St. Louis Catastrophic Personal Injury Attorneys

Fighting For Catastrophic Injury Victims in Missouri

A catastrophic personal injury is any major accident that results in permanent consequences. These injuries can be devastating because a physical recovery is virtually impossible. Injury victims suffer lasting physical impairments, and they can often no longer work to provide for family members.

If you or a loved one has suffered a severe personal injury, the St. Louis catastrophic injury attorneys at Niemeyer, Grebel & Kruse are here to help. Throughout their careers, our attorneys have regularly represented individuals who were seriously injured as a result of auto accidents, product liability, and other various catastrophic events.

With years of experience representing people who have been badly injured in catastrophic cases, NGK has a proven track record of success in recovering maximum compensation for its clients. Call us today at (314) 350-1900 for a free case review with our catastrophic injury lawyer in St. Louis.

What is a catastrophic injury?

A catastrophic injury is an injury so serious that it leaves its victim with permanent damage. Catastrophic injuries typically fall into three categories:

• Physical injuries – Amputations, fractures, burns, and other damage to orthopedic function.
• Spinal cord injuries – These cause permanent mobility issues for survivors.
• Cognitive injuries – These are injuries to the brain, which affect a person’s ability to work, speak, or form new memories.

The consequences of catastrophic injuries extend far beyond physical pain. They can drastically change a person’s lifestyle, requiring long-term medical treatment, rehabilitation, and assistive care. They can also cause significant emotional distress and financial hardship due to high medical costs and loss of earning capacity.

At NGK Law, we understand the gravity of catastrophic injuries and the profound effect they have on the lives of victims and their families. We are committed to providing compassionate, comprehensive legal representation to help catastrophic injury victims navigate their claim, secure their rights, and fight for the compensation they truly deserve.

What are the common types of catastrophic injuries?

Here are some common types of catastrophic injuries:

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A traumatic brain injury occurs when the brain suffers a sudden, violent blow or jolt, causing damage to brain tissue. TBIs can range from mild concussions to severe brain damage, leading to long-term cognitive impairment, memory loss, emotional instability, and physical disabilities. Victims of severe TBI may require extensive rehabilitation and care for years or even a lifetime.
• Spinal Cord Injury: Spinal cord injuries involve damage to the spinal cord, often resulting in partial or complete paralysis. Depending on the location and severity of the injury, the victim may lose function or sensation in certain parts of the body, leading to conditions like paraplegia (paralysis of the lower body) or quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs). Spinal cord injuries often require long-term medical treatment, physical therapy, and adaptive equipment for mobility.
• Burn Injury: Burn injuries can be devastating, especially when they are severe enough to damage multiple layers of skin, muscle, or even bone. Burns are classified into degrees, with third-degree burns being the most severe, involving all layers of the skin and sometimes underlying tissues. Burn victims may face a long recovery process involving skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, and physical therapy. Severe burns can also lead to permanent scarring and disfigurement.
• Amputation: Amputation refers to the loss of a limb or extremity, either as a result of a traumatic injury or a necessary medical procedure. Losing a limb can significantly affect a person’s mobility and independence. Amputees may require prosthetic limbs, extensive rehabilitation, and ongoing medical care. In addition to the physical challenges, amputation can also lead to emotional and psychological trauma.
• Crush Injury: A crush injury occurs when a part of the body is subjected to extreme force or pressure, such as being trapped under heavy machinery or a collapsed structure. Crush injuries often result in broken bones, muscle damage, and nerve injuries. In severe cases, it can lead to internal organ damage, compartment syndrome (a condition where pressure within the muscles builds up to dangerous levels), or amputation. These injuries are often complex and require extensive medical treatment.
• Multiple Fractures: Multiple fractures involve the breaking of more than one bone in the body, which can occur in high-impact accidents like car crashes or falls. These fractures can be complex and require surgery, prolonged immobilization, and rehabilitation. Severe fractures can lead to chronic pain, mobility issues, and long-term physical limitations.
• Organ Damage: Organ damage typically occurs in accidents that cause blunt force trauma to the body, such as car accidents or falls. Injuries to vital organs like the heart, lungs, liver, or kidneys can be life-threatening and often require emergency surgery. Even with treatment, organ damage may lead to long-term health complications or permanent impairment.

What causes catastrophic injuries?

While any accident can lead to catastrophic injury, most injuries are caused by:

• Car, truck and motorcycle accidents – Catastrophic motor vehicle accidents can also include collisions with bicyclists or pedestrians, which are often very serious.
• Defective products – Hidden dangers in products like power tools, mini blinds, and furniture can lead to serious injuries or even fatalities.
• Defective drugs and medical devices – Consumers have a right to expect that the medications and devices they use will not have any adverse effects on their health. Unfortunately, this is often not the case.
• Accidents on someone else’s property (Premises liability) – Property owners have an obligation to protect visitors from dangers on their property they knew about or should’ve known about.
• Toxic water – The case MCB Camp Lejeune is an example of a case of water contamination that caused thousands to develop cancers and lifelong conditions.

When you sustain an injury in one of these types of accidents, insurance companies might be quick to offer you a settlement for your catastrophic injury claim. These are based on formulas that try to estimate the nature of your injury and its lasting consequences while also limiting the amount of money that the insurance company pays out.

Before accepting a settlement offer from an insurance company or the negligent party, it’s worthwhile to discuss your case with a St. Louis catastrophic injury attorney who can review your situation, advise you on the best route forward, and help you seek compensation.

How an experienced personal injury lawyer can help with your claim

Catastrophic injuries not only cause immense physical and emotional distress, but they can also create a maze of legal and financial challenges. That’s where a personal injury lawyer comes in. A seasoned attorney can be your guide, advocate, and strategist, helping you navigate through this complex process and fight for the compensation you need and deserve.

Here’s how a personal injury lawyer from NGK Law can assist in your catastrophic injury case:

• In-depth Case Evaluation – Our attorneys will meticulously analyze your case to determine the extent of liability, the severity of your injuries, and the full scope of damages incurred.
• Comprehensive Investigation – We’ll conduct a thorough investigation to gather crucial evidence, engage witnesses, and build a robust case that effectively communicates the impact of your injury.
• Claim Management – From filing your claim to handling all communication with insurance companies, we’ll manage all aspects of your case. This includes resisting tactics to devalue or deny your claim and negotiating for a fair settlement.
• Legal Representation – If your case goes to trial, our experienced litigators will passionately advocate for your rights in court. We’ll strive to present a compelling case aimed at securing maximum compensation.
• Emotional Support – We’re not just here to provide legal services; we’re here to support you. Our team understands the emotional toll a catastrophic injury can take, and we’ll guide you through this process with empathy and respect.
• Financial Planning – Catastrophic injuries can result in ongoing medical costs. We’ll fight to ensure your settlement considers potential future expenses so that you can focus on your recovery without financial worry.

Engaging a personal injury lawyer from NGK Law means putting your catastrophic injury case in the hands of a dedicated, experienced professional who will tirelessly fight for your rights. Reach out to us today for a free consultation.

Why Choose Us?

Our attorneys have experience in catastrophic personal injury cases, extending across many different types of cases. For instance, NGK Law obtained one of the biggest settlements in Missouri when it resolved a case for $16 million for a man rendered a quadriplegic when a tree branch struck him in the head.  NGK Law also obtained a jury verdict for $11 million for a man who lost an eye as a result of a defective product after the product manufacturer offered only $75,000 to settle.  This has been revealed to be potentially the largest verdict in United States history for the loss of an eye. Further, NGK Law was able to obtain $6 million for a nurse who was tragically partially paralyzed as a result of a tractor-trailer truck accident.

In another case, our attorneys represented a person who suffered from kidney failure and bladder cancer after using a herbal supplement. NGK Law obtained a $3.8 million jury verdict on behalf of this person by demonstrating to the jury just how harmful this dangerous supplement was to our client, an unsuspecting customer. In this specific catastrophic personal injury case, NGK Law successfully showed that the impact of taking this supplement had lifelong implications for our client.

In yet another case of catastrophic personal injury, the lawyers at NGK Law obtained over  $4.25 million for another client — a worker who developed mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos from their time working in boiler rooms. Our attorneys were able to win the case for our client and reach a settlement before their untimely death from the disease, which helped improve their quality of life towards the end of their life.

Each of these individual cases is an example of why it’s so important to work with an attorney when you believe you have a catastrophic personal injury case. In nearly all of these cases, the injury victim is left with life-changing conditions that they must live with every day.

When you enlist the help of a professional attorney in this field, you have a much greater chance of receiving the compensation you need to get proper medical attention and a better quality of life moving forward.

What is the statute of limitations for catastrophic injury claims?

The statute of limitations is the “time limit” a victim has to file a lawsuit. It is set by each state. In Missouri, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is five years. In Illinois, it’s just two years. While both cases might seem like a long time, it’s best not to wait before filing your personal injury claim.

Depending on the circumstances of your case, you might be eligible for both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages refers to the financial losses from your injury, which have an easy-to-assign dollar value. This can include things like:

• Medical bills
• Physical therapy
• Modifications to your home and/or vehicle
• Lost time from work

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are the emotional losses from your injury, which are more subjective and difficult to quantify. This can include circumstances like:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Mental anguish

Missouri does not enforce a cap on the amount of economic and non-economic damages a person can recover (except for medical malpractice cases). This means that it’s up to your attorney to know what to look for when calculating damages.

While an insurance company might try to skimp in the settlement amount that it offers you, a novice or unproven attorney might recognize all of the possible losses to include in your request for damages. When interviewing attorneys, it’s important to select a firm that has a proven case history in catastrophic injury cases like yours.

Understanding the Role of Medical Documentation in Catastrophic Injury Claims

Medical documentation is a critical component of every catastrophic injury claim. It serves not only as proof of the injuries sustained but also as evidence to support the degree of impact on a victim’s life, ongoing treatment needs, and the potential for future care. For anyone working with a catastrophic injury lawyer, providing thorough and organized medical records can significantly strengthen a case and assist attorneys in advocating for full compensation.

When pursuing a claim, your legal team will often request hospital visit summaries, surgery records, rehabilitation progress notes, diagnostic imaging results, and physician statements that outline long-term prognosis. In St. Louis, this frequently involves medical facilities such as Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Mercy Hospital, or SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, depending on where the initial or follow-up care occurred. Catastrophic injury attorney St. Louis legal professionals rely on clear, comprehensive documentation to connect specific treatment costs to the incident and to demonstrate the ongoing need for financial support to insurance companies or, when necessary, to local courts like the St. Louis Circuit Court.

Keep the following in mind when preparing your medical records for your lawyer:

• Request complete copies from all health care providers, including any emergency medical technicians, urgent care facilities, or specialists involved in your treatment.
• Organize records in chronological order, beginning with your initial hospital visit after the accident.
• Include all related bills and receipts for services, medications, therapy visits, or medical equipment, as these documents assist in illustrating economic losses.

By gathering and reviewing this documentation early in partnership with your injury attorney, you’ll put yourself in a stronger position for negotiations or litigation. Timely, thorough records also help answer anticipated questions from insurers and courts, showing the long-term impact catastrophic injuries can have on your daily life well beyond the initial hospitalization.

Contact Our Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in St. Louis Today

Suffering a catastrophic personal injury can be an overwhelming experience. Accident victims not only have to juggle medical expenses, insurance claims, and missed work, but they also have to adjust to the “new normal” of living with an amputation, cognitive injury, or other permanent disability. It’s not a time to go it alone.

An experienced St. Louis catastrophic injury lawyer can serve as your trusted advocate throughout this process. Your attorney will not only handle all of the legal aspects of your injury claim, but they will also manage all communications with insurance companies and workers’ compensation. They work aggressively to ensure that you receive maximum financial compensation for your injury claim.

When you work with Niemeyer, Grebel, & Kruse, you are working with a team with two honorees of the 2022 Best Lawyers list, as well as a Top 50 and Top 100 lawyer in the area of plaintiff’s personal injury by Super Lawyers Magazine. With a 98% success rate and more than $700 million recovered for its clients, NGK wins.

Our St. Louis catastrophic injury attorneys welcome the opportunity to speak with you regarding your catastrophic personal injury case and assist you through this difficult time. Call today for a free case evaluation – (314) 350-1900.