Life changes in an instant when a severe injury occurs. At Cowan & Hilgeman, we've worked alongside individuals and families facing the overwhelming aftermath of life-altering injuries. We recognize the physical pain, emotional distress, and financial pressure that accompanies these situations, and we're committed to helping our community members secure the compensation they need to move forward with dignity and stability.
Catastrophic Injury Attorney Dayton OH
A catastrophic injury refers to severe harm that results in permanent disability, long-term impairment, or significant limitations to daily functioning. These injuries often include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, severe burns, amputations, multiple fractures, and organ damage. Unlike minor injuries that heal with time, catastrophic injuries fundamentally alter a person's life trajectory, affecting their ability to work, maintain relationships, and perform basic tasks independently.
The consequences extend far beyond the initial medical emergency. Victims frequently require extensive hospitalization, multiple surgeries, ongoing rehabilitation, and lifetime care. Medical bills accumulate rapidly, often reaching hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Meanwhile, lost wages compound financial stress as injured individuals cannot return to their previous employment, and family members may need to reduce work hours or leave jobs entirely to provide care.
The emotional toll proves equally devastating. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress commonly develop as individuals adjust to their new reality. Relationships strain under the weight of caregiving responsibilities and lifestyle changes. Children may lose parents who can no longer participate in activities they once enjoyed together. Spouses become caregivers rather than partners. The entire family unit must adapt to circumstances nobody anticipated or deserved.
Insurance companies often attempt to minimize payouts, disputing claims or offering settlements that fall far short of actual needs. Without legal representation, victims accept inadequate compensation that leaves them financially vulnerable for years to come. A Dayton Catastrophic Injury Attorney can level the playing field, holding negligent parties accountable and securing resources for comprehensive recovery.
Experience Matters In Catastrophic Injury Cases
When selecting legal representation for catastrophic injury claims, experience with high-stakes litigation makes a significant difference in outcomes:
- We've recovered millions of dollars for clients through settlements and verdicts, including substantial compensation for individuals facing permanent disability and long-term care needs
- Our firm maintains a track record of taking cases to trial when insurance companies refuse fair settlements, demonstrating our willingness to fight for maximum recovery
- We handle all aspects of catastrophic injury claims on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay nothing unless we win their case
- Our attorneys work directly with medical professionals, life care planners, and economic specialists to document the full extent of damages and future needs
- We limit our caseload to provide personalized attention, treating each client as an individual rather than a file number
Recovering from a catastrophic injury requires more than medical treatment—it demands financial resources to support long-term care, adaptive equipment, home modifications, and lost income replacement. We handle the legal complexities while you focus on healing and adjustment. Our team investigates liability, gathers evidence, negotiates with insurance carriers, and pursues litigation when necessary. Contact our firm today for a free consultation to discuss your case and learn how we can help you build a secure future despite the challenges you face.
Types Of Catastrophic Injury Cases We Handle
Negligence often leads to injuries that are permanent and catastrophic. At a minimum, many injuries will change your life forever. At Cowan & Hilgeman, we have helped hundreds of injured clients obtain the compensation they need and deserve as a result of catastrophic and life-altering injuries.
A catastrophic injury can include brain injuries, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, scarring and disfigurement injuries, loss of limb injuries, loss of sight or smell injuries and severe fracture injuries. Our Ohio catastrophic injury lawyers are proud to offer free case evaluations and only get paid an attorney fee if we win your case and recover compensation. We are committed to aggressively pursuing the benefits and compensation you deserve.
Brain Injuries
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year. Unfortunately, 52,000 of these individuals die from their injuries and more than 275,000 are hospitalized. The last reported figures estimate that medical costs and indirect costs of brain injuries, such as lost productivity, total nearly $60 billion. Brain and head injuries can also be accompanied by the loss of smell, sight, hearing, taste, speech and commonly result in dizziness, nausea or vomiting, fatigue or drowsiness, sensitivity to noise and light, headaches, difficulty sleeping, sleeping more than usual and loss of balance.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Similar to brain and head injuries, spinal cord injuries are often catastrophic and require significant future medical treatment. Those with injuries causing paraplegia, tetraplegia or quadriplegia face healthcare and cost of living expense that are in the millions. The National Spinal Cord Statistical Injury Center estimates that the annual incidence of spinal cord injury (SCI), is approximately 40 cases per million population in the United States or approximately 17,000 new cases each year. Nearly 40% of all spinal cord injuries are a result of car accidents and motor vehicle accidents and 30% of all spinal cord injuries are the result of falls.
Fractures
Bone fractures can vary in complexity, pain and necessary medical treatment. Fractures typically cause significant pain, swelling and require an extended period of time to fully heal. Treating a serious fracture injury is rarely as simple as setting the broken bone in a cast or a sling. Fractures often require extensive medical treatment, including surgery, physical therapy and the insertion of plates and screws. A fractured or broken bone can change your life.
Common types of fractures include:
- Stable fracture – The broken ends of the bone line up and are barely out of place.
- Open, compound fracture – The skin may be pierced by the bone or by a blow that breaks the skin at the time of fracture. The bone may or may not be visible in the wound.
- Transverse fracture – This type of fracture has a horizontal fracture line.
- Oblique fracture – This type of fracture has angled pattern.
- Comminuted fracture – In this type of fracture, the bone shatters into three or more pieces.
- Impacted fracture – Fractures in which one part of the bone is driven into another.
- Spiral fracture – A bone that is twisted and broken in a spiral direction.
Fractured bones often require emergency surgery and with hardware which includes plates, screws/nails, rods, wires/pins and external fixators, and a Catastrophic Injury Attorney may evaluate cases involving severe trauma. When hardware is used to stabilize a fracture, it is called internal fixation. Implants used for internal fixation are made from stainless steel and titanium. Joints are often replaced with cobalt and chrome. It is believed that these implants are compatible with the body and rarely cause allergic reaction.
Amputations
A personal injury that results in the loss of a limb can be both physically and emotionally devastating. Such a significant injury causes life-long challenges which impacts one’s ability to live and work productively and enjoy life. Hobbies and daily activities can be lost forever. While an initial loss of limb or amputation can be very expensive to treat and rehab, future expenses can include wound care, counseling, vocational training and periodic prosthesis fitting and replacement. Adaptations to your home, work place and motor vehicle may be necessary to obtain the greatest degree of mobility, independence and self-care.
Scarring And Disfigurement
While many injuries impact the internal muscles, tissues, bones and organs, scarring and disfigurement injuries are visually observable and serve as painful reminders of the traumatic event that caused the scarring and disfigurement. When dealing with scarring and disfigurement injuries, it is important that your personal injury lawyer obtain photographs, medical reports, potential expert reports and properly evaluate the value of the scarring and disfigurement based on the part of the body affected by the injury, the severity of the injury and how the injury will affect the victim’s quality of life.
Burns
A burn is a type of injury to skin or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or radiation. Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids, solids or fire.
There are several degrees of burns which are classified by the depth of injury. These degrees include:
- 1st Degree Burn – superficial, redness of skin without blisters;
- 2nd Degree Burn – partial thickness skin damage and blisters present;
- 3rd Degree Burn – full thickness skin damage where skin is white and leathery;
- 4th Degree Burn – similar to third degree burn but with damage to deeper structures, tendons, joints and bone.
Burn injuries can arise for many different fact patterns, but burn injuries are often seen due to: apartment building fires; workplace injuries; truck accidents and tanker explosions; motor vehicle accidents; electrical fires; defective products; locked fire exits; scalding water and pipes; and recreational fires (hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, night clubs).
Dayton Catastrophic Injury FAQ
Your life changed in an instant. One moment you were going about your day, and the next you're facing injuries so severe that nothing will ever be the same. Catastrophic injuries don't just require months of recovery—they alter the entire trajectory of your life, stripping away your independence, career, hobbies, and sometimes even your ability to care for yourself. The financial burden is staggering, the emotional toll immeasurable, and the legal battles ahead are daunting when you're least equipped to handle them. At Cowan & Hilgeman, we understand that no amount of money can undo what happened, but we fight relentlessly to secure the substantial compensation you need for lifetime care, lost opportunities, and the dignity every person deserves after devastating injuries caused by someone else's negligence.
What Types Of Injuries Are Considered Catastrophic?
Catastrophic injuries cause permanent, life-altering impairments that prevent victims from returning to their previous quality of life. Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis require extensive medical care, mobility equipment, home modifications, and often 24-hour assistance. Traumatic brain injuries cause cognitive impairments, personality changes, memory loss, and physical disabilities affecting independence. Severe burns covering large body areas lead to multiple surgeries, permanent scarring, disfigurement, and chronic pain. Amputations from traumatic incidents or surgical necessity require prosthetics, rehabilitation, and lifestyle adaptations. Multiple bone fractures, particularly crush injuries, can cause permanent mobility limitations and chronic pain. Organ damage requiring transplants creates lifelong medical needs and complications.
Who Typically Suffers These Life-Altering Injuries?
Catastrophic injuries result from various traumatic events involving extreme force or negligence. Motor vehicle accident victims, particularly in truck collisions or high-speed crashes, suffer severe trauma from impact forces. Construction workers face falling accidents, equipment malfunctions, or being struck by heavy objects. Victims of violent crimes including shootings, stabbings, or assaults sustain devastating injuries. Medical malpractice cases involving surgical errors, birth injuries, or oxygen deprivation cause permanent damage. Defective product users are harmed when safety equipment fails or dangerous items malfunction. Workplace explosion or fire victims suffer severe burns and trauma. A Dayton Catastrophic Injury lawyer investigates how injuries occurred and identifies all liable parties responsible for the incident.
How Do These Severe Injuries Impact Daily Life Long-Term?
The consequences of catastrophic injuries extend far beyond initial hospitalization and recovery. Physical limitations prevent victims from performing basic daily activities like bathing, dressing, eating, or moving independently without assistance. Career loss occurs when injuries make previous employment impossible, eliminating primary income sources and destroying professional identity. Home modifications including wheelchair ramps, widened doorways, accessible bathrooms, and specialized equipment become necessary. Relationship strain affects marriages and families as dynamics shift to caregiver roles and victims struggle with depression, anger, and loss of independence. Social isolation increases when mobility limitations or disfigurement make public outings difficult. Chronic pain becomes a constant companion requiring ongoing pain management and affecting quality of life every single day.
Why Do Catastrophic Injury Cases Require Substantial Compensation?
The lifetime costs associated with severe permanent injuries reach into millions of dollars. Medical expenses include emergency treatment, multiple surgeries, extended hospitalizations, rehabilitation therapies, ongoing specialist care, medications, medical equipment, and future procedures addressing complications. In-home care or assisted living facilities cost hundreds of thousands annually for decades. Lost earning capacity represents massive financial losses when victims can no longer work or must accept significantly lower-paying positions. Home and vehicle modifications for accessibility add substantial upfront costs. Psychological counseling addresses mental health impacts of trauma and adjustment. Quality of life damages account for profound losses of independence, enjoyment, intimacy, and dignity. We work with life care planners, economists, and medical professionals to calculate comprehensive lifetime needs.
How Do We Build Strong Cases For Maximum Recovery?
Proving catastrophic injury claims requires extensive documentation establishing liability and comprehensive damages. Medical records including emergency reports, surgical notes, rehabilitation records, and ongoing treatment documentation establish injury severity and prognosis. Life care plans detail all anticipated medical needs, equipment, modifications, and care requirements throughout the victim's lifetime with associated costs. Economic analyses calculate lost earning capacity, benefits, and lifetime financial losses. Testimony from treating physicians, rehabilitation professionals, and specialists explains injuries, limitations, and future needs. Vocational rehabilitation assessments establish work capacity and career limitations. Day-in-the-life videos show daily challenges and care requirements. We identify all liable parties and insurance policies to maximize available compensation sources and pursue every dollar needed for lifetime care.
Catastrophic injury cases involve the highest stakes, most substantial damages, and most aggressive defense tactics from insurance companies and defendants. These claims require immediate action to preserve evidence, document injuries comprehensively, and begin building cases while victims focus on treatment and adjustment to new realities. We handle every aspect of your claim with unwavering commitment, fighting to prove liability and secure maximum compensation covering lifetime needs. The financial security we pursue provides not just medical care but dignity, independence, and the best possible quality of life moving forward. If you or a loved one has suffered catastrophic injuries due to another's negligence, contact our office today to discuss your situation and learn how we can help protect your rights while fighting for the substantial compensation you deserve.
Contact Us Today For A Free Consultation
Catastrophic injuries can bring sudden and devastating changes to individuals' lives, affecting their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, burn injuries, and amputations are just a few examples of the life-altering consequences of severe accidents or incidents. It is crucial to promote safety measures, raise awareness about prevention, and support research and advancements in medical and rehabilitative care to mitigate the impact of these injuries. By understanding the challenges faced by individuals with catastrophic injuries, we can work towards creating a more inclusive and supportive society for all. To find out what a trusted Dayton catastrophic injury attorney from Cowan & Hilgeman can do for you, set up a consultation right away if you are in need of legal services after an accident.
