If you’re reading this, you or someone you love has likely experienced a life-altering accident in Birmingham that resulted in a catastrophic injury. Whether it was a car, truck, or motorcycle wreck on I-20, a slip and fall at a local business, a pedestrian accident, or an accident at work, the impact is often immense. You’re likely facing overwhelming challenges—physical pain, emotional distress, mounting medical bills, and the uncertainty of what the future holds.
At Nomberg Law Firm, we understand the weight of this burden. We know that in an instant, your life can change, leaving you wondering how you’ll manage not just tomorrow but for years to come. That’s why having a dedicated legal team on your side is so critical.
Calculating the long-term costs of a catastrophic injury—from ongoing medical care and rehabilitation to lost income and necessary home modifications—is complex. Negotiating with insurance companies that often prioritize their bottom line over your well-being adds another layer of stress, but you don’t have to face this alone.
Our Birmingham catastrophic injury attorneys have the knowledge and experience you need to secure the full and fair compensation you deserve. Learn how Nomberg Law Firm can help with your catastrophic injury claim by scheduling a free consultation.
Client testimonials
What qualifies as a catastrophic injury?
A catastrophic injury is a serious injury that has a life-changing impact on a person’s physical abilities, mental health, or overall quality of life. These injuries often require extensive medical care, rehabilitation, and long-term assistance, making even everyday tasks challenging.
What makes an injury “catastrophic” is not just its severity but the fact that it permanently affects the person’s ability to work, care for themselves, or live the life they had before.
So, what types of injuries are considered catastrophic? Typically, injuries that are severe enough to be classified as catastrophic include:
- Spinal cord injuries. Losing mobility or facing partial or full paralysis is a life-altering experience. It can take away your independence and force you to rely on others or adaptive equipment for even the simplest tasks.
- Amputations. Adjusting to life without a limb is no small task. Beyond the physical challenges, it can feel like you’ve lost part of yourself, requiring immense strength to rebuild your life with the help of prosthetics and long-term therapy.
- Organ damage. When a vital organ is damaged, it’s not just about the immediate pain—it’s about the ongoing health issues, treatments, and lifestyle changes that affect your entire future.
- Severe burns. Burns aren’t just painful—they leave lasting scars, both physically and emotionally. They can limit your mobility and confidence, creating hurdles in everyday life and interactions.
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). A TBI can change everything about the way you think, communicate, and interact with others. It often leaves people struggling with memory, speech, or even basic cognitive functions, making work and daily life incredibly challenging.
- Multiple fractures. When multiple bones are broken, the recovery process can be long and grueling. These injuries can lead to chronic pain, limited mobility, and difficulty returning to the physical activities you once enjoyed, sometimes requiring extensive surgery and rehabilitation.
- Loss of vision or hearing. Losing your ability to see or hear can completely change how you connect and interact with the world. Everyday tasks become harder, and navigating life can feel overwhelming in ways you never expected.
These injuries don’t just affect your physical health—they impact every aspect of your life, from your ability to work to how you care for yourself and your loved ones.
Verdicts & settlements
Achieving positive outcomes: A look at our track record of winning verdicts and settlements for spinal cord injury cases
$350,000
Paralysis from spinal injury
In addition to the significant lump sum payment, the settlement requires the employer and its workers’ compensation carrier to pay for lifetime medical benefits for our client. Our client was employed for more than twenty years by this company, a builder of manufactured homes. While performing his regular job duties, our client injured his spine, paralyzing him from the waist down. He is confined to a wheelchair. The settlement, which was approved by the Circuit Court Judge, was a fantastic result for a deserving client.
$300,000
Lifetime care from work injury
Our client was injured while performing his job duties and was paralyzed as a result of the work accident. The favorable settlement requires the employer to pay for his future medical needs for his lifetime. This was a significant settlement for a most-deserving client. This case was filed in Marshall County, Alabama.
$230,000
Work-related car accidents
Client was injured in a car accident in Louisiana on his way to a work site in Texas and was left paralyzed from the waist down. David began representing him in December 2012. In February 2013, David settled this client’s workers’ compensation claim for $230,000. This was a very favorable settlement for our client because it was the maximum amount of money he could receive pursuant to the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Act. Also, his employer will be responsible for his future medical needs for his lifetime. We also assisted our client with filing for Social Security disability benefits.
Why catastrophic injuries are different
Catastrophic injuries are different from other accident claims in Alabama because they’re not just about bumps and bruises or a few weeks of missed work. They’re truly life-altering.
Think of it this way: a broken arm might be painful and inconvenient, but a severe spinal cord injury could mean never being able to walk or even feed yourself again. A concussion might cause headaches for a while, but a traumatic brain injury can lead to long-term issues like memory loss, seizures, or double vision that could prevent you from driving and living independently.
These are the kinds of injuries that change everything—your ability to work, your relationships, and your overall quality of life.
Here’s why this difference matters when it comes to legal claims:
- Higher stakes, higher costs. Catastrophic injuries often require extensive and ongoing medical care, rehabilitation, specialized equipment, and even home modifications. These costs can easily climb into the millions of dollars over a lifetime. A regular accident claim might involve a few thousand dollars in medical bills, but a catastrophic injury case deals with figures that can be truly staggering.
- Long-term impact. Unlike injuries that heal relatively quickly, catastrophic injuries often have permanent or long-lasting effects. This means the claim needs to account for not just present expenses but also future medical needs, lost earning potential, and the impact on the victim’s ability to enjoy life. It’s not just about what happened yesterday, but what the future holds for the next several decades or more.
- Complex legal and medical issues. Proving the full extent of a catastrophic injury and its long-term impact requires a deep understanding of both law and medicine. You need an attorney who can work with medical experts, economists, and other specialists to build a strong case that accurately reflects the full scope of the damages. Insurance companies are notorious for trying to minimize payouts, especially in high-value cases. An experienced attorney knows how to counter their tactics, negotiate effectively, and, if necessary, take the case to court to fight for a fair settlement.
In short, a catastrophic injury claim isn’t just about getting reimbursed for medical bills. It’s about securing the resources you need to rebuild your life and face the future with some sense of security.
What are the lifetime costs of catastrophic injuries?
The lifetime costs of treating catastrophic injuries can be staggering, with expenses for medical care, rehabilitation, and specialized equipment often adding up to millions of dollars. Below are the estimated medical costs for adults in the U.S. who experience a catastrophic injury:
Spinal cord injuries
Spinal cord injuries are some of the most expensive to manage. For a 25-year-old, lifetime medical costs range from $1.58 million for incomplete motor function (where the individual retains some ability to move or feel below the injury level) to $4.72 million for high tetraplegia (where the individual is paralyzed from the neck down), according to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Treating a TBI can cost anywhere from $85,000 to $3 million, according to a Northwestern University study. This includes the cost of surgeries, physical therapy, and long-term support for cognitive and emotional impairments, which can vary significantly depending on the severity of the injury.
Leg amputation
The lifetime medical costs for a leg amputation often exceed $500,000, according to the Center for Advanced Cardiac and Vascular Interventions. This includes rehabilitation, prosthetics (which may need to be replaced every few years), and ongoing care to manage related health challenges.
Of course, medical bills are just one piece of the puzzle—there are also lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and the emotional toll on victims and their families.
Because the stakes are so high, it’s absolutely essential to have an attorney who has specific experience handling these complex and challenging cases.
They will understand the nuances of Alabama law as it applies to these types of injuries and know what it takes to get you the full compensation you deserve.
How do catastrophic injury claims work in Alabama?
The way a catastrophic injury claim works in Alabama depends on whether your injury happened in a personal injury accident caused by negligence or in a workplace accident. Both types of claims are designed to provide compensation, but the process, requirements, and available compensation differ significantly.
Personal injury claims for catastrophic injuries
If your catastrophic injury was caused by someone else’s negligence—such as in a car accident, slip and fall, or truck collision—you may file a personal injury claim.
In these cases, you must prove that the other party was negligent and that their actions directly caused your injury. This involves gathering evidence, such as police reports, witness statements, medical records, and expert testimony, to show how the accident happened and the extent of your damages.
Compensation in personal injury claims can cover a wide range of damages, including:
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Lost wages (past and future)
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages (in cases of particularly egregious conduct)
In most cases, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Alabama is 2 years from the date of the accident that caused your injuries.
Please note that Alabama follows a strict “pure contributory negligence” rule. Under this rule, if you’re found to be even 1% at fault for the accident, you can’t recover any compensation.
This makes personal injury cases in Alabama particularly challenging and underscores the importance of having a skilled Birmingham personal injury attorney to help prove you played absolutely no part in the accident.
Workers’ compensation claims for catastrophic injuries
If your catastrophic injury happened at work or while performing work duties, you may be entitled to workers’ comp benefits. Most Alabama employers with 5 or more employees are required to carry workers’ comp insurance for their employees.
Unlike personal injury claims, Alabama’s workers’ compensation system provides benefits regardless of fault. While workers’ comp does not require you to prove negligence, it does limit the types of compensation you can receive.
Workers’ comp benefits can provide:
- Medical benefits to cover medical expenses related to your injury
- Temporary or permanent disability benefits (to replace lost wages)
- Vocational rehabilitation for job retraining
To be eligible for workers’ compensation, you should notify your employer of your injury within 5 days of the accident (although you may have up to 90 days in some cases). Your employer is responsible for completing a First Report of Injury (FROI) form and submitting it to their workers’ comp insurer. This begins the claims process.
Filing a workers’ comp and a personal injury claim
In some specific situations, an injured worker may be able to file both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury lawsuit. This is possible if a third party (someone other than your employer or a co-worker) caused your injuries.
For example, if you’re a UPS driver injured in a vehicle accident caused by another driver, you could potentially file a workers’ compensation claim through your employer and a third-party claim against the at-fault driver.
In situations involving third parties, the process can get complicated quickly, so it’s essential to reach out to a local Birmingham work injury attorney with experience in both workers’ comp and personal injury cases to help you understand your options and maximize your compensation.
Looking for the best Alabama catastrophic injury attorney to help with your claim?
At Nomberg Law Firm, we understand how overwhelming it can be to deal with a life-changing injury, especially when you’re up against big insurance companies or corporations trying to pay you as little as possible.
Our experienced Birmingham catastrophic injury attorneys have spent more than 50 years fighting for people just like you across the state of Alabama. What sets us apart is our commitment to being honest and straightforward and truly putting your needs first.
You deserve an attorney who doesn’t just treat you like another case number but listens to your story and fights relentlessly for the compensation you need to rebuild your life.
If you’re ready to work with a firm that prioritizes you and your future, contact Nomberg Law Firm today for a free consultation. We’re here to help you every step of the way.
References
Costs Of Living With A Spinal Cord Injury | Reeve Foundation. (n.d.). Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. https://www.christopherreeve.org/todays-care/living-with-paralysis/costs-and-insurance/costs-of-living-with-spinal-cord-injury/
Edmonds, C. (2015, December 28). The Steep Cost of Brain Injury Recovery. News.northwestern.edu. https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2015/12/opinion-next-avenue-brain-injury/
M, A. (2025, January 13). How Much Does It Cost to Amputate a Leg?. Center for Advanced Cardiac and Vascular Interventions. https://cacvi.org/how-much-does-it-cost-to-amputate-a-leg/