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A catastrophic injury carries damages that extend decades past the date of the accident, usually leading to future surgeries, lifetime care costs, and even permanent loss of income. Freeman Law Firm, Inc. represents catastrophic injury victims in Tacoma and Pierce County, and our work starts with building an accurate, expert-supported picture of what your injury will cost you over your lifetime. We fight for justice on your behalf and the maximum compensation available.
If you were seriously injured in an accident, call the catastrophic injury lawyers in our Tacoma office at (253) 383-4500 for a free consultation. If we take your case you won’t pay anything unless we win.
"Catastrophic injury" is a term used by medical professionals and personal injury attorneys to describe injuries that permanently alter your physical capacity, your ability to earn a living, or your independence. The injuries that consistently fall into this category share one characteristic — the damage doesn't resolve, and the costs don't stop accumulating.
Injuries that attorneys and physicians typically classify as catastrophic:
Injury severity determines how future damages get calculated. Lifetime medical costs, lost earning capacity, and long-term care expenses all require expert input to project accurately and our attorneys will retain the experts needed for your case.
Before any damages can be recovered, liability has to be established, and in catastrophic injury cases, that can be difficult. Depending on how you were injured, liability may rest with a driver, a property owner, an employer, a product manufacturer, a government agency, or a combination of parties.
Every case requires establishing the same fundamental elements of negligence: that the at-fault party owed you a duty of care, that they breached it, that the breach caused your injury, and that your injury produced measurable damages.
Washington follows a pure comparative fault rule under RCW 4.22.005, which means your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. If a defense attorney or insurance company can attribute even a portion of the accident to your actions, your damages go down accordingly. Our lawyers are expert in anticipating and countering those arguments using a thorough investigation of how the accident occurred and who had a duty to prevent it.
Catastrophic injury cases carry damages that extend far beyond current medical bills, and building an accurate picture of what you're owed is one of the most consequential parts of the case.
Damages you may be entitled to recover:
Future damages require testimony from medical experts, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and life care planners who can project the full cost of your injury over your expected lifetime. Insurance companies routinely challenge any projections, which is why the expert selection and preparation process carries so much weight in catastrophic cases. Freeman Law Firm has longstanding relationships with experts in these fields who have worked on catastrophic injury cases in Pierce County and throughout Washington state.
Catastrophic injury cases in Washington are subject to a three-year statute of limitations under RCW 4.16.080, which begins on the date of the injury, with limited exceptions. Cases against government entities carry a much shorter window, typically 60 days to file a claim, before the three-year period begins.
When the potential payout reaches six or seven figures, insurance companies respond differently than they do in routine cases. You'll see tactics that aren't used in minor injury claims.
Defense investigators assigned to catastrophic cases will document your activities, and anything that appears inconsistent with your claimed limitations can be used against you. Photos and videos posted to social media have been used by defense attorneys to challenge injury severity, so it’s important to be mindful of what you're posting and who can see it.
Insurance companies have the right to request an independent medical examination (IME) under certain circumstances, conducted by a physician of their choosing. Physicians who perform IMEs for the defense are paid by the defense and are experienced at producing reports that minimize injury severity. Your attorney needs to prepare you for what to expect and review the resulting report for inaccuracies.
Adjusters may reach out shortly after a serious injury with a settlement offer that sounds significant but accounts for none of your future costs. Accepting a settlement closes your case permanently, and lifetime medical expenses can't be accurately projected in the weeks following a catastrophic injury. Offers tend to come in before those costs are calculable precisely because the insurance company wants to resolve the case before you know what it's actually worth.
Certain decisions made in the weeks and months following a catastrophic injury can reduce what you're able to recover, and most of them happen before an attorney gets involved.
Preserving surveillance footage, securing incident reports, documenting the scene, obtaining witness statements, and issuing spoliation letters to prevent evidence destruction are all time-sensitive tasks. Freeman Law Firm begins investigating as soon as we take a case, because the strength of the investigation determines the negotiating position your attorney holds with the insurance company.
Insurance companies assign experienced adjusters and defense attorneys to catastrophic injury cases, and those professionals evaluate whether the attorney on the other side is genuinely prepared to take the case to trial. Freeman Law Firm builds every catastrophic injury case with trial in mind from the start — the liability investigation, the expert work, and the damages documentation are all developed to hold up under cross-examination, not just to support a settlement demand.
A catastrophic injury case can take months or years to resolve, and the decisions made along the way affect your outcome. Freeman Law Firm keeps clients informed at every stage so that when settlement offers come in or strategic decisions need to be made, you have the information you need to make them.
Tacoma's geography and industry create specific circumstances that have a high potential for generating catastrophic injury cases.
SR-16, I-5, and the approaches to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge see serious commercial truck accidents with regularity. Port of Tacoma operations produce maritime and longshore injuries that fall under federal admiralty law alongside Washington state tort law. Manufacturing and industrial sites in the Tideflats create workplace injury exposure across a workforce doing physically demanding jobs. Downtown construction sites near the waterfront have generated premises liability cases tied to inadequate fall protection and site management.
Freeman Law Firm's catastrophic injury team builds your case around the specific circumstances that led to your injury, including the industry-specific regulations and standards that may apply.
A catastrophic injury completely changes your life’s direction and what you'll need financially now and in the future. Getting the right representation from the beginning is one of the few decisions in this process you have direct control over.
Our Washington catastrophic injury attorneys offer free consultations for catastrophic injury victims in Tacoma and Pierce County. There are no upfront fees — we represent catastrophic injury clients on a contingency basis, which means we don't get paid unless you do. Call our Tacoma office at (253) 383-4500 for a free consultation. If we take your case, we will fight for what you deserve and need to move forward.