St. Petersburg Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

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If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury in St. Petersburg, Florida, due to someone else’s negligence, you need a local and experienced attorney to recover compensation. Trust a qualified St. Petersburg catastrophic injury attorney at Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys to thoroughly evaluate your injuries and damages and obtain the settlement you deserve. Call us at (727) 933-0015 to schedule your free consultation today.

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Why Choose Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys to Help With Your St. Petersburg Catastrophic Injury Claim?

Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys has over 25 years of combined experience addressing the needs of accident injury victims throughout South Florida. We work tirelessly to uphold the rights of clients who suffer injuries due to the negligence of others. Our firm has successfully recovered millions of dollars for clients injured in St. Petersburg car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, Uber and Lyft collisions, and slip and fall cases. We are ready to fight for your right to reasonable compensation for your catastrophic injury.

Free Consultations

We value building trust with potential clients and stand firm in our belief that empathy isn’t just a promise; it’s the principle that drives every decision we make. At Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys, we provide free consultations to evaluate the specifics of your catastrophic injury. We will listen to your story to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your case before developing a tailored legal strategy for recovering compensation.

All information shared during our meeting is confidential, and you are not obligated to retain our services after our evaluation.

Contingency Arrangements

We understand the financial burden and overwhelming emotional toll a catastrophic injury can impose. Our firm operates exclusively on a contingent fee system, meaning there are no upfront costs to retain our legal services, and we only receive payment if you do. Thus, there is no financial risk to working with our trusted St. Petersburg catastrophic injury lawyers.

Access to Our Resource Network

Our firm collaborates with a remarkable network of expert witnesses who offer valuable insights into the extent of injuries, future requirements, and damage assessments related to catastrophic injuries. Depending on your case’s circumstances, we may work with expert professionals such as the following:

• Medical and surgical experts
• Rehabilitation specialists
• Psychologists and psychiatrists
• Economist specialists
• Life care planners
• Accident reconstructionists
• Vocational experts
• Forensic engineers

Collaborating with Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys guarantees that pertinent expert witnesses assess every facet of your case to achieve the best possible outcome. Our extensive network of expert witnesses also offers critical testimony when catastrophic injury cases proceed to court.

Proper Documentation of Your Catastrophic Injury

Thorough documentation of your catastrophic injury is essential for obtaining substantial compensation. Our attorneys coordinate with treating physicians about the documentation when necessary after our medical experts review your records for any issues, such as unexplained gaps in treatment. Additional evidence we may collect and present to secure compensation includes witness statements, police reports, and visual evidence of the accident scene and your injuries. Videos depicting how your catastrophic injury affects daily life and your journal also serve as valuable documentation.

Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys provides legal services in Pinellas County and the greater Tampa Bay area—call (727) 933-0015 to schedule your free consultation. Our law office is conveniently located in St. Petersburg, at the corner of 7th Ave N. and 7th St. N., just a block north of Millennium Youth Park.

How Much Is a Catastrophic Injury Worth in St. Petersburg?

How much your St. Petersburg catastrophic injury is worth depends on the severity of your injuries, the extent of your medical care, and how injuries impact your daily life. Our team will gather receipts and other paperwork documenting economic damages to ensure accurate calculations before valuing the non-economic damages in your case. Punitive damages are additional compensation the court may consider when egregious acts resulting in catastrophic injury warrant a need to punish the defendant. Juries award them in about five percent of all personal injury case verdicts.

Economic Damages

The economic damages in your catastrophic injury claim are the financial losses you suffered following the accident. These can be costs you’ve already endured and future economic losses you’ll experience because of your catastrophic injury. Standard economic damages associated with catastrophic injuries are as follows:

• Medical Expenses: Catastrophic injuries frequently result in exorbitant medical expenses. These costs may encompass ambulance transport, emergency services, surgeries, medical treatments, hospitalizations, and rehabilitation care. Diagnostics, testing, imaging, assistive devices, and prescription medications are also recoverable.
• Long-Term Healthcare: Our St. Petersburg catastrophic injury lawyers collaborate with medical professionals and life care planners to assess long-term healthcare needs and related costs. Economic experts will assist our firm in factoring in inflation when estimating projected expenses.
• Lost Income: We evaluate all income losses applicable to your employment, including lost earnings, overtime, bonuses, commissions, sick leave, vacation time, and paid time off. We will also assess the loss of healthcare and retirement benefits. 
• Lost Earning Capacity: Catastrophic injuries lead to reduced or lost earning capacity as they hinder individuals from returning to work in their previous role or at all. When assessing lost earning capacity, factors such as the severity of the catastrophic injury, age, work history, education level, career potential, and life expectancy are considered. Our firm utilizes vocational experts to ensure accurate calculation of diminished earning capacity.
• Property Damages: Individuals who suffer property damage in an accident resulting in catastrophic injury can recover reimbursement for replacement costs. Property damages include vehicle repairs, phones, computers, car seats, glasses, clothing, and stereo systems. Damage to commercial and residential structures, fences, and landscaping may also be calculated.
• Transportation Costs: When vehicles are in the shop for repairs or catastrophic injury renders your ability to drive, we may seek compensation for rental car, rideshare service, taxi, and public transportation costs. 
• Home Healthcare Services: We recover compensation for home healthcare services provided by trained caregivers, health aides, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, including respite care and occupational therapy. These services often include costs for help with daily tasks, household chores, and running errands, such as grocery shopping and prescription pickup. 
• Home Modifications: Additional economic damages you may pursue following a catastrophic injury can include necessary in-home modifications to accommodate disabilities and mobility. These modifications may include widened doorways, door openers, lowered countertops and sinks, chair lifts, ramps, and handrails. Accessible bathroom remodels are also included.

You can demonstrate all economic damages using invoices, billing statements, and receipts for out-of-pocket expenses to illustrate your losses. Estimates for repairs and modifications are valid for substantiating the need for compensation for anticipated injury-related costs. Provide Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys with copies of all expenses to ensure accurate damages calculations when valuing your claim.

Non-Economic Damages

The non-economic damages in your catastrophic injury claim or lawsuit are intangible losses that can be more difficult to quantify without legal representation. You cannot rely on an insurance company to fairly evaluate and compensate for these damages. Allow an experienced St. Petersburg catastrophic injury lawyer from our firm to assess and value non-economic damages, such as:

• Pain and Suffering: Your physical and emotional distress constitutes pain and suffering damages. These can include feelings of fear, anger, frustration, and hopelessness, coping with adjusting to living with a catastrophic injury. Other symptoms include life-long pain management, sleep discomfort and disturbances, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).   
• Decreased Quality of Life: Our injury attorneys will ensure calculations for the decreased quality of life following a catastrophic injury. This damage refers to the inability to enjoy life due to the long-term physical and psychological effects of your catastrophic injury. Factors that influence a decreased quality of life include physical limitations, dependency on others, social isolation, work disruption, and cognitive impairments.
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Injuries that cause you to lose gratification and happiness from activities and experiences that were once enjoyable may constitute a need to compensate for the loss of enjoyment of life. This includes sports, hobbies, and social activities.
• Lost Years: When catastrophic injuries result in a shortened life expectancy, we may seek compensation for lost years as part of the non-economic damages valued in your claim. It accounts for the years an individual would have lived and worked had they not suffered a catastrophic injury.
• Loss of Consortium: A legal claim usually brought by injured parties, spouses, or domestic partners. It compensates for the intangible relationship losses accompanying catastrophic injury, such as physical intimacy, companionship, love, and affection. Loss of consortium compensates for how the catastrophic injury affects other marriage dynamics, like household assistance. Children may also recover compensation due to the loss of parental guidance when applicable.

When a catastrophic injury results in wrongful death, our attorneys assist grieving families in recovering losses related to their loved ones as well as their own personal damages. Compensation for wrongful death encompasses both economic and non-economic damages. We help families recover the decedent’s final medical expenses, property damages, and lost income. Our injury attorneys may also secure compensation for funeral costs and your pain and suffering.

Accidents That May Cause a Catastrophic Injury

A catastrophic injury can result from motor vehicle collisions and various accident types occurring on highways, intersections, and parking lots, as well as—on residential, commercial, and public properties. You need an experienced attorney to handle the challenges of insurance claims and the legal processes. Our St. Petersburg personal injury law firm represents clients who suffered catastrophic injuries in the following accidents:

• Auto accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Boating accidents
• Bus accidents
• Construction accidents
• Micromobility accidents (e-bikes and e-scooters)
• Motorcycle accidents
• Nursing home abuse
• Pedestrian accidents
• Premises liability (dog bites, swimming pool accidents, and slip and falls)
• Product liability (defective airbags and faulty brake systems)
• Rideshare accidents (Lyft and Uber)
• Taxi accidents
• Truck accidents
• Violent attacks

Our attorneys will thoroughly investigate the individual circumstances of your accident to solidify your right to recover compensation for a catastrophic injury. If you’ve suffered an injury by an accident not listed, call us at (727) 933-0015 to determine if we can assist you with your catastrophic injury case.

Types of Catastrophic Injuries

Catastrophic injuries are serious and life-changing, leading to long-term or permanent disabilities or death. They have a profoundly devastating impact on an accident victim’s life. These injuries typically require extensive medical care needs and an altered daily life. Catastrophic injuries include the following conditions:

• Amputations
• Blindness or deafness
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis
• Severe burns covering at least 25 percent of the body
• Third-degree burns covering at least five percent of the face and hands

Accident victims sustaining multiple catastrophic injuries can expect higher settlements with detailed medical documentation and expert witness testimony. We will work hard at gathering and clearly presenting the evidence of your catastrophic injury to liable insurance companies, judges, and juries.

Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys Fight to Recover Fair Compensation

Our team will fight for your right to recover reasonable compensation for your catastrophic injury. Insurance companies often utilize tactics with accident victims who don’t have legal representation. They aim to minimize claim payouts by undervaluing and denying as many as possible. Methods our attorneys protect you from falling victim to include:

• Pressuring you to make recorded statements to use things you say against you
• Failing to investigate your claim before denial
• Failing to review all records and interview witnesses
• Misrepresenting insurance policy provisions to their financial benefit
• Misplacing claim file documents to delay processes
• Failing to communicate about claims promptly
• Requesting access to your complete medical records
• Suggesting you use their in-house doctors to evaluate your catastrophic injury
• Downplaying the severity of your catastrophic injury
• Claiming your catastrophic injury symptoms are pre-existing
• Sending quick settlement offers before you’ve reached your maximum medical improvement
• Sending low first settlement offers
• Refusing to adjust their settlement offer on valid catastrophic injury claims

When insurance companies make threatening statements or continue to harass clients who have retained legal counsel, they can face legal consequences for bad-faith insurance tactics. Our lawyers can help file the necessary complaints and legal action to report these unethical practices and secure additional compensation for their emotional distress.

Consultation with a Trusted St. Petersburg Catastrophic Injury Lawyer 

If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury, you deserve a law firm that sincerely cares and prioritizes your needs. Personal injury lawyers in St. Petersburg at Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys know firsthand that the system is stacked against you and are here to ensure you successfully secure a settlement for your catastrophic injury. Let us fight for your right to compensation while you focus on your recovery. Contact our office at (727) 933-0015 for a free consultation and experience a different kind of injury law firm—one that truly puts you first.