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Your Life Will Never Be the Same

The accident lasted seconds. The impact on your life will last forever. You’re facing injuries that doctors call “catastrophic” because they fundamentally change how you’ll live, work, and relate to the people you love. The spinal cord injury means you may never walk again. The traumatic brain injury affects your memory, personality, and ability to work. The severe burns require multiple surgeries and years of rehabilitation.

You’re overwhelmed, and you have every right to be. Catastrophic injuries don’t just heal over time. They require lifetime medical care, extensive rehabilitation, and complete adaptation to a new reality. The financial impact will be enormous. The emotional toll on your family is immeasurable.

We understand because we’ve seen how these injuries transform entire families. You’re not just another case to us. You’re someone whose world changed completely because of someone else’s negligence, and Louisiana law recognizes you deserve comprehensive compensation for every aspect of this devastating change.

What Makes an Injury “Catastrophic”

Catastrophic injuries are those that cause permanent, life-altering disabilities. Unlike other injuries that heal with time and treatment, catastrophic injuries typically result in permanent impairment that affects your ability to work, live independently, and enjoy life as you did before.

Common catastrophic injuries include:

  • Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis or permanent mobility loss
  • Traumatic brain injuries affecting memory, cognition, and personality
  • Severe burns requiring multiple surgeries and long-term treatment
  • Amputations of arms, legs, hands, or feet
  • Multiple fractures causing permanent disability
  • Severe internal injuries affecting organ function
  • Vision or hearing loss
  • Permanent disfigurement or scarring

These injuries require immediate, aggressive medical intervention followed by months or years of rehabilitation. Many catastrophic injury victims never return to their previous level of function, requiring lifetime care and adaptation.

Our Louisiana Catastrophic Injury Results

When negligence causes catastrophic injuries, Louisiana law requires complete compensation for every aspect of your losses. We’ve proven this principle with significant recoveries:

  • $409 million wrongful death from a commercial vehicle accident
  • $49 million for serious bodily injury from an impaired driver accident
  • $31.5 million for severe spinal and brain injury from oil field safety violations
  • $17.25 million when a trailer disconnected on an interstate, causing devastating injuries
  • $13 million after an 18-wheeler collision caused life-changing injuries
  • $12.1 million when a commercial vehicle ran a red light, causing serious injury
  • $7 million for severe neck and back injuries from an 18-wheeler collision
  • $7 million for devastating injuries from a rear-end car accident
  • $6.9 million for severe electrocution injuries
  • $6 million for wrongful death from a hydraulic line explosion
  • $4 million for severe neck and back injuries from safety violations

These results reflect the true cost of catastrophic injuries: lifetime medical care, lost earning capacity, home modifications, assistive equipment, and the immeasurable impact on quality of life.

Why Catastrophic Injury Cases Are Worth More

Louisiana Civil Code Article 2315 allows recovery for both economic and non-economic damages, but catastrophic injuries create losses that extend far beyond typical accident cases.

Economic damages in catastrophic injury cases include:

  • Immediate emergency medical treatment and hospitalization
  • Multiple surgeries and specialized medical procedures
  • Long-term rehabilitation including physical, occupational, and speech therapy
  • Lifetime medical care and ongoing treatment needs
  • Prescription medications and medical equipment
  • Home modifications to accommodate disabilities
  • Vehicle modifications for wheelchair accessibility
  • Assistive technology and adaptive equipment
  • Lost wages from inability to return to work
  • Reduced earning capacity when you can work but at diminished capacity
  • Attendant care when you need help with daily activities

Non-economic damages address the profound life changes:

  • Physical pain and suffering, often permanent and severe
  • Mental anguish and emotional distress
  • Loss of enjoyment of life when you can’t participate in previous activities
  • Disability and disfigurement affecting self-image and relationships
  • Loss of companionship affecting your relationship with your spouse
  • Impact on family relationships when roles and responsibilities change

Future medical expenses represent a major component of catastrophic injury cases. We work with life care planners and medical economists who calculate the cost of your care over your entire life expectancy. This includes not just medical treatment, but also the equipment, modifications, and assistance you’ll need.

The Immediate Challenges You’re Facing

Medical Decisions: You’re making complex medical decisions about surgeries, treatments, and rehabilitation while processing the trauma of your injury. Doctors are discussing prognosis, recovery timelines, and long-term care needs using medical terms you’ve never heard before.

Financial Pressure: Medical bills are accumulating rapidly while your ability to earn income may be permanently affected. Insurance coverage limits become apparent quickly when facing catastrophic injury treatment costs.

Family Impact: Your injury affects everyone in your family. Spouses become caregivers. Children take on responsibilities they shouldn’t have to handle. Extended family members step in to help with daily needs you used to manage independently.

Insurance Company Contact: Adjusters are calling repeatedly, asking for recorded statements and medical releases. They may offer settlements that seem substantial but don’t account for your lifetime needs.

Uncertainty: You don’t know how much you’ll recover, what your life will look like long-term, or how you’ll afford the care you need. This uncertainty compounds the trauma of your injury.

We handle the legal complexities while you focus on medical treatment and adaptation to your injuries.

Life Care Planning and Future Needs

Catastrophic injuries require comprehensive life care planning to determine your future medical and care needs. We work with certified life care planners who evaluate your specific injuries and create detailed plans covering:

Medical Care Needs:

  • Ongoing physician visits with specialists
  • Diagnostic testing and monitoring
  • Prescription medications and their cost increases over time
  • Medical equipment replacement and updates
  • Future surgeries and procedures that may become necessary

Rehabilitation Services:

  • Physical therapy to maintain function and prevent complications
  • Occupational therapy to learn adaptive techniques
  • Speech therapy for brain injury recovery
  • Psychological counseling to address emotional trauma
  • Vocational rehabilitation if you can return to modified work

Daily Living Support:

  • Personal care attendants for activities of daily living
  • Homemaking services for household tasks
  • Transportation assistance for medical appointments and activities
  • Respite care to give family caregivers breaks

Equipment and Modifications:

  • Wheelchairs, both manual and power, with regular replacements
  • Home modifications including ramps, accessible bathrooms, and doorway widening
  • Vehicle modifications for safe transportation
  • Assistive technology to maintain independence
  • Regular equipment maintenance and updates

Why Insurance Companies Fight Catastrophic Injury Claims

Insurance companies understand that catastrophic injury claims can exceed millions of dollars. They deploy teams of adjusters, medical professionals, and lawyers to minimize payouts on these high-value claims.

Common tactics include:

  • Questioning the severity of your injuries or claiming they’re not accident-related
  • Arguing that you had pre-existing conditions that contributed to your current state
  • Disputing future care recommendations and life care plans
  • Claiming you can return to work when medical evidence suggests otherwise
  • Offering immediate settlements that don’t account for lifetime needs
  • Delaying claim processing to create financial pressure

We counter these tactics with comprehensive medical documentation, expert testimony, and aggressive advocacy for your full compensation rights.

Proving Your Catastrophic Injury Case

Catastrophic injury cases require extensive evidence to prove both liability and the full extent of your damages:

Medical Evidence:

  • Emergency room records documenting initial injury severity
  • Diagnostic imaging showing the extent of injuries
  • Treatment records from all healthcare providers
  • Rehabilitation assessments and progress reports
  • Expert medical testimony about your prognosis and future needs

Life Care Plans:

  • Comprehensive evaluation of your lifetime medical and care needs
  • Cost projections for future medical treatment and equipment
  • Analysis of your life expectancy and how your injuries affect it
  • Recommendations for optimal care and quality of life

Economic Analysis:

  • Calculation of lost earning capacity over your working life
  • Analysis of benefits you’ll lose due to inability to work
  • Projection of medical cost inflation over your lifetime
  • Assessment of your family’s financial needs

Vocational Assessment:

  • Evaluation of your ability to return to any form of work
  • Analysis of retraining possibilities and their limitations
  • Assessment of how your injuries affect your career prospects

Louisiana Law and Catastrophic Injuries

Louisiana’s comparative fault system allows you to recover compensation even if you bear some responsibility for the accident, as long as your fault is less than the other party’s. Your compensation adjusts proportionally based on fault percentages.

Critical deadline: Louisiana requires personal injury lawsuits to be filed within one year of the accident date. This statute of limitations is firm with very few exceptions. Catastrophic injury cases require extensive preparation and investigation, making early legal representation essential.

Collateral source rule: Louisiana law prevents defendants from reducing your compensation based on benefits you receive from health insurance, disability payments, or other sources. You’re entitled to full compensation regardless of other benefits you may receive.

Survival and wrongful death actions: If catastrophic injuries result in death, Louisiana law allows both survival actions for the pain and suffering before death and wrongful death claims for the losses to surviving family members.

How We Handle Catastrophic Injury Cases

Immediate Medical Coordination: We work directly with your medical team to ensure proper documentation of your injuries and treatment needs. We arrange consultations with specialists who understand the long-term implications of your specific injuries.

Life Care Planning: We engage certified life care planners and medical economists who create comprehensive plans for your lifetime care needs and their costs.

Expert Medical Testimony: We work with leading medical experts who can explain your injuries, prognosis, and future needs to judges and juries.

Economic Analysis: We collaborate with economists who calculate your total financial losses, including lost earning capacity, benefits, and lifetime medical expenses.

Family Support: We understand your injury affects your entire family. We work with your family members to document how your injuries have changed everyone’s lives.

The Value of Your Case

Catastrophic injury cases often result in multi-million dollar recoveries because they account for:

Lifetime medical expenses: The cost of medical care over your entire life expectancy, accounting for medical inflation and changing needs as you age.

Lost earning capacity: The difference between what you would have earned over your working life and what you can earn now, considering promotions, raises, and benefits.

Pain and suffering: Compensation for the physical pain and emotional distress caused by your injuries, considering their permanent nature.

Loss of life enjoyment: The activities, hobbies, and experiences you can no longer enjoy due to your disabilities.

Family impact: How your injuries affect your relationships with your spouse and children, including loss of companionship and the burden placed on family caregivers.

What to Expect

Free Consultation: We review your case, explain your legal rights, and outline how we’ll prove the full value of your claim. This consultation costs nothing and creates no obligation.

No Fees Unless We Win: We advance all case expenses including medical experts, life care planners, and economic analysts. We charge no attorney fees unless we recover compensation. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing for legal services.

Comprehensive Case Development: We handle all aspects of your case while you focus on medical treatment and rehabilitation. We coordinate with your medical team, gather evidence, and prepare for either settlement negotiations or trial.

Family-Centered Approach: We work with your entire family to document how your injuries have affected everyone’s lives and ensure your settlement provides for your family’s needs.

Time Is Critical

Evidence in catastrophic injury cases must be preserved immediately. Medical records, diagnostic images, and expert evaluations become crucial to proving both the cause and extent of your injuries.

Louisiana’s one-year statute of limitations means you have limited time to file suit. Catastrophic injury cases require months of medical evaluation and expert analysis before filing, making immediate legal representation essential.

Your future depends on the actions you take now. Insurance companies are working to minimize your claim while you’re focused on medical treatment. You need legal advocates working just as hard to protect your rights.

Your Next Step

Your catastrophic injury has changed everything about your life and your family’s future. The financial impact will be enormous, but Louisiana law requires negligent parties to compensate you fully for every aspect of these devastating changes.

We’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for people facing circumstances similar to yours. We understand the complex medical, legal, and financial issues involved in catastrophic injury cases. We know how to prove the full value of your claim and ensure you receive the compensation needed for lifetime care.

Call (318) 221-1508 now for your free consultation. We’re available 24/7 because catastrophic injuries don’t wait for business hours.

Don’t let insurance companies take advantage of your situation. We’re ready to start protecting your rights and securing your family’s future immediately.

Your consultation is completely free. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation. Call now – we’re here to help you through this life-changing time.

Lawyers trey and justin

“We look at your case as a whole. Not just what’s happened since the wreck or since the time that your life has changed. But also, what it’s going to look like in the future.” 

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  • Trial Tested

    95% of injury cases will settle out of court and for the few that go to trial it is to achieve a just result for the client. Insurance defense firms, know we can and will go to trial, and they know we have been successful before juries or benches. Our reputation will help keep them honest and negotiate fairly.
  • Compelling Results

    There are plenty of good lawyers in Louisiana that can handle small cases but when your injuries are serious and your future is uncertain then hiring the right firm is paramount. We have a history of delivering results for others in similar circumstances. Compare our results, not just the highest valued ones, but the volume of significant results.
  • Negotiate From Strength

    Our practice is exclusively injury law. This means we have probably represented a case like yours. Companies know we will go to trial, they know we will be prepared, they know we will fight hard, and they know the results we achieved for others. Companies are more likely to get to a fair offer sooner.
  • Trusted by other Attorneys

    A significant number of other attorneys refer their cases to Morris & Dewett. They trust us to maximize value for their clients and achieve the justice they seek. It is not uncommon, for defense attorneys on the other side to send their loved ones to us, because they have seen the quality of our work firsthand.
  • connected to Medical Expertise

    We have relationships with the best doctors in the state to help your recovery and act as expert witnesses on your behalf. Real doctors with expertise ready to give you the best care. We only take Real Cases with Real Injuries which is why we work with the best professionals.
  • Powerful Reviews

    It is not enough for us to deliver results. Our significant number of Five-Star reviews demonstrate that we focus on treating our clients well through the process. We have a people first, high touch, and transparent process.

"I quickly, learned two rules in this business.

First, defendants in an injury suit put up obstacles and barriers. They want the case to take as long as possible, because it wears the plaintiff down. I have learned that if you run at those barriers hard enough, and fast enough, many of them will disappear.

Second, "The fastest way to settle a case is to prepare for trial. Insurance companies know which firms will go to court, which will not, and who can win. It is important to choose a firm that is committed to the results you want.”

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Our team of intake specialists is ready to listen to you and gather all the information for a free, confidential case evaluation. We will hear you out, take what you say seriously, and then round up with our legal team.

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feedback from our Injury attorneys

Our lawyers will provide you with no-obligation feedback on your case, usually on the same day, but no later than 24 hours. We will give you the appropriate course of action for your situation.

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Morris & Dewett works your case

If your case is a good fit for our firm and you graciously allow us to represent you, our team will begin working immediately. We will investigate, send the appropriate letters to stop insurance companies from harassing you, and start your medical recovery.

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Our Client Process is transparent

Our internal process is transparent with high levels of communication from the opening of your case to the final handshake. Our firm will promptly return your phone calls and keep you informed. You will know the exact status of your case. Our case managers and attorneys are committed to making a difficult situation as stress-free as possible.

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