Seattle Catastrophic Injury Lawyers

What Makes an Injury “Catastrophic”?

A catastrophic injury is one that permanently alters a person’s ability to function, work, or live independently. These injuries are not temporary setbacks — they often require lifelong medical care, major lifestyle adjustments, and significant financial resources.

Common examples include:

• Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis or loss of mobility
• Traumatic brain injuries affecting cognition, speech, or behavior
• Severe orthopedic injuries, including complex fractures and amputations
• Crush injuries with lasting nerve and tissue damage
• Severe burns requiring grafting and long-term rehabilitation
• Loss of vision or hearing caused by trauma

Because the impact of a catastrophic injury extends far beyond the initial hospitalization, these cases require a law firm capable of proving long-term needs, not just immediate medical bills.

How Catastrophic Injury Claims Differ From Standard Personal Injury Cases

While most personal injury cases focus on short-term losses, catastrophic injury litigation requires a broader, future-focused analysis. Key differences include:

• Long-term medical projections, including surgeries, rehabilitation, and assistive devices
• Diminished earning capacity, not just time away from work
• Home and vehicle modifications to accommodate permanent limitations
• Lifetime care planning, often supported by medical and economic experts
• Psychological and family impact, including loss of independence and role changes

These cases are typically aggressively defended because the financial exposure is significant. Bishop Legal prepares every catastrophic injury case with litigation and trial in mind from the start to maintain leverage and protect the client’s future.

Building a Catastrophic Injury Case

Successfully proving a catastrophic injury requires a detailed understanding of both the medicine and the long-term consequences.

Our approach includes:

• Comprehensive medical record analysis to document the full extent of injury
• Consultation with specialists, including neurologists, life-care planners, and rehabilitation experts
• Vocational assessments to determine future work capacity
• Economic modeling to calculate lifetime costs of care
• Investigation into liability, including corporate, product, or governmental responsibility

These cases are built over time to ensure the claim reflects the true impact of the injury across decades, not months.

Compensation Available in Catastrophic Injury Cases

Because the consequences are permanent, damages in catastrophic injury cases often involve significant long-term losses. Compensation may include:

• Medical treatment and rehabilitation
• Future medical and attendant-care needs
• Lost income and reduced earning potential
• Adaptive equipment and home modifications
• Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium for spouses and families
• Wrongful death damages if injuries prove fatal

Washington does not cap non-economic damages, which allows juries to fully account for the human impact of permanent disability.

Who May Be Liable in a Catastrophic Injury Case?

Liability depends on how the injury occurred. Catastrophic harm often results from:

• Unsafe work environments or third-party negligence
• Motor vehicle or commercial trucking collisions
• Dangerous property conditions
• Defective products or equipment failures
• Government or public-agency negligence, including transportation and infrastructure incidents
• Medical negligence, when preventable errors cause permanent impairment

Because responsibility may involve multiple parties, early investigation is critical to preserving evidence and identifying all sources of recovery.

How Long Do You Have to File a Catastrophic Injury Lawsuit in Washington?

Most catastrophic injury claims follow Washington’s general personal injury deadline:

• Three years from the date of injury

However, important exceptions may apply:

• Claims against cities, counties, or state agencies require a formal notice and a 60-day waiting period before filing suit
• Wrongful death actions may involve different requirements
• Cases involving minors may allow additional time
• Product-related injuries may involve discovery-rule considerations

Missing a deadline can permanently prevent recovery, which is why injured individuals should consult an attorney as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions