Catastrophic Injury

Seattle Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

“Catastrophic injury” is a legal term for any injury that causes serious, often lifelong disabilities. When a person suffers a catastrophic injury because of another’s negligence, the injured person deserves compensation not only for past medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, but any future expenses associated with their disabilities.

If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury, the lawyers of Swanson Gardner, P.L.L.C., can help your family get the compensation it needs and deserves. We help people throughout the Seattle, Washington area, and if you can’t make it to see us, we can come to you. All personal injury cases are handled on a contingency basis, meaning we charge no attorneys’ fees until you get a positive settlement or verdict.

Types of Catastrophic Injury

Catastrophic injuries include only the most serious conditions, such as: 

• Brain damage and head trauma
• Spinal cord injury
• Amputation
• Severe burns 

The law treats fatal injuries differently than catastrophic injuries. If someone suffers fatal injuries, it is known as a “wrongful death.”

Past Cases Involving Catastrophic Injury

The lawyers of our law firm have helped dozens of victims of catastrophic injury. These include two of the largest verdicts in Washington State history.

In a case Todd Gardner tried in Snohomish County in 2005 a jury in a medical negligence case awarded over $17 million on behalf of a mother and little boy who suffered severe brain damage at the time he was born. 

A jury in 2001 returned a verdict of over $13 million in damages and held the City of Seattle 53% at fault for a two-car collision near the original Seattle Costco that resulted in brain damage and severe orthopedic and internal injuries for a young wife and mother who was in the middle of a promising IT career with a major Seattle company.

A little girl who suffered nerve damage during birth that severely limited the use of one of her arms, and her parents, were awarded over $2.5 million in 2003 in a medical malpractice case against Group Health. Todd Gardner and the witnesses convinced the jury that the Group Health midwife failed to recognize that the little girl's shoulder was stuck under her mother's pubic bone; a condition known as shoulder dystocia, and pulled until she was delivered, causing nerves to tear from the newborn’s spinal cord.  This is one of the largest jury verdicts for this type of case in the country and is the most significant shoulder dystocia recovery in the history of the State of Washington.

In another case, catastrophic injury lawyer Todd Gardner represented a man whose leg was severely injured after being caught in a piece of machinery.  It was difficult to prove liability, but in the end, our client got a $500,000.00 verdict. 

To read about more of our cases, see our past experiences page.

Contact Us

If you or a loved one has been a victim of a catastrophic injury, our lawyers are here to help. Set up a free initial consultation through our attorney contact page or call us at (425) 226-7920. You can also fill out our personal injury intake form.