Catastrophic Injury Attorney Los Angeles

When an Injury Changes the Rest of a Life

Someone you love went to work, crossed a street, or drove home, and came back a different person. Or it happened to you, and you are reading this between appointments. A brain injury or a spinal cord injury does not end when the hospital stay ends.

If you need a Los Angeles catastrophic injury attorney after a brain or spinal cord injury, Ravan Law represents people across Los Angeles County whose injuries are permanent or life-altering. In these cases the question is no longer what the bills are today. It is what a lifetime of care, lost work, and lost independence will cost, and who can be made to pay for it.

The answer depends on work done early: preserving evidence, finding every insurance policy, and checking whether a public agency is involved, which brings a six-month deadline.

Call (424) 465-2500 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win. Information is available in Spanish.

A Los Angeles Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Who Works With Your Family

We are often talking with a spouse, a parent, or an adult child, because the injured person is still in the hospital. A family member can make the first call.

You work with us directly from our office on San Vicente Boulevard in Los Angeles. We keep you updated at every stage, and we take the insurance calls so you can stay at the bedside.

Ted H. Ravan, a Los Angeles catastrophic injury attorney, studied political science at UC San Diego and earned his law degree at the University of San Diego School of Law, where he gave more than 100 volunteer hours to the campus free legal clinic. Read more about attorney Ted H. Ravan.

What Counts as a Catastrophic Injury in California?

“Catastrophic injury” is a working term, not a legal category with its own statute. It describes an injury with permanent or long-lasting consequences: one that leaves a person unable to work as before, in need of ongoing care, or dependent on others for daily life.

The claim rests on the same law as any other injury case. Civil Code 1714 makes each person responsible for injuries caused by a failure to use ordinary care. What changes is the scale of the damages and the proof they need. Common catastrophic injuries include:

Traumatic brain injury, from concussion with lasting symptoms to severe injury.
Spinal cord injury, including paraplegia and tetraplegia.
Amputation of a limb, hand, or foot.
Severe burns that need grafting and leave permanent scarring.
Multiple or complex fractures of the pelvis, femur, or spine.
Internal organ damage and other injuries causing permanent disability or disfigurement.

For other claims, see our personal injury practice.

Los Angeles Brain Injury Lawyer: How Traumatic Brain Injury Claims Work

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury that affects how the brain works. The CDC describes it as caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, by a hit to the body that makes the head and brain move quickly back and forth, or by a penetrating injury.

Mild, Moderate, and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Doctors commonly sort TBI into three levels. One tool used in the emergency room is the Glasgow Coma Scale, which scores a person’s ability to open the eyes, speak, and move. According to the National Institutes of Health, a score of 13 to 15 is generally classed as mild, 9 to 12 as moderate, and 8 or lower as severe.

A concussion is a mild TBI, and the person may be sent home the same day. The CDC notes that a moderate or severe TBI may lead to long-term or lifelong health problems that affect all aspects of a person’s life.

Your medical team is the right source for what these labels mean in your case. Our job is to prove what the injury has cost and will cost.

Why “Mild” Traumatic Brain Injury Is a Misleading Label

“Mild” describes how the injury looked in the first hours, not what the following months are like. People with a mild TBI can have headaches, dizziness, trouble concentrating, memory problems, irritability, and disturbed sleep, and for some those problems last. A person who cannot hold a train of thought for a full workday may lose a skilled career to an injury the chart calls mild. Insurers lean hard on that word. We answer it with records and testing.

Delayed Symptoms After a Head Injury

The CDC states that some concussion symptoms appear right away, while others may not appear for hours or days. Families often notice the change first.

An adjuster will try to use any gap between the accident and the first complaint. If something seems wrong, go back to a doctor and say plainly that the symptoms began after the accident, so the chart connects them. Worsening headache, repeated vomiting, seizures, slurred speech, or growing confusion are on the CDC’s list of danger signs that need emergency care.

How a Traumatic Brain Injury Is Proven

A first CT scan is often normal in a mild TBI. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes that MRI is more sensitive and can pick up subtler changes a CT may miss, and that neuropsychological tests are often used along with imaging after a mild TBI. We build the case from several directions:

Medical records from the first day, including any Glasgow Coma Scale score.
Imaging and neuropsychological testing that measures memory, attention, and behavior.
Treating neurologists and rehabilitation physicians who can explain the injury in terms a jury understands.
Before-and-after witnesses. A spouse, a supervisor, or an old friend can describe who this person was and who they are now.
Work and school records, vehicle damage, event data, and video.

Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Los Angeles: Complete and Incomplete Injuries

A spinal cord injury interrupts the signals between the brain and the body below the point of injury. How complete the injury is and where on the cord it sits shape the care a person will need, and so they shape the claim.

Complete and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes the difference this way. In an incomplete injury, the spinal cord can still send some messages to or from the brain, so the person keeps some feeling, function, or muscle control below the injury. In a complete injury, there is no nerve communication below the injury site.

Levels of Spinal Cord Injury

Injuries higher on the spinal cord affect more of the body than injuries lower down.

Region of the spinal cord	What its nerves serve (general)
Cervical (neck, C1 to C7)	The neck and shoulders, the arms and hands, and the diaphragm
Thoracic (upper and mid back, T1 to T12)	The chest muscles, some back muscles, and many organ systems
Lumbar (lower back, L1 to L5)	The lower abdomen and back, the buttocks, and parts of the legs
Sacral (S1 to S5)	The thighs, lower legs, and feet

An injury to the upper spinal cord can cause tetraplegia (also called quadriplegia), paralysis affecting most of the body and all four limbs. An injury lower down can cause paraplegia, which affects the lower body and legs.

What Spinal Cord Injury Care Involves

The cost of a spinal cord injury is everything that comes after the first surgery, for life. Depending on the level of injury, care can include help with breathing, bladder and bowel management, prevention and treatment of pressure sores, and treatment of spasticity and nerve pain. Rehabilitation combines physical therapy, occupational therapy, and vocational rehabilitation.

Around the medical care sits the practical side: wheelchairs and their replacements, an accessible home, an adapted vehicle, and daily attendant care. We document all of it.

Amputation, Severe Burns, and Multiple Fractures

Amputation. Many people use a prosthesis after losing a limb. Learning to use one takes time and therapy. Some people have phantom pain, felt in the limb that is gone.

Severe burns. Burns are graded by depth. A first-degree burn damages only the outer layer of skin, a second-degree burn reaches the layer underneath, and a third-degree burn damages or destroys the deepest layer of skin and the tissue beneath it. Serious burns carry a risk of infection, and treatment can involve replacing skin. Scarring and disfigurement are compensable as non-economic damages.

Multiple and complex fractures. A pelvis, femur, or spine broken in several places often needs more than one surgery and long rehabilitation, and it can leave lasting pain and limited movement. For someone who works with their body, that can end a trade.

How a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in Los Angeles Values a Lifetime Claim

In a catastrophic case, most of the damages are still in the future. California law allows recovery of future damages (Civil Code 3283), but they must be shown to be reasonably certain to occur.

The Life-Care Plan and Future Medical Care

A life-care plan, prepared by a qualified planner from the treating physicians’ recommendations, prices every item of care the injured person is expected to need over a lifetime: doctor visits, surgeries, medication, therapy, equipment, and home care.

California juries are instructed that future medical expenses are the reasonable cost of reasonably necessary care the person is reasonably certain to need (CACI 3903A). For past care, California generally limits damages to the amount actually paid rather than billed (Howell v. Hamilton Meats, 2011).

Lost Earning Capacity

Lost wages measure the paychecks already missed. Lost earning capacity measures what the person could have earned over a working life compared with what they can earn now. Under CACI 3903D, a work history is not required, which matters for a student, a child, or a parent at home.

Home Modification and Attendant Care

A ramp, widened doorways, an accessible bathroom, an adapted van. Then the hours of help, around the clock for some people. Care a spouse or parent has been giving for free still has a value we present in the claim, as does the injured person’s lost ability to run a household (CACI 3903E).

Catastrophic Injury Damages at a Glance

Damage category	What it covers	How it is proven
Past medical care	Emergency care, surgery, hospital stays, and rehabilitation to date	Records and the amounts actually paid or owed
Future medical care	Surgeries, therapy, medication, and equipment for life	Treating physicians and a life-care plan
Attendant and in-home care	Daily help with personal care, nursing, and supervision	Life-care plan and care records
Home and vehicle modification	Ramps, bathrooms, lifts, adapted vehicles	Estimates within the life-care plan
Lost wages and earning capacity	Income lost to date and over the rest of a career	Pay records, vocational and economic analysis
Loss of household services	Work at home the person can no longer do	Family testimony and economic analysis
Pain, suffering, and emotional distress	Physical pain, anxiety, depression, disfigurement, and loss of independence	Testimony from the injured person, family, and treating providers
Loss of consortium	A spouse’s loss of companionship, care, and intimacy	The spouse’s own claim and testimony

Future economic damages can be reduced to present cash value, the sum that would provide those payments over time if invested today (CACI 3904A). California does not cap non-economic damages in ordinary negligence cases such as vehicle crashes and falls. Read more about economic and non-economic damages and how emotional injuries affect compensation.

Why Early Settlement Offers Fall Short

A quick offer can look like relief when the bills are arriving and no one is working. In the first weeks, nobody knows whether another surgery is coming, how much function will return, or whether the injured person will work again. An offer made then prices the bills on the table and little else.

Once you sign a release, the claim is closed for good. If the injury turns out worse than expected, there is no second claim. We wait until the treating doctors can project future care with confidence, and then we value the whole case. See how long a personal injury case takes in California and steps that protect compensation after a severe accident.

Insurance Limits and Finding Every Source of Coverage

A catastrophic injury case can be worth far more than the insurance available to pay it. As your Los Angeles catastrophic injury attorney, we start on that gap in the first week.

California’s minimum auto liability limits, raised by SB 1107 effective January 1, 2025, are $30,000 for injury to one person, $60,000 for all injuries in one accident, and $15,000 for property damage. That is far below the cost of one spinal surgery. So we look past the driver’s policy to every other source:

- The at-fault driver’s employer. An employer is generally responsible for an employee’s negligent driving on the job.
- Commercial trucking coverage. For-hire interstate carriers must carry federal minimum liability coverage under 49 CFR Part 387, generally $750,000 for general freight, and many carry $1 million or more.
- Rideshare coverage. When an Uber or Lyft driver with a ride accepted or a passenger on board is at fault, $1,000,000 in third-party liability coverage applies.

Umbrella and excess policies.

Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under Insurance Code 11580.2. UIM coverage generally pays the difference between your own UIM limit and what the at-fault insurer paid, so it helps only when your limit is higher than theirs.
A public entity, when a government vehicle or a dangerous road, sidewalk, or building played a part.
Every other responsible party. Under Proposition 51 (Civil Code 1431.2), each defendant pays non-economic damages only in proportion to its own share of fault.

What Causes Catastrophic Injuries in Los Angeles, and Who Is Responsible

How the injury happened decides who is responsible and which insurance applies. When an injury proves fatal, see our Los Angeles wrongful death page.

Car, motorcycle, and pedestrian collisions. High-speed crashes on the 405, the 10, the 101, and the I-5 can cause brain and spinal cord injuries. Under pure comparative fault, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, not eliminated. See our Los Angeles car accident lawyer page and our pages on motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and bicycle accidents.
Truck accidents. A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 80,000 pounds. See our truck accident page.
Rideshare crashes. Coverage depends on what the driver was doing at that moment. See our Uber and Lyft accident page.
Falls. A fall down an unlit stairwell or onto concrete can cause a brain injury or a spinal fracture. Liability turns on whether the owner knew of the hazard or should have found it. See our slip and fall page.

Public Entities and the Six-Month Claim

Many serious injuries in Los Angeles involve a public entity: a city truck, a county vehicle, an LA Metro bus, a dark traffic signal, a dangerous stretch of state highway, a broken public sidewalk. A public entity is liable for the negligent driving of its employees on the job (Vehicle Code 17001) and for a dangerous condition of its property (Government Code 835). Read more about Los Angeles bus accident claims.

Before any lawsuit, a written claim must be presented to that entity within six months of the injury under Government Code 911.2. That is a short time for a family living in a hospital waiting room. Claims against the State, including those arising from Caltrans highways, go to the state’s Government Claims Program for claims over $12,500. Claims of $12,500 or less go to the Caltrans district claims office.

These claims have strict rules and a six-month deadline, and we take them on. They are a core part of our work. See our Los Angeles government claims page and our guides to filing a claim against the City of Los Angeles, filing a claim against LA Metro, and claims against Caltrans and the State of California.

Deadlines in a California Catastrophic Injury Claim

Several deadlines can apply to the same injury. They are separate, and the shortest one controls.

Claim	Deadline	Authority
Personal injury lawsuit	Generally 2 years from the date of injury	Code of Civil Procedure 335.1
Claim against a public entity (injury or death)	6 months from the date of injury, before any lawsuit	Government Code 911.2
Lawsuit after a written government claim rejection	6 months from the date the rejection notice is mailed or delivered	Government Code 945.6
Application to present a late government claim	Within 1 year of the injury (relief not automatic)	Government Code 911.4, 911.6
Hit-and-run uninsured motorist claim	Police report within 24 hours; sworn statement within 30 days	Insurance Code 11580.2
Injured minor	Generally tolled until age 18; does not pause the six-month government claim	Code of Civil Procedure 352

For an injured child, late-claim relief against a public entity may be available under Government Code 911.4 and 911.6, but the application still has to be made within one year of the injury. See the full guide to California personal injury time limits.

What Families Should Do in the First Weeks

Follow the medical team. Keep every appointment and referral.
Keep a simple daily log of symptoms, changes in mood or memory, and the hours family members spend providing care.
Choose one person to handle insurance calls. Do not give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer, and do not sign a release or a blanket medical authorization before a lawyer has reviewed it.
Preserve the evidence. Keep the vehicle from being repaired or salvaged if you can, because its event data may matter. Photograph the scene and the injuries.
Write down the date of the injury. If a public entity may be involved, the claim is due six months from that date. If the other driver fled, the police report is due within 24 hours, and a family member can make it on the injured person’s behalf.

Our article on why time matters so much right after an injury explains what is lost when these steps wait.

How We Handle a Catastrophic Injury Case

Free consultation. We meet with the injured person or the family by phone, by video, or in person, and we tell you the date your earliest deadline runs out.
Preservation. We send letters to keep video, vehicle data, trucking records, and inspection logs from being erased.
Coverage and deadlines. We identify every policy and responsible party, and we present any government claim inside the six-month window.
Medical documentation and valuation. We gather records as treatment continues and bring in the life-care planner and the vocational and economic experts the injury calls for.
Demand and negotiation. We present the insurers with the liability evidence and the full lifetime cost.
Lawsuit and trial preparation. If an offer does not reflect the harm, we file in Los Angeles County Superior Court and prepare your case for trial.

When the case resolves, we negotiate the medical liens (from health insurers, Medi-Cal, Medicare, or hospitals), and they are paid from the settlement or verdict before the net amount goes to you. We represent clients throughout Los Angeles County.

Firm Settlements and Verdicts

Recovery	Case type
$6,000,000	Premises liability
$3,500,000	Motor vehicle accident with a county vehicle
$1,700,000	Premises liability
$500,000	Motor vehicle accident
$275,000	Bus accident

These are firm results from across our practice, listed by case type. They are not presented as brain injury or spinal cord injury results, and each depended on the injury, the evidence, the insurance available, and the facts of that claim. In his first year of practice, attorney Ted H. Ravan obtained more than $1 million for his clients. Clients rate our firm 4.9 on Google across 65 reviews.

Every result depended on the facts of that case, and results will differ based on different facts. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of your matter.

Talk to a Los Angeles Catastrophic Injury Attorney

Video is overwritten, vehicles are salvaged, and if a public entity is involved, the six-month claim under Government Code 911.2 started on the day of the injury. We can handle the legal side while you care for the person who was hurt.

Call Ravan Law at (424) 465-2500 for a free consultation with a Los Angeles catastrophic injury attorney. We keep you updated at every stage. No fee unless we win.

6310 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 401, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Attorney Advertising. Ted H. Ravan, Esq., Ravan Law, Los Angeles, CA. This content is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its specific facts.

Every result depended on the facts of that case, and results will differ based on different facts. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of your matter.

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What Our Clients Are Saying

    
 
 
         
   Terri Smith 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great communication from start to finish. I’d recommend at least giving him a call, explaining your situation, and asking a few questions or setting up a consultation. Ted Ravan is a great attorney and has already helped me with two cases, both very successfully.
  
 
        
   Arianna Vincent 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Ted Ravan is a very knowledgeable and experienced attorney. I’m really glad I found him because I needed help obtaining compensation after being hit in a traffic accident, and the case was complicated due to certain issues. In the end, everything was resolved successfully.
  
 
        
   Dennis Langford 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The best law firm. They helped me with a case that seemed very difficult to get any accident compensation from, but they managed to secure a very favorable outcome. Thank you!
  
 
        
   Florence Addis 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Ravan Law went above and beyond for me. They were always available, kept me updated, and handled everything with professionalism. The settlement outcome was fantastic. Highly recommend their services to anyone looking for strong legal representation.
  
 
        
   Ruth Gardiner 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I’m very impressed with the service I received from Ravan Law. They were professional, responsive, and achieved a great settlement for my case. I felt supported the entire time. I highly recommend them.
  
 
        
   Angelica Orozco 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a great experience working with Raven Law. Their office helped settle our case for the maximum possible outcome, and we truly felt supported throughout the entire process. All of our questions were answered promptly and clearly, which made a stressful situation much easier to navigate. The team was professional, knowledgeable, and attentive to our needs from start to finish. We are very grateful for their hard work and would absolutely recommend this law office to family and friends.,
  
 
        
   suraj chachale 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had an ongoing medical emergency and was fortunate to have Attorney Cesar from Ravan Law by my side. He was extremely supportive, professional, and attentive throughout the entire process. His guidance and follow-up made a stressful situation much easier to handle. I highly recommend Cesar and Ravan Law for anyone seeking reliable and compassionate legal assistance.
  
 
        
   Diana Castaneda 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Ravan Law is the Best! If you are usually hesitant or nervous about lawyers, No Worries! Ted and his team have been nothing, but amazing! They removed liability from an accident that was not my fault, and closely assisted me through out the rest of the process! I highly recommend them! Thank you Ravan Law always appreciate all your hard work! <333
  
 
        
   Zack Nosrati 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thank you so much to everyone for helping me with my case and my settlement! I could not have won my uber case without you!
  
 
        
   Franklin X 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Son muy dedicados te acompañan en todo el proseso y están pendiente de tu caso eso me gusta de una firma puedo decir que ellos tienen un nuevo cliente
  
 
  
 
  
 
   Google rating score: 4.9 of 5, based on 65 reviews 
 
    Verified by Trustindex  Trustindex verified that these reviews were published on Ravan Law's Google Business Profile. Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a catastrophic injury lawyer cost?

We work on contingency. There is no fee unless we win, and the consultation is free. Our fee is a percentage of the recovery, agreed in writing before work begins.

My family member cannot speak for themselves right now. Can I call for them?

Yes. Many of our first conversations are with a spouse, parent, or adult child. We can explain the deadlines and start preserving evidence.

The CT scan was normal. Can there still be a brain injury claim?

Yes. A first CT scan is often normal in a mild traumatic brain injury. Later MRI, neuropsychological testing, and the observations of people who know the injured person can document what the first scan could not.

The doctors called it a "mild" TBI. Is it still a serious case?

It can be. "Mild" describes the initial injury, not its effect on work and daily life. What matters is how long the symptoms last and what they have cost.

The at-fault driver only had minimum insurance. Is there anything else?

Often there is. We look at the driver's employer, commercial and umbrella policies, other responsible parties, any public entity involved, and your own underinsured motorist coverage.

My child suffered a brain injury. Do we have until age 18?

For a claim against a private party, a child's two-year deadline is generally tolled until age 18. The six-month government claim is not paused. Late-claim relief may be available for a minor, but it must be sought within one year of the injury.

Should we accept the insurance company's first offer?

Not before the long-term medical picture is clear and a lawyer has compared the offer with the full cost of future care. A signed release ends the claim permanently.

Catastrophic Injury Attorney Los Angeles