A catastrophic injury can leave you and the people you love facing mounting medical bills, lost income, and a future that suddenly looks uncertain. At Christensen Law, our Ann Arbor catastrophic injury lawyers are here to listen to your story, protect your rights, and fight for the full recovery your family deserves.
We treat every client like family, and we stand between you and the insurance companies that try to pay far less than a claim is truly worth. You do not have to carry this weight alone.
Call Christensen Law 24/7 at (734) 519-7576 for a free, no-risk consultation, and let us start protecting your future today.
CHRISTENSEN LAW HAS A 24 HOUR RAPID RESPONSE SERVICE
Trial Lawyers Who Listen, Protect, and Win for Injured Families
When a life-altering injury turns your world upside down, you need more than a settlement mill. You need trial lawyers who treat your case like it matters, because to us, it always does.
Our approach is simple, and it guides everything we do: Listen, Protect, Win™. We listen to your story with real compassion, we protect you from aggressive insurance tactics, and we work relentlessly to win the results that help your family move forward.
We are not a high-volume settlement firm. Instead, we focus on serious, life-altering cases, and we prepare each one with the meticulous detail that a trial demands.
That readiness shows in our results. We have secured a $17.8 million verdict in a motor vehicle accident case, and a $9.5 million wrongful death recovery for the families who trusted us with their futures.
We have advocated for injured Michigan clients since 1991, which is more than 35 years of standing up for people during the hardest moments of their lives. When an insurance company sees our name on a case, it knows we are prepared to take that case all the way to a courtroom.
Above all, we see our role as being the voice for people who are too often unheard. We take on the burden, and the costs, of your case, so that you can focus on what matters most, which is your recovery and your family.
What Counts as a Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury is a severe injury that causes long-term or permanent harm to your body, brain, or ability to earn a living. These injuries reshape a person’s entire future, and they often call for surgeries, rehabilitation, and a lifetime of care.
A catastrophic injury is one you cannot simply recover from in a few weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury can affect nearly every part of daily life, from memory and mood to movement and independence.
The catastrophic injuries we handle for clients across Ann Arbor and Michigan include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which change how the brain controls thinking, memory, and personality
- Spinal cord injuries, which can lead to partial or complete paralysis
- Severe burn injuries, which often require many surgeries and leave lasting scars
- Electrocution injuries, which can damage nerves, organs, and skin
If you or someone you love is living with one of these injuries, our Ann Arbor catastrophic injury attorneys are ready to listen and explain your options at no cost to you.
How Does Michigan’s No-Fault System Affect Your Claim?
Under Michigan’s No-Fault system, your own auto insurance pays your medical bills and lost wages after a crash, no matter who caused it. For people with catastrophic injuries, these Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits are the first source of help, though they are rarely the whole story.
PIP benefits come from a first-party claim, which simply means a claim against your own insurance company. Under Michigan law, these benefits can include:
- PIP medical benefits, which cover reasonably necessary care, treatment, and rehabilitation
- Attendant care, which can pay family members who help with daily needs like bathing, dressing, and medication
- Work loss benefits, which replace part of the income you cannot earn while you recover
Because catastrophic injuries are so costly, fully accounting for every one of these benefits is one of the most important things we do for you. Michigan also allows coordinated insurance policies, so understanding how your auto and health coverage work together can make a real difference in what you recover.
For a serious brain or spinal cord injury, attendant care alone can continue for years, and insurers do not always pay it willingly. We document these needs carefully, and we stand ready to fight for every benefit you are owed.
Can You Sue the At-Fault Driver in Michigan?
Yes, in serious cases, you can file a third-party lawsuit against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering. Michigan law allows this when an injury meets a legal threshold called serious impairment of body function, which most catastrophic injuries clearly satisfy.
A third-party lawsuit can pursue the damages that PIP does not cover, such as physical pain, emotional suffering, and the loss of the life you once knew. For catastrophic injuries, this is often the largest part of a claim.
What If You Were Partly at Fault?
You may still recover compensation even if you were partly to blame. Michigan follows a modified comparative fault rule under state law, which means you can recover as long as you are not more than 50% responsible for the crash.
If you do share some of the fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. Insurance companies know this rule well, so they often try to shift blame onto you, and pushing back on that unfair blame is a key part of our work.
The Catastrophic Injury Cases Our Ann Arbor Team Handles
Most catastrophic injuries we handle come from serious collisions on Michigan roads. Our primary focus includes truck accidents, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and wrongful death claims, along with other crashes that cause life-altering harm.
Around Ann Arbor, fast-moving traffic on US-23, I-94, and M-14 can turn an ordinary drive into a devastating crash in seconds. Pedestrians and cyclists hit by a vehicle near downtown or the University of Michigan campus can suffer some of the most severe injuries of all.
Many of our clients are first treated at the region’s major trauma centers before a long road of recovery begins. We build each case around the full reality of that journey, from the first hospital bill to the lifelong care a catastrophic injury can require.
Commercial truck cases deserve special attention. They require immediate, rigorous investigation to preserve black box data, driver logbooks, and maintenance records before the trucking company’s defense team has a chance to lose them.
When a crash takes a life, we also stand beside families pursuing wrongful death claims. We help them seek accountability and a measure of justice while they grieve, and we handle every detail with patience and respect. Call us 24/7 at (734) 519-7576 for a free, no-risk consultation
What Compensation Can You Recover for a Catastrophic Injury?
You may be able to recover compensation for both the financial and the personal losses a catastrophic injury causes. In general, these losses fall into two groups, economic damages and non-economic damages.
- Economic damages cover measurable costs. They can include past and future medical care, attendant care, rehabilitation, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity when an injury keeps you from returning to the work you once did.
- Non-economic damages cover the human side of an injury. They can include physical pain, emotional suffering, and the loss of activities and relationships that once gave your life meaning.
Every case is different, so the value of a claim depends on your specific injuries and circumstances. Our job is to account for every loss, both present and future, so that nothing important is overlooked.
How Insurance Companies Try to Pay You Less
Insurance companies are businesses, and their goal is to limit what they pay. Even your own insurer can begin to feel like an opponent once the bills for a catastrophic injury start to climb.
Adjusters rely on a few common tactics. They may ask for a recorded statement and later use your words against you, request an independent medical exam designed to downplay your injuries, or offer a quick, low settlement before you know the true cost of your care.
We see these tactics for what they are. As your Ann Arbor catastrophic injury lawyers, we handle the insurance companies on your behalf, so you can focus on healing while we work to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Why Choose Christensen Law for Your Ann Arbor Catastrophic Injury Case?
Christensen Law pairs deep courtroom experience with genuine, compassionate care, so you never feel like just another file. We treat our clients like family during what is often the most difficult chapter of their lives.
Our firm is led by trial attorneys whose credentials insurance companies respect. Founder David Christensen is a Michigan Hall of Fame attorney, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and holds AV Preeminent status from Martindale-Hubbell.
Managing partner Sarah Stempky-Kime is a recognized Leader in the Law, and she is also an ABOTA member. Together, they lead a team that has stood up for injured people since 1991.
Our offices maintain a 4.9 to 5.0 client review rating across Michigan, and our consultations are always free and available 24/7. You pay nothing unless we win your case.
From the D to the UP | Proven Expertise | Powerful Results
If you are looking for an Ann Arbor catastrophic injury attorney who will truly fight for you, we are ready to listen. Call us today at (734) 519-7576 for your free consultation.
FAQs Answered by Our Ann Arbor Catastrophic Injury Lawyers
Here are answers to some of the questions we hear most often from injured clients and their families across Ann Arbor and the rest of Michigan.
Nothing up front. We handle catastrophic injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Your first consultation is always free, so there is no risk in simply learning where you stand and what your options may be.
In most cases, you have three years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit in Michigan, though some deadlines are much shorter. No-fault PIP benefits, for example, carry strict notice requirements that can apply within one year. Because missing a deadline can end an otherwise valid claim, it is wise to speak with a lawyer as soon as you can.
Every case is different, so no honest lawyer can promise a specific amount. The value depends on factors like the severity of your injury, your medical and future care needs, lost income, and the insurance coverage available. We work to account for every present and future loss so that nothing is left on the table.
Many cases settle, but we prepare every case as if it will go to trial. That preparation is often what pushes insurance companies to offer fair value, because they know we are willing to stand in front of a jury. If a fair settlement is not offered, we are ready to take your case to court.
Yes. When a catastrophic injury leads to death, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim. This type of claim can seek compensation for medical bills, funeral costs, lost financial support, and the loss of companionship, and we handle these cases with the sensitivity and care they deserve.
As soon as possible. Important evidence in truck, car, and motorcycle cases, such as black box data and driver logs, can disappear quickly. The sooner we get involved, the sooner we can preserve that evidence, deal with the insurance companies, and protect your right to a full recovery.
Contact Our Ann Arbor Catastrophic Injury Lawyers Today
You do not have to face a catastrophic injury alone, and you should never have to fight the insurance companies by yourself. Our Ann Arbor catastrophic injury lawyers are ready to listen to your story, protect your rights, and pursue the justice your family deserves.
From our office on Miller Road, we proudly serve injured people throughout Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, and the communities near the University of Michigan, as well as clients statewide. Serving all of Michigan, from the D to the UP, we are only a phone call away.
Call Christensen Law 24/7 at (734) 519-7576 for your free, no-risk consultation, or reach out to us online to get started today.
