New York Catastrophic Injury Attorneys

An unexpected accident can completely alter the course of a victim’s and their loved ones’ lives, leaving them with tremendous stress and questions about what lies ahead. The resulting injuries can be extremely painful, crippling, and potentially life-threatening. Oftentimes, catastrophic injuries come with long-term complications that require a lifetime of costly medical attention. Victims should be fully informed of their options going forward.

Those who have sustained a catastrophic injury due to the negligent actions of a separate party have a legal right to receive compensation for the losses they suffer. Although the legal process may seem daunting, a well experienced lawyer can guide catastrophic accident victims through serious injury claims. If you or a loved one has been a victim in a serious accident, consulting with a qualified personal injury lawyer is a crucial step to obtaining compensation and moving on from your accident.

At Block O’Toole & Murphy, our lawyers have dedicated their careers to fighting for injury victims and have built years of experience handling accident claims. Since 2012, no other law firm in New York has reported more verdicts and settlements that exceed $1,000,000 than Block O’Toole & Murphy. We are here to help you and your loved ones recover the financial compensation you deserve.

Since 2020, Block O’Toole & Murphy recovered over half a billion dollars for personal injury victims. To speak with a qualified attorney, please call 212-736-5300 for a FREE confidential consultation.

Our firm is recognized for landmark verdicts and settlements, including a $110 million jury verdict for a cyclist who was paralyzed when a railroad tie fell from overhead tracks during subway maintenance in Brooklyn.

What is a Catastrophic Injury?

Generally, when an injury is referred to as “catastrophic,” it means that the injury sustained by the victim is permanently life-altering. A catastrophic injury victim is usually unable to return to a quality of life similar to what they experienced prior to their injury. The consequences of catastrophic injuries can leave victims with damages including:

• Medical expenses
• Loss of income
• Loss of quality of life
• Emotionally damage

If the injury occurred as a result of an accident that was caused by the negligent actions of another party, it may be in the accident victim’s best interest to pursue legal action to receive compensation for these damages.

Types of Serious Injuries

Catastrophic injuries range from severe burns to serious neurological disorders. These injuries often involve the disruption of the brain and central nervous system, which in turn affects many other areas of the body. Victims with serious injuries may require long-term medical care, extensive rehabilitation and daily assistance to perform even the simplest tasks.

Serious injuries include but are not limited to:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that every year, at least 1.7 million Traumatic Brain Injuries occur in the United States. TBIs can be caused by a sudden jolt or blow to the head, which is why car accidents are a common cause of brain injuries. Sometimes, brain injuries are so severe that they result in death. However, if a TBI victim survives, it is possible they will develop various long-term issues, including cognitive, behavioral, social, and physical problems.

• Paralysis and Spinal Cord Injuries
  A spinal cord injury is typically caused by a sudden impact to the spine which dislocates or fractures the vertebrae. About 37% of spinal cord injuries are a result of car accidents, but they can also result from falls or construction accidents. Examples of spinal cord injuries are quadriplegia and paraplegia. These can leave the injured victim without mobility and struggling to perform everyday tasks.

• Back Injuries
  Back injuries are often caused by work accidents or car crashes. According to the NIH, back injuries are common in the lower back, and can manifest as strains, sprains, herniated discs, and fractured vertebrae. Often the result of workplace accidents or motor vehicle crashes, back injuries can range from a minor injury to serious chronic pain. Back injuries often limit the injured person’s movement. It is common to start treating back pain with pain medication and physical therapy, and move on to surgery if the injury persists.

• Traumatic Amputations
  Amputations occur when an accident victim loses a body part as a result of injuries suffered in the accident. Amputations are typically a result of motor vehicle accidents, work or construction accidents, or accidents involving defective or malfunctioning equipment, particularly in the construction industry. According to Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, the most common type of amputation is partial hand amputation, which means the victim would lose one or more fingers. Other common amputation sites include arms and legs. Unfortunately, since amputations are irreversible, the accident victim will continue to live with the physical and psychological limitations caused by the injury for the rest of their life.

• Crush Injuries
  Crush injuries often have long-term effects such as nerve damage, amputation, multiple fractures, and other severe injuries. A crush injury can also result in crush syndrome, which is a medical condition characterized by kidney failure and major shock.

• Internal Organ Damage
  Organs are vital in ensuring regular and healthy body functions. As such, organ damage can lead to serious complications. Since the injuries are internal, organ damage may not be immediately noticeable. However, internal organ damage often requires surgery or even organ transplants if the affected organ(s) cannot be repaired with surgery.

Other types of personal injuries that can have devastating effects on a victim include internal bleeding, fractures, burn injuries, blindness, loss of fetus, and nerve damage.

The Process of a Catastrophic Personal Injury Case 

At Block O’Toole & Murphy we understand the effects of a catastrophic injury and our team approach helps guide our clients through this tragedy. Block O’Toole & Murphy is a boutique law firm that specializes in cases with significant injuries.

We purposefully maintain a small number of cases per attorney, such that we can offer individual and personal services to our clients. Your case will be handled from the initial client meeting through the trial by a team led by one of the named partners. To properly represent you, we have to know you, and you have to know us. The same team of attorneys will be with you throughout the entire case. At trial, you will not have one attorney sitting at the counsel table, but rather you will have your team there to represent you.

The trial of a catastrophic injury case requires the testimony of many experts, including liability experts who specialize in construction safety and accident reconstruction experts, as well as damages experts, such as life care planners, surgeons, and economists. The proper representation of a catastrophically injured victim requires significant legal resources, including time, expertise, and money. We at Block O’Toole & Murphy will not be out thought, out fought or out spent when it comes to winning your case. This is your one and only case, it is important that you retain attorneys that know how to handle a catastrophic injury case and have a proven track record behind them.

Effects of Catastrophic Injuries

A catastrophic injury can impact a variety of body systems including the circulatory, skin, urinary, respiratory and nervous systems. Managing the effects of a catastrophic injury can be costly and often requires a team of experienced health care professionals including doctors, therapists, nurses, counselors and surgeons. While some injury victims may recover with immediate medical care, others may face permanent disability, reduced life expectancies and life-long pain.

Often, the long-term complications associated with catastrophic injuries do not surface until years after the original accident. For instance, injured children may experience problems as they grow, necessitating surgeries or other medical procedures to accommodate their growth. Likewise, a burn injury victim may need continual reconstructive surgeries for several years after their original accident.

Catastrophic injuries are devastating to the injured victim, as well as the victim’s family. Often, catastrophically injured victims require life-long medical care, hospital care, medications, injections, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological therapy, cognitive therapy, home care, facility care, durable medical goods, home modifications, transportation, or vehicle modifications.

Victims may lose their ability to work, earn money, and support their families. Workers Compensation or no-fault loss wage benefits simply do not provide enough money to allow your family to survive. In addition to the physical injuries, the catastrophically injured victim faces enormous financial pressure.

NYC Serious Injury Attorneys with a Sterling Track Record

An experienced personal injury lawyer who understands the long-term effects of a catastrophic injury will be better equipped to ensure their clients receive the compensation they need to undergo necessary medical procedures while remaining financially afloat.

Block O’Toole & Murphy has attained well over 300 case results exceeding $1,000,000 each. Notable verdicts and settlements include*:

• $110,174,972 Jury Verdict for a cyclist who suffered severe injuries, including paralysis, after he was struck by a beam that fell from the subway tracks above in Bushwick, Brooklyn
• $53,500,000 Jury Verdict for a worker who became paralyzed from the waist down in a construction site fall
• $32,756,156 Jury Verdict in Long Island case for Vietnam veteran who sustained severe brain damage and hip fractures after he was struck by a car
• $22,500,000 Settlement for driver who had to undergo 26 surgeries after his car was involved in a head-on collision in Westchester County
• $15,000,000 Settlement for the surviving family of a 38-year-old worker who died from asphyxia after he was crushed by a falling object on the job
• $14,000,000 Settlement in Nassau County case for 23-year-old motorcyclist who had to sustain a below-the-knee amputation after he was struck by a truck
• $13,500,000 Settlement for a pedestrian who suffered blunt force trauma to the head, body, and limbs after a car struck her in Suffolk County. She sustained multiple fractures and a traumatic brain injury.
• $12,000,000 Settlement for Manhattan worker who fell approximately 40 feet on the job and suffered severe neurologic and orthopedic injuries. He was rendered completely blind in one eye.
• $12,000,000 Recovery for Brooklyn pedestrian accident victim who suffered multiple fractures and organ injuries, including a lacerated liver.
• $11,500,000 Settlement in a Bronx case for a worker who suffered severe wrist injuries, including CRPS in his hand and wrist after an on-the-job accident
• $10,875,000 Settlement for a union laborer who fell and was impaled on a steel bar in Brooklyn, New York. As a result, he suffered serious internal injuries which required multiple surgeries.
• $9,950,000 Settlement for a social worker who had to sustain an above-the-knee amputation of her left leg after she was struck by a van in Buffalo, New York
• $9,792,412 Jury Verdict in Supreme Bronx case for a medical malpractice victim who suffered a stroke while undergoing brain surgery. As a result, he sustained partial left foot paralysis and left arm paralysis.
• $9,750,000 Settlement for 37-year-old tow truck operator who was hit by a drunk driver, resulting in life-long serious injuries to his head, legs, and back
• $9,263,326 Jury Verdict for taxi cab passenger with spinal injuries, including radiculopathy and lumbar nerve damage after he was involved in a 3-car collision
• $9,000,000 settlement in a Nassau County case for a 14-year-old minor who suffered arm injuries that required multiple surgeries after a wall collapsed on him
• $8,800,000 Settlement for a pedestrian who suffered a traumatic brain injury, nerve damage, and broken ribs after she was struck by a vehicle in Ozone Park, Queens

To learn more about our recoveries in personal injury cases, please visit our Verdicts and Settlements page.

Put Our Proven Team on Your Side

If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury, we can determine whether you are eligible to recover financial compensation for medical bills and other damages. Simply fill out our FREE case review form and we will evaluate your claim, at no cost to you.

Serving Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, New Rochelle, Yonkers, Syracuse, Long Island, and all New York State.

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*Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.