When Injuries Change Everything, You Need a Firm Ready to Go to Trial

A catastrophic injury rewrites the rest of a person's life in a single moment. The medical bills, the lost income, the long arc of rehabilitation, the changes a family has to absorb at home. None of it ends when the emergency room visit does. The legal claim has to account for every part of that future, not just what has already happened.

Catastrophic injury cases include traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, severe burns, amputation, paralysis, and any injury that causes permanent disability. They arise out of motor vehicle collisions, defective products, workplace incidents, medical errors, and acts of negligence by businesses and property owners. What ties them together is the size of the loss and the resources required to prove it.

Insurance carriers know that the earliest days after a catastrophic injury are the most disorienting for a family. That is when adjusters call. That is when settlement offers arrive that look like a lot of money to someone who has never been hit with a bill from a long-term rehabilitation facility. We have seen carriers close out claims for a fraction of what a life care plan would actually cost, and the family does not realize what happened until years later when the money runs out. The single most important thing an injured person can do is talk to a lawyer before they talk to the other side's insurance company.

Stroebel & Stroebel approaches catastrophic injury cases the way they have to be approached. We retain board-certified medical experts, life care planners, vocational economists, accident reconstructionists, and biomechanical engineers as the case requires. We document the future cost of care year by year. We prepare the case as if it will be tried in front of a West Virginia jury, because that is the only way to extract the kind of recovery these injuries actually require. Carriers settle cases for full value when they believe the lawyer across the table can and will try the case.

We work on a contingency fee basis. There is no fee unless we recover for you, and the consultation costs nothing. If you or someone you love has suffered a catastrophic injury, the call is free, the conversation is private, and there is no obligation. Call (304) 346-0197.

The cases we take on.

• Traumatic brain injury, including concussions with lasting cognitive deficits and severe TBI requiring long-term care.
• Spinal cord injuries causing paraplegia, quadriplegia, or chronic pain conditions.
• Severe burn injuries requiring grafting, reconstructive surgery, and ongoing rehabilitation.
• Amputations and crush injuries from industrial machinery, motor vehicle collisions, or defective equipment.
• Permanent disability claims involving lost earning capacity and lifelong medical needs.
• Wrongful death claims arising from injuries that ultimately prove fatal.

“Catastrophic injury cases are won in the preparation. By the time we walk into a courtroom, the other side already knows what we have.”

Our approach, step by step.

1. 01

   Free Case Evaluation

   We meet with you or your family in person, by phone, or at the hospital. We listen first, then explain what we see in the case and what the next steps would look like.

2. 02

   Investigation and Expert Retention

   We secure evidence quickly, retain the medical and economic experts the case requires, and begin building the life care plan that documents the true future cost of the injury.

3. 03

   Demand and Negotiation

   When the picture is complete, we present the carrier with a documented demand. Most cases resolve here, but only because the other side knows we are prepared to try the case.

4. 04

   Trial

   If the offer does not reflect the actual harm, we go to court. Our preparation does not change at this stage because the case was built for trial from the first day.