When a serious accident happens, your life changes in an instant. You need someone in your corner who understands what is at stake. At Christensen Law, our Detroit catastrophic injury lawyers have stood beside seriously injured people and grieving families across Michigan since 1991. We know that the road to recovery is long, and we believe no one should travel it alone.
A catastrophic injury can reshape your future, your finances, and your family. From traumatic brain injuries to spinal cord damage, severe burns, and electrocution injuries, these cases demand legal skill, deep resources, and personal attention. Our team is here to listen, to protect your rights, and to fight for the full compensation you and your loved ones deserve.
If you or a loved one has suffered a life-changing injury anywhere in the Detroit area, contact us today for a free consultation by calling 313-546-1091 or reaching out through our online form.
CHRISTENSEN LAW HAS A 24 HOUR RAPID RESPONSE SERVICE
What Is a Catastrophic Injury in Michigan?
A catastrophic injury is a severe, life-altering injury that often results in permanent disability or long-term impairment. Unlike a minor injury that heals in a few weeks, these injuries usually require ongoing medical care, rehabilitation, and significant lifestyle changes for years, or even a lifetime.
In Michigan, the term carries weight in both medical and legal contexts. Under Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance system, certain serious injuries qualify victims for lifetime medical benefits and the right to sue an at-fault driver for additional damages. You can read more about how serious injury claims work under Michigan Compiled Laws, Section 500.3135.
Common features of a catastrophic injury include long hospital stays, multiple surgeries, the need for assistive devices, and a reduced ability to work or care for oneself. These cases call for an experienced Detroit catastrophic injury lawyer who knows how to account for future losses, not just current bills.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries We Handle
Our firm helps clients who have suffered a wide range of severe injuries caused by another party’s careless or reckless actions. Each case is unique, and our team brings decades of trial experience to every one. The most common catastrophic injuries we see include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): From severe concussions to lasting brain damage, these injuries can affect memory, speech, mood, and basic motor skills. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that TBIs contribute to a significant portion of injury-related deaths and disabilities each year.
- Spinal cord injuries: Damage to the spinal cord can lead to partial or complete paralysis, including paraplegia and quadriplegia.
- Severe burn injuries: Third-degree and fourth-degree burns often require skin grafts, multiple surgeries, and years of rehabilitation.
- Electrocution injuries: Contact with high-voltage equipment can cause internal burns, cardiac issues, and lasting nerve damage.
- Amputations and crush injuries: The loss of a limb or severe tissue damage changes daily life in ways that touch nearly every routine.
- Multiple fractures and internal organ damage: These injuries are common in high-speed crashes, falls from heights, and serious truck collisions.
No matter the type of injury, our Detroit catastrophic injury lawyers approach every case with care, attention, and a clear plan to pursue full compensation for the harm you have suffered.
How Can Our Detroit Catastrophic Injury Lawyers Help You?
We help by handling every part of your claim so that you can focus on healing. From the very first call, our team begins building a case rooted in evidence, careful documentation, and a deep understanding of how serious injuries affect real lives. We do not take shortcuts, and we do not pressure clients into quick settlements that fall short of what they need.
Our work often includes investigating the scene, securing police reports, interviewing witnesses, and consulting with medical professionals and economists. We also work directly with your doctors to document the full scope of your injuries and your future needs. This careful approach has helped our firm secure record-setting verdicts and settlements for clients across Michigan.
When you hire us, you also gain a steady source of clear information. You will never wonder where your case stands, because we keep you informed at every step. Whether your accident happened on I-75, near Campus Martius, or in a neighborhood off Woodward Avenue, we are ready to help.
Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries in Detroit
Catastrophic injuries can happen in many ways, but certain causes appear again and again in the cases we handle. Detroit’s busy roadways, industrial sites, and dense urban core all create risk when others act carelessly.
Here’s a closer look at common causes of serious and debilitating injuries our attorneys see:
Motor Vehicle Crashes
Crashes on I-94, I-75, I-696, and the Lodge Freeway often produce the most severe injuries we see. High speeds, distracted driving, and impaired drivers turn routine trips into life-changing events.
Truck accidents in particular tend to cause catastrophic harm because of the sheer size and weight of commercial vehicles.
Motorcycle Accidents
With limited protection between rider and road, motorcycle crashes often lead to traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, and severe road rash. Even riders who follow every safety rule can suffer catastrophic injuries when another driver fails to look twice at an intersection.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents
People walking and biking near busy intersections, Eastern Market, or along the Detroit Riverfront face real danger when drivers ignore crosswalks or fail to yield. These accidents almost always result in serious injuries because there is no barrier between the person and the vehicle.
Construction and Industrial Accidents
Falls from heights, equipment failures, and electrical contact at construction sites can cause life-changing harm. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration tracks these hazards and sets safety standards meant to prevent them, yet serious incidents still happen every year.
Other Causes
We also represent people hurt in boating accidents, rideshare crashes, bus and train collisions, and incidents involving negligent security. If someone else’s careless or reckless conduct caused your injuries, we want to hear your story and explain your options.
What Compensation Can You Recover for a Catastrophic Injury?
A successful catastrophic injury claim can recover compensation for both current and future losses. Because these injuries often affect a person for decades, the value of a case usually reaches far beyond initial medical bills.
Past and future medical expenses tend to be the largest category of damages. This includes surgeries, hospital stays, prescription medication, physical therapy, mental health care, and in-home nursing care for years to come. Many clients also need home modifications such as wheelchair ramps, accessible bathrooms, or specialized vehicles.
Lost income is another major part of most catastrophic injury claims. We pursue compensation for wages already missed, as well as the long-term reduction in your ability to earn a living. When an injury keeps a person from returning to their career, the lifetime impact on earning power can be substantial.
Non-economic damages also play an important role. Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium for family members all reflect real harm that deserves real compensation.
In 35 years of handling catastrophic injury cases in Detroit, we have seen insurance companies lowball spinal cord victims by hundreds of thousands of dollars. We fight for all the damages you qualify for.
Michigan generally gives injured people three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit, so reaching out early protects your right to recover.
Why Trust Our Detroit Catastrophic Injury Attorneys
Choosing the right law firm after a serious injury is one of the most important decisions you will make. At Christensen Law, we bring more than three decades of trial experience and a record of major results to every case we take on.
Our founder, David Christensen, is a member of the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame, and our firm holds a First-Tier ranking in Detroit for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® for the 2026 Edition of “Best Law Firms.”
Managing Partner Sarah Stempky-Kime is a recognized “Leader in the Law” and also an American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) member.
Here is what sets our team apart:
- Decades of trial experience since 1991, with record-setting verdicts and settlements for catastrophic injury victims, including a $17.8 million motor vehicle accident case and $9.5 million motorcycle accident case
- No fee unless we win, so cost never stands in the way of justice
- Personal attention from a team that listens first and explains everything in plain English
- Statewide reach, with offices in Detroit, Southfield, Ann Arbor, Troy, and Grand Rapids
- A deep commitment to the community, shown through ongoing support of local charities and causes
We understand the stress that follows a serious accident. Insurance companies often try to settle quickly and quietly for far less than a case is worth, and they have lawyers working hard to protect their bottom line.
Our team stands between you and that pressure, so you can focus on what matters most: your recovery. Call us today at 313-546-1091 to talk with a Detroit catastrophic injury lawyer at no cost.
FAQs about Detroit Catastrophic Injury Claims
Below are answers to questions clients often ask our team about catastrophic injury claims in Detroit and across Michigan.
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no up front costs to you. You only pay attorney fees if we win compensation for you. Initial consultations are always free, so you can learn about your options without any financial risk.
No. Christensen law serves clients across Michigan, from the D to the UP.
Yes, in many cases you can. Michigan follows a modified comparative fault rule, which means you can still recover damages as long as you were not more than 50 percent responsible for the accident. Your recovery amount may be reduced based on your share of fault, but you still have a path to compensation.
Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance system provides personal injury protection (PIP) benefits that may include medical care, wage loss, and replacement services. People who suffer serious or catastrophic injuries may also be eligible for lifetime medical benefits and can bring a third-party claim against an at-fault driver for additional damages.
Surviving family members may have the right to bring a wrongful death claim. Our firm has secured significant verdicts and settlements in wrongful death cases, and we approach every one of these claims with the care and respect that grieving families deserve.
As soon as possible. Evidence can disappear quickly, witnesses move or forget details, and Michigan law sets strict deadlines for filing a claim. Calling early gives our team time to investigate fully and protect your rights from day one.
Not always. Many catastrophic injury claims settle before trial, but our firm prepares every case as though it will go to court. That readiness often leads to stronger settlements, because insurance companies know we are willing and able to try the case if needed.
There may still be options. We look into underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage, third-party liability, and other potential sources of compensation. Our team works hard to find every available avenue for our clients, so a low policy limit does not have to be the end of your recovery.
Talk to Our Detroit Catastrophic Injury Lawyers Today
A catastrophic injury can change your life in a single moment, but it does not have to define your future. At Christensen Law, our Detroit catastrophic injury lawyers are ready to listen to your story, protect your rights, and fight for the full compensation you and your family deserve.
We serve clients across Michigan, from the D to the UP. Call us today at 313-546-1091 for a free, no-obligation consultation, or reach out through our online contact form. There are no up front costs, and you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Let us carry the legal weight, so you can focus on what matters most: healing and moving forward.
