Columbia Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

Columbia Catastrophic Injury Attorney

Catastrophic injuries can change your entire life, require months of recovery, mobility aids, long-term physical therapy and medical care, and restructure your daily life. On top of all these costs, the injury can prevent you from earning an income. When these injuries are the fault of someone else, they could be liable for the costs of your damages. A Columbia catastrophic injury lawyer can help you assess your losses and determine who is liable.

Work With the Law Office of Charles T. Brooks III in Columbia

For nearly 30 years, the team at the Law Office of Charles T. Brooks III has fought for the interests of our clients, including in personal injury claims. We strive for diligent and results-based legal representation. When you suffer a catastrophic injury, we understand the immense impact that it can have on your life, physically and financially.

At our firm, we take the time to listen to your unique case and the goals you have for a claim. We tailor our legal care to those needs. Our firm supports you in insurance negotiations, civil negotiations, or civil litigation. The Richland County Courthouse, located at #205 1701 Main Street, is the court that often handles civil claims. Our firm in Columbia has professional experience with local courts.

What Are Some Examples of Catastrophic Injuries?

Catastrophic injuries are those that cause severe harm and likely affect you for the rest of your life. They include the following injuries:

• Traumatic brain injuries, which can affect cognitive abilities and someone’s movement
• Numerous fractured bones that require long periods of recovery
• Thermal, chemical, or electrical burns, some of which can cause permanent disfigurement or nerve damage
• Serious neck and back injuries, such as fractures, herniated disks, and soft tissue injuries
• Loss of limbs or amputation, which can lead to death and change someone’s life forever if they survive
• Spinal cord damage, which can even lead to full or partial paralysis
• Loss of sight or hearing, which is physically and emotionally very difficult to adjust to
• Loss of organ functions that prevent someone from completing daily tasks and require long-term medical care

These injuries can cause immense financial hardship for an individual and their family. When your catastrophic injuries are caused by the negligence of an individual or a company, you could hold them liable for your immediate financial losses and the costs you will incur in the future.

Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries

Catastrophic injuries can potentially arise from any of the causes of personal injuries, but some types of accidents are more likely to have severe consequences. Catastrophic injury cases are often caused by:

• Vehicle collisions. In Richland County, there were a total of 12,450 vehicle collisions in 2023 based on information collected by the state’s Department of Public Safety. Of those collisions, 102 were serious injury collisions, and 24 serious injury collisions were caused by driving too fast for the conditions.Vehicle collisions are more likely to involve catastrophic injuries in certain situations. This includes when large vehicles are involved, such as in commercial truck accidents. It also includes when one of the involved parties is vulnerable, such as in motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accidents. Alcohol-related accidents also tend to be more serious.

• Slip and fall injuries. While some slip and fall accidents are minor, others can be catastrophic, especially when the individual falling is 65 or older or the fall is from a higher floor.
• Workplace accidents. There were ten severe workplace injury reports made to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in South Carolina in 2024, nine of which resulted in hospitalizations and three of which required amputation. Certain worksites, like construction sites, industrial manufacturing, mining, and other industrial worksites, are likely to result in more serious injuries.
• Medical malpractice injuries. Catastrophic injuries can happen when a medical provider is careless, such as by operating on the wrong surgery site, causing birth injuries, or prescribing the wrong medication. There were a total of 154 medical malpractice payments made in South Carolina in 2024, according to the National Practitioner Databank, and 19 of these payments were for $1 million or more.

There are many other potential causes of catastrophic injuries. In some of these situations, a party may be liable for the catastrophic injury, such as a negligent driver, medical provider, property owner, or other person or entity.

FAQs About Columbia, SC Catastrophic Injury Laws

What Qualifies as a Catastrophic Injury?

A catastrophic injury is generally an injury with severe damage, a long period of recovery time, and often severe physical and psychological trauma. This includes injuries like a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, crushing injuries, amputations, loss of organ function, disfiguring injuries, and numerous fractures. Catastrophic injuries are generally disabling injuries and involve other damage expected to affect you for the rest of your life.

What Percent Do Catastrophic Injury Lawyers Charge?

Catastrophic injury lawyers typically charge between 30% and 40% in a contingency fee, meaning they take a portion of your final injury settlement or court verdict. This allows you to secure an attorney’s services without having to pay fees up front. Not all attorneys charge this way. Some may charge hourly or flat fees, so you should always talk with an attorney about their pricing upfront. The more complex your case is, the more likely their costs will be higher.

When Should I Get a Catastrophic Injury Attorney?

You should get a catastrophic injury attorney if you have suffered a serious injury that is going to take significant time to recover from, especially if you think the injury was caused by the carelessness of another party. The sooner you begin working with an attorney, the sooner they can begin investigations and determine who could be held liable. This may be another driver, a product manufacturer, a property owner, or another party.

How Long Does a Catastrophic Injury Case Take?

There isn’t a set amount of time it takes to settle or resolve a catastrophic injury case, as each case is unique. Catastrophic injury cases may take longer than other personal injury cases because:

• Waiting for injuries to reach maximum medical improvement takes longer.
• Investigation into the incident may be time-consuming.
• More resources are needed to evaluate the injury and determine the long-term effects.
• Calculating non-economic damages is more complex.

Hire a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in Columbia

It can feel like you have no options after suffering a catastrophic injury. However, there may be ways that you can financially recover. Contact the Law Office of Charles T. Brooks III today and determine if you have the grounds for a claim.