The physical and emotional weight of a catastrophic accident can be crushing, but you do not have to carry it alone, and you do not have to fight the insurance companies by yourself. The Southfield catastrophic injury lawyers at Christensen Law are ready to listen, protect your rights, and fight for the recovery your family deserves.
We have advocated for injured Michigan families since 1991, which is more than 35 years of standing up for people during the hardest days of their lives.
From our headquarters on Telegraph Road in Southfield, we represent people across the state who are facing brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, severe burns, and other permanent harm. Our results reflect that commitment, including a $17.8 million motor vehicle accident verdict and a $9.5 million wrongful death recovery.
You did not ask for any of this, and you should not have to carry it alone. Call Christensen Law 24/7 at (248) 600-4591 for a free, no-risk consultation, and let our team begin protecting your future today.
CHRISTENSEN LAW HAS A 24 HOUR RAPID RESPONSE SERVICE
What Is Considered a Catastrophic Injury in Michigan?
A catastrophic injury is any serious harm that permanently changes how you live, work, or care for yourself. These injuries reach far beyond a few weeks of healing, and they often require a lifetime of medical care and support.
At Christensen Law, our Southfield catastrophic injury lawyers focus on the most severe cases, because these clients need the deepest resources and the steadiest hand. We commit our full attention to the kinds of injuries that reshape a person’s entire future, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that affect memory, mood, and the ability to work
- Spinal cord injuries that can lead to partial or complete paralysis
- Severe burn injuries that require surgery, skin grafts, and long rehabilitation
- Electrocution injuries that damage nerves, muscles, and internal organs
Each of these injuries carries a heavy physical and emotional weight, and each one deserves a legal team prepared to fight for full and fair compensation. We are here to carry that legal burden, so you can focus on healing.
How Our Southfield Catastrophic Injury Attorneys Help You
We help by building a powerful case while you focus on recovery. From the first phone call, our team takes on the insurance companies, the paperwork, and the investigation, so you never face this process alone.
Catastrophic claims move quickly behind the scenes, and important evidence can disappear within days of a crash. We act fast to preserve black box data, vehicle records, and witness accounts before anyone can lose or alter them.
Based on more than 35 years of trial work, we understand how insurance adjusters try to reduce or deny serious claims. Our attorneys prepare every case as if it will be decided in front of a jury, which gives you real leverage at the negotiating table.
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 a fellow ABOTA member. Together, they lead a team that simply does not back down.
How Does Michigan’s No-Fault System Affect Your Claim?
Michigan’s No-Fault system means your own auto insurance pays your early medical bills and wage loss, no matter who caused the crash. This rule comes from the Michigan No-Fault Act, and it shapes nearly every serious auto injury claim in the state.
Under this system, you first turn to your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits for medical expenses, lost wages, and attendant care. PIP is the part of your own policy that pays these costs first, regardless of fault. For someone recovering from a brain or spinal cord injury, PIP can also cover in-home attendant care, which often becomes a central part of a catastrophic case.
When your injuries are severe enough, you may also bring a third-party lawsuit against the at-fault driver for pain, suffering, and other losses that PIP does not pay. We explain each of these layers in plain language, so you always understand exactly where your case stands.
High-Value Catastrophic Injury Cases Demand a Different Approach
A catastrophic injury claim is not a routine fender-bender file, and it should never be treated like one. These cases involve permanent disability, future medical needs, and losses that can stretch across decades.
Because the stakes are so high, insurance companies often assign their most aggressive defense teams to fight them. We meet that pressure with detailed preparation, respected outside professionals, and a courtroom record that insurers recognize.
Specifically, we work closely with your doctors to document the full scope of your injuries, both today and into the future. This careful, evidence-driven approach is how we pursue the full value of a life-altering case rather than a quick, convenient settlement.
We also bring in trusted professionals when a case calls for them, from accident reconstruction analysts to life-care planners who map out future medical needs. The result is a clear, well-supported account of what this injury truly means for your life and your family’s future.
Can You Still Recover If You Were Partly at Fault?
Yes, in most cases you can still recover compensation even if you were partly to blame for the crash. Michigan follows a modified comparative negligence rule, which allows an injured person to recover as long as they are not more than 50% at fault.
If you share some responsibility, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than erased entirely. For example, a person found 20% at fault could still recover 80% of their damages.
Insurance companies often try to shift blame onto injured people to lower what they must pay. We push back with evidence, accident reconstruction, and clear advocacy that keeps the focus where it belongs, on accountability and your recovery.
How Do Insurance Companies Handle Catastrophic Injury Claims?
Insurance companies often work to limit what they pay on serious claims, even when an injury is permanent. Knowing how that process works helps you protect yourself from the very first day.
Adjusters may ask for a recorded statement, request a medical exam with a doctor they choose, or extend an early settlement offer before the full cost of your injury is clear. Each of these steps can quietly lower the value of a legitimate claim.
We step in early, so you do not have to face these requests on your own. Our role is to hold the responsible parties accountable while you concentrate on your treatment and your family.
From our Southfield office, we manage every conversation with the insurer, gather the proof your case needs, and present a complete picture of your losses. That steady preparation is how we work toward the full and fair result you deserve.
Why Choose Christensen Law?
Families choose Christensen Law because we combine genuine compassion with a courtroom record few firms can match. We are not a volume settlement mill, and we never treat the people we serve like a file number.
- A guiding philosophy we call Listen, Protect, Win, which shapes every case from start to finish
- Decades of record-setting verdicts and settlements for seriously injured Michigan families
- Trial-ready preparation that refuses lowball offers and stands firm against large insurers
- A 4.9 to 5.0 review rating across all of our Michigan office locations
- Free consultations available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
We listen closely to your story, protect you from aggressive insurance tactics, and work tirelessly to win the justice you deserve. When you are ready, call us 24/7 at (248) 600-4591 for a free consultation, and let our family-focused team stand beside yours.
From the D to the UP | Proven Expertise | Powerful Results
The Types of Catastrophic Injury Cases We Handle
We handle the high-stakes crashes that leave families facing permanent change. These cases demand serious investigation, serious resources, and serious trial skill.
Our Southfield catastrophic injury lawyers regularly represent people hurt in truck, car, and motorcycle accidents, along with families pursuing wrongful death claims. A loaded semi-truck can weigh many times more than a passenger car, so a single commercial crash often causes the kind of life-altering harm we are built to handle.
Commercial truck cases in particular require immediate, rigorous work to preserve driver logbooks, maintenance records, and electronic data before a trucking company’s defense team can act. We move quickly, because the evidence that proves your case will not wait.
Whether your injury happened on I-696 near our Southfield office or on a quiet road in the Upper Peninsula, we are ready to travel, investigate, and fight for you.
Standing With Families After a Wrongful Death
Losing someone you love in a preventable crash is a pain that no settlement can erase. For the families we serve, a wrongful death claim is never about money, and it is never about getting even.
It is about justice, answers, and the resources your family needs to move forward with stability. We handle these cases with care, patience, and deep respect for what you are going through.
Our attorneys take on the legal work of proving fault and documenting your family’s losses, including lost income, lost guidance, and the loss of companionship. We carry that weight, so you can focus on grieving and on one another.
When you are ready to talk, we will listen first, and we will move at a pace that respects your loss. You will never be rushed, and you will never be treated as just another case.
Treating Clients Like Family When It Matters Most
We believe the people we serve deserve far more than legal paperwork. They deserve a team that sees them, hears them, and stands beside them through one of the most painful times of their lives.
That belief shapes how we communicate, how we prepare, and how we fight. You will always know where your case stands, because we keep you informed at every step and prepare you for whatever lies ahead.
Our purpose is to be the voice of those who are too often unheard, and to help injured people and grieving families secure the resources they need to rebuild. For us, this work is about justice and dignity, never quick payouts.
FAQs: Southfield Catastrophic Injury Lawyers
Below are answers to questions we often hear from injured people and families across Michigan who are weighing their next steps.
In most personal injury cases, Michigan law gives you three years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit, under the state’s statute of limitations. Some claims, such as those involving certain PIP benefits or government vehicles, carry shorter deadlines, so it is wise to speak with an attorney soon after a serious crash.
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover money for you, and your first consultation is always free.
Attendant care is help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and taking medication for someone recovering from a serious injury. Michigan PIP benefits can cover this care, including help provided by family members in many situations, which often makes it a meaningful part of a catastrophic claim.
Compensation can include medical care, lost income, attendant care, and money for pain and suffering when a third-party claim applies. The exact recovery depends on the facts of your case, and we work closely with your doctors to account for both current and future needs.
Many cases settle, but we prepare each one as though it will be tried in front of a jury. That readiness is often what encourages insurance companies to offer fair value instead of a lowball amount.
It is wise to speak with a lawyer before giving any recorded statement to an insurer. Adjusters may use your words to reduce or deny your claim, so letting us handle that conversation helps protect your rights.
Talk to a Southfield Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Today
Your recovery is too important to face alone, and the right legal team can change the direction of your future. At Christensen Law, we are ready to listen to your story, protect your rights, and pursue the justice you and your family deserve.
Call us 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (248) 600-4591, or visit our Southfield office at 25925 Telegraph Road, Suite 200, for a free, no-risk consultation. Serving all of Michigan, from the D to the UP.
