At Bautista LeRoy LLC, we represent individuals and families whose lives have been permanently changed due to catastrophic injuries. These are not typical personal injury claims—they involve profound physical, emotional, and financial consequences. Victims of catastrophic injury often require long-term medical care, face permanent disability, and suffer the loss of their careers, independence, or loved ones. Our firm is committed to fighting for maximum compensation in these high-stakes cases, especially when the harm was caused by trucking collisions, dangerous products, or negligent rideshare drivers.
What Is a Catastrophic Injury?
A catastrophic injury is one that results in long-term or permanent disability, disfigurement, or loss of bodily function. These injuries typically require intensive medical treatment, multiple surgeries, and lifelong rehabilitation. In legal terms, catastrophic injuries justify greater compensation because they impact every aspect of the victim's life, from earning capacity to personal relationships.
Common catastrophic injuries include:
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
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Spinal cord injury and paralysis
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Severe burns
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Amputations
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Organ damage
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Multiple orthopedic fractures
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Loss of eyesight or hearing
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Fatal injuries (wrongful death claims)
These injuries often result from preventable accidents caused by the negligence of companies, operators, or manufacturers. Our team works to hold those responsible fully accountable under the law.
Tractor-Trailer and Trucking Accidents
One of the leading causes of catastrophic injury in the U.S. is large commercial vehicle accidents—especially involving tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and delivery vehicles. Due to their massive size and weight, commercial trucks can cause catastrophic harm in collisions with passenger vehicles.
Common causes of trucking accidents include:
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Driver fatigue or hours-of-service violations
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Speeding or reckless driving
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Overloaded or improperly secured cargo
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Mechanical failure due to poor maintenance
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Distracted or impaired driving
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Inadequate driver training or background screening
Under federal law, trucking companies must adhere to strict safety regulations enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). When they cut corners or ignore safety protocols, innocent motorists pay the price. At Bautista LeRoy LLC, we aggressively investigate truck crashes by securing driver logs, black box data, maintenance records, and corporate policies to uncover negligence and pursue damages.
In many cases, multiple parties may be liable—including the truck driver, the trucking company, freight loaders, or even the manufacturer of defective parts. We are skilled at building comprehensive claims that seek full compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and future care.
Dangerous and Defective Products
Catastrophic injuries also result from dangerous or defective products placed into the stream of commerce by negligent manufacturers. Product liability cases may involve household goods, industrial and recreational equipment, pharmaceuticals, vehicles, or medical devices.
Some examples of defective product claims include:
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Exploding batteries or electronics causing burns
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Defective car components leading to crashes
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Unsafe children's toys or furniture
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Faulty machinery or power tools
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Defective medical implants or prosthetics
Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers can be held strictly liable under product liability law if a product is defectively designed, manufactured, or marketed. Our attorneys work with engineers, industry experts, and safety consultants to determine exactly how a product failed and which corporate entity is responsible.
Victims of defective product injuries may be entitled to both compensatory and punitive damages—especially in cases involving reckless disregard for consumer safety.
Rideshare Transportation Injuries (Uber, Lyft, etc.)
With the rise of app-based rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft, a growing number of catastrophic injuries occur during rideshare trips. Victims may be passengers, pedestrians, or occupants of other vehicles hit by rideshare drivers.
Common rideshare-related injury scenarios include:
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Crashes caused by distracted, reckless, or impaired drivers
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Assaults by rideshare drivers with poor background checks
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Accidents involving uninsured or underinsured drivers
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Failure of the rideshare company to deactivate dangerous drivers
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Multi-vehicle accidents involving app-driven navigation errors
Liability in rideshare accidents can be complex. Although Uber and Lyft classify drivers as independent contractors, they often maintain $1 million in liability insurance when the app is in use. Our legal team understands how to navigate the unique insurance and liability issues in these cases to pursue compensation from all available sources.
Additionally, rideshare companies may be directly liable for negligent hiring, retention, or failure to warn passengers about dangerous drivers. We hold corporations accountable when they fail to protect the public.
Damages Available in Catastrophic Injury Cases
Victims of catastrophic injuries often face a lifetime of expenses and limitations. We work to recover the full value of:
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Past and future medical expenses
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Long-term care costs and assistive devices
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Lost income and diminished earning capacity
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Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life
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Permanent disability or disfigurement
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Loss of consortium or companionship
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Wrongful death damages (if a fatality occurred)
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Punitive damages (in cases of egregious negligence)
Our firm partners with medical professionals, vocational experts, and life-care planners to quantify long-term losses and project the future costs of care.
Why Choose Bautista LeRoy LLC?
Catastrophic injury cases require more than just legal knowledge—they demand tenacity, resources, and experience. At Bautista LeRoy LLC, we bring all three to every case we handle. Our attorneys understand the stakes involved and pursue every avenue to maximize recovery for our clients.
We have a strong record of success litigating cases involving commercial trucking, product liability, and complex transportation claims. We prepare each case for trial from day one, ensuring insurance companies and corporate defendants take our claims seriously.