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216-658-5500Call Us Today
Devastating injuries can lead to surgeries, rehabilitation, lost income, and major life disruptions. A Cleveland catastrophic injury lawyer advocates on behalf of accident victims harmed in serious accidents with injuries that could have physical, emotional, and financial ramifications for years to come.
Traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, amputations, severe burns, and other injuries that can cause permanent physical and mental conditions are typically more complex than traditional injury claims. This is due in part to the likelihood of future medical costs and long-term care. Rumizen Weisman Attorneys takes on catastrophic injury cases caused by car accidents, dangerous property conditions, workplace accidents, and other acts of negligence.
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Rumizen Weisman Attorneys has represented injured people and their families in Cleveland and throughout Ohio in serious personal injury claims. The firm’s lawyers have over 100 years of combined trial experience and have worked on thousands of claims involving catastrophic injury, wrongful death, nursing home neglect, truck accidents, and other complex injury cases.
Attorney Scott A. Rumizen has over 30 years of experience representing injury victims and is known for his direct, personal approach to representing clients rather than delegating to intake staff or case managers.
Catastrophic injuries may require medical treatment well beyond the original hospital stay. An individual may require several surgeries, physical therapy, rehabilitation, mobility devices, in-home nursing help, or long-term pain management. Treatment from the Cleveland Clinic or similar facilities could mean substantial future expenses for those with spinal cord injuries, severe burns, and traumatic brain injuries.
Future damages in a catastrophic injury claim could include expected medical expenses, diminished earning capacity, and necessary home modifications. Ohio law permits injured individuals to seek compensation for economic and non-economic losses they suffered due to another party’s negligence under Ohio Revised Code § 2307.011.
Brain injuries can impact a person’s memory, ability to concentrate, speech, emotional control, and capacity to work unsupervised. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there were 214,110 TBI-related hospitalizations and 68,663 TBI-related deaths in 2023 in the United States.
Symptoms of moderate and severe brain injuries may not fully appear until days or weeks after an accident, particularly when swelling or internal bleeding develops over time.
Medical records in these cases may include neurological testing, scans and imaging, rehabilitation, and testimony about permanent cognitive restrictions. Catastrophic brain injury claims often involve truck accidents, falls, motorcycle collisions, workplace accidents, and violent blows to the head.
Spinal cord injuries can lead to partial paralysis, complete paralysis, chronic nerve pain, or permanent loss of mobility. In the United States, there are about 18,000 new cases of traumatic spinal cord injuries each year, according to a study published by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. Severe spinal trauma can require emergency surgery, rehabilitation, assistive devices, and ongoing medical care.
Patients often experience bladder control issues, respiratory complications, circulatory problems, or chronic infections after a major spinal injury. These cases can include significant future damages because the injury can permanently alter the injured person’s ability to work, live independently, use transportation, and perform routine activities. Proof may include medical rehabilitation records, vocational testing, and life care plans from professionals.
Catastrophic injury claims are often more complicated than other injury cases because some damages may extend many years into the future. A permanent disability claim will usually require medical records, testimony from professionals, and estimations of future medical treatment costs and lost wages. Insurance companies may argue that the victim will not need any additional surgeries, rehabilitation, or care from others in the future.
Catastrophic injury claims also tend to have larger insurance policies and more vigorous defenses because there is more money at stake. These claims may also include damages for permanent disfigurement, chronic pain, emotional trauma, and loss of enjoyment of activities and employment.
A catastrophic injury can impact more than just current wages if the injured person does not return to the same occupation or has difficulty sustaining long-term employment. Lost earning capacity claims consider the lost earning capacity claims consider wage losses related to permanent physical and cognitive impairments.
Ohio Revised Code § 2315.18 allows an injured person to recover damages for economic loss that is related to a serious injury, including lost income and earning ability. Age, education, past earnings, work history, and physical or occupational restrictions from the injury are all factors. Economists and vocational professionals may be retained to determine how the injury could affect future job prospects and lifetime earning capacity after a permanent disability.
Many catastrophic injury victims need significant lifestyle changes after being discharged from the hospital. Wheelchair ramps, stair lifts, widened doorways, accessible bathrooms, and special transportation equipment may be required at home after a paralysis or other loss of mobility. Occupational therapy, speech therapy, or long-term in-home assistance may also be necessary for traumatic brain injury victims or those with serious orthopedic injuries.
While some injury victims can rely on family caregivers, others may need the assistance of nurses or an assisted living facility. Rehabilitation costs and related accessibility expenses may last for years after the original accident. The need for long-term care is often a major component of catastrophic injury claims involving permanent impairments or disabilities.
Permanent disfigurement and severe burn injuries often lead to extensive medical treatment, lengthy recovery, and long-term physical limitations. Serious burns may require skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, treatment for infections, rehabilitation, and ongoing pain management. In some cases, individuals may also suffer nerve damage, limited mobility, respiratory issues, or permanent scarring that affects their ability to perform daily activities and work.
Disfigurement claims may also involve injuries to the face, neck, hands, or other highly visible areas of the body. In catastrophic injury claims, damages can include future medical expenses, lost income, emotional distress, and the long-term impact of the injury on personal relationships and overall quality of life.
Common causes of catastrophic injuries in Cleveland include high-speed tractor-trailer wrecks, motorcycle accidents, and multi-vehicle collisions on Interstates 90, 71, and 480. In 2024, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported 1,076 fatal traffic crashes across Ohio.
Victims of high-velocity impacts and other severe wrecks often suffer spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, or internal organ damage. Beyond the physical evidence from the accident site, driver logbooks, ELDs, and ECM data are frequently crucial in commercial truck accident investigations.
Family members may recover compensation in certain catastrophic injury cases when the injury permanently affects the household relationship or creates financial dependency issues. Ohio law may allow claims involving loss of consortium related to the loss of companionship, support, or marital relationship caused by a severe injury.
Sometimes, spouses or relatives take on caregiving responsibilities that affect employment and daily life. Catastrophic injuries involving paralysis or traumatic brain injuries can significantly alter family dynamics and long-term financial stability.
Insurance companies may dispute the nature and extent of injuries, the necessity of future medical care, or even whether the accident caused the medical condition. They may request independent medical examinations, review previous medical records, or argue that the injured person can still work despite physical limitations.
In high-value injury cases, insurers commonly use medical professionals, surveillance footage, and social media activity to dispute damages. These disputes can significantly impact settlement negotiations and litigation strategy in Ohio catastrophic injury claims.
Personal injury cases involving catastrophic injury often involve the use of professional witnesses, as long-term medical costs and financial losses can be difficult to fully assess. These might include medical professionals to explain permanent disabilities, future treatment requirements, or loss of mobility from traumatic injuries. Vocational professionals and economists are often used to assess reduced earning ability and estimated future financial losses.
Social media activity can impact a catastrophic injury claim. Insurance companies and defense lawyers often review posts, photos, videos, and public comments during litigation. Images or statements taken out of context may be used to argue that the injured person’s limitations are less serious than claimed. Posts unrelated to the accident can also become part of discovery.
Injuries can affect nearly every aspect of a person’s life, including physical health, financial stability, long-term independence, employment, and family relationships. Cases involving permanent disabilities, traumatic injury, or prolonged medical treatment can require extensive investigation and evidence.
At Rumizen Weisman Attorneys, we represent clients in Cleveland and throughout Ohio in complex injury claims involving serious accidents and life-altering harm. Understanding the legal and financial issues that may arise after a catastrophic injury may be an important step in protecting your future medical and economic needs.
Schedule a consultation today to hire a catastrophic injury lawyer.
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