations
The loss of a limb can affect mobility, employment, independence, and emotional health. Amputation cases may involve prosthetics, revision surgeries, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and lifelong adjustments.
Severe Burns
Burn injuries can cause disfigurement, nerve damage, infection, scarring, and limited movement. Victims may require skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, pain management, and psychological support.
Multiple Fractures and Crush Injuries
Serious fractures and crush injuries can damage bones, muscles, nerves, and internal organs. These injuries may require multiple surgeries and can leave lasting physical restrictions.
Vision or Hearing Loss
The loss of sight or hearing can affect communication, employment, safety, and independence. These injuries often require specialized medical care and adaptive technology.
Compensation Available in a Catastrophic Injury Claim
Catastrophic injury claims often involve significant compensation because the harm extends far beyond the first hospital visit. A claim may include both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
Financial losses, such as:
- Emergency medical care, surgery, hospitalization, medication, rehabilitation, and future medical treatment.
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity.
- Home health care, nursing care, or caregiver assistance.
- Medical equipment, prosthetics, wheelchairs, ramps, and home modifications.
- Transportation costs related to medical care.
- Out-of-pocket expenses caused by the injury.
Non-Economic Damages
Compensation to address the personal impact of the injury, including:
- Physical pain and suffering.
- Emotional distress.
- Loss of normal life.
- Disability or permanent impairment.
- Scarring or disfigurement.
- Loss of independence.
- Loss of consortium in appropriate cases.
The value of a catastrophic injury case depends on the evidence showing how the injury affects the victim now and how it will affect the future. Medical records, expert opinions, life care plans, employment records, photographs, and witness statements can all help show the full extent of the loss.
Illinois Laws That Apply to Catastrophic Injury Claims
Illinois law affects how catastrophic injury claims are filed, defended, and valued. These rules can affect deadlines, fault disputes, and who may pursue the claim.
Illinois Statute of Limitations
Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, most Illinois personal injury claims must be filed within two years. The law states that actions for damages for an injury to the person “shall be commenced within 2 years next after the cause of action accrued.” This deadline is vital since medical treatment can continue for months or years and waiting too long to pursue a claim can jeopardize the right to recover compensation.
Modified Comparative Negligence
Illinois follows a modified comparative negligence rule under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. The statute states that a plaintiff is not barred from recovery if their fault is“not more than 50%,” but damages are reduced in proportion to the fault assigned to the plaintiff.
This means an insurance company may argue that the injured person partly caused the accident. If that argument succeeds, compensation may be reduced. If the injured person is found more than 50% responsible, recovery may be barred.
Guardianship After a Disabling Injury
Some catastrophic injuries leave a person unable to make decisions or manage financial affairs. Under 755 ILCS 5/11a-3, an Illinois court may appoint a guardian if clear and convincing evidence shows that, because of a disability, the person lacks the capacity to make responsible decisions about personal care or financial matters.
This issue can arise after severe brain injuries, coma, paralysis, or other disabling conditions. A guardian may need to act on behalf of the injured person during medical decisions, settlement discussions, or litigation.
Survival Actions
If a catastrophic injury later results in death, Illinois law may allow the claim to continue through a survival action brought by the deceased person’s estate. Under 755 ILCS 5/27-6, causes of action for personal injuries generally do not end when the injured person dies. A survival claim can seek damages the injured person could have pursued if they had lived, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses before death.
Why Hiring a Lawyer Is in Your Best Interests
A Chicago personal injury lawyer with extensive experience can investigate the accident, identify every responsible party, and preserve critical evidence before it disappears. This may include crash reports, surveillance footage, maintenance records, company documents, witness statements, medical records, expert analysis, and more.
A catastrophic injury lawyer also works with medical specialists, economists, vocational experts, and life care planners to determine the long-term cost of the injury. This step is critical because a settlement must consider future treatment and permanent limitations. Insurance companies often focus on limiting their liability. They may question the severity of the injury, dispute future care needs, or argue that another party caused the harm. A lawyer will protect your claim from these tactics, allowing you to focus on recovery and your family.
Contact a Chicago Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
Mark L. Karno & Associates, LLC helps injured people and their families pursue compensation from the parties responsible for life-changing harm. Call (312) 701-0090 or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation.