Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Kendall, FL
If you or someone you love has suffered a catastrophic injury in Kendall, then you may be facing a reality that looks nothing like the life you had before. Our team has more than 15 years of experience helping victims of tragic accidents and injuries recover the compensation and justice they deserve. Our Kendall, FL catastrophic injury attorney is here to make sure your best interests are taken care of in the aftermath of a serious accident that left someone with a severe and potentially life-altering condition.
Founding Attorney Andres Lopez has been handling serious personal injury cases in Florida since 2009. We take catastrophic injury cases on a contingency basis, which means there are no fees unless we win.
Why Choose The Andres Lopez Law Firm for Catastrophic Injury in Kendall, FL?
When injuries are serious enough to be categorized as catastrophic, the attorney you hire matters for the outcome of your case. Not every personal injury firm has the background or the willingness to go the distance on a catastrophic case, but we do.
Andres Lopez Has Been Doing This Since 2009
Since 2006, Attorney Andres Lopez has practiced law in Maryland, and from 2009 in the state of Florida. He graduated from the University of Maryland and the University of Maryland School of Law. He handles cases across all areas of personal injury, including catastrophic and life-altering injuries. He has been admitted to practice in the Southern District of Florida, the Middle District of Florida, and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. That breadth of licensure makes an impact when large defendants try to move cases to federal court.
He’s also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which is a recognition reserved for attorneys who have obtained million-dollar verdicts or settlements, and was named a Florida Rising Star in both 2015 and 2016.
We Are Not Afraid to Go to Trial
Insurance companies quickly know which law firms are likely to settle, and which ones are actually prepared to litigate. We are not afraid to take a case in front of a jury if needed. Our strategy and approach changes how defendants and their insurers negotiate. When you have a catastrophic injury case in Kendall, FL, having an attorney who will go to trial gives your case real leverage.
Results That Reflect Serious Commitment
Our firm has helped clients recover millions of dollars across personal injury cases, including a $1,000,000 resolution in an Uber wrongful death claim and an $875,000 recovery in a medical malpractice matter. Catastrophic injury claims, by their nature, involve some of the largest settlements, and we approach them accordingly.
No Fees Unless We Win
We handle catastrophic injury claims in Kendall on a contingency fee basis. This means that you pay nothing upfront for our services. There are no legal fees unless we obtain compensation for you. That means you can pursue justice for a life-changing injury without worrying about how to pay for it.
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“I’m so grateful for attorney Andres and his firm. They help after my accident and guided me through the entire process, explained everything clearly, and always kept me updated. They truly fought for my best interests and made a stressful situation so much easier to handle.” — Laura Romy
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types of Catastrophic Injury Cases We Handle in Kendall
Not every catastrophic injury case is the same. These types of injuries tend to permanently alter a person’s ability to work, care for themselves, or live independently. We handle a range of these high-stakes cases for clients throughout the Kendall area.
- Traumatic brain injuries. TBIs range from severe concussions to permanent cognitive damage. We work to document long-term impacts, such as memory loss, behavioral changes, reduced earning capacity, which insurers routinely undervalue or deny. Sleep disturbances, emotional dysregulation, and cognitive decline are real injuries that belong in your claim.
- Spinal cord injuries. Partial or complete paralysis affects every part of a person’s life, including their mobility, employment, relationships, and independence. These cases require projections of lifetime medical costs, personal care needs, and lost wages, and that’s exactly how we build them.
- Motorcycle accidents. Riders have almost no physical protection in a crash. When a Kendall motorcycle accident results in catastrophic harm, we pursue the full picture of damages. Not just emergency care, but long-term rehabilitation, adaptive equipment, and the permanence of what was taken.
- Pedestrian accidents. A pedestrian struck by a car often faces injuries far more serious than those in the vehicle. Fractures, organ damage, head trauma, and back and spine injuries are common. We handle fault analysis, insurance disputes, and full damages recovery for pedestrian injury victims.
- Car accidents. High-speed collisions, rollover crashes, and commercial vehicle impacts can produce catastrophic outcomes. We’ve handled severe car accident cases and understand how to fight back when insurers attempt to argue that the victim’s injuries aren’t serious.
- Rideshare accident injuries. Uber and Lyft accidents involving significant injuries carry complicated insurance issues, such as which policy applies and what it covers. We’ve handled Uber claims at the catastrophic level and know how to navigate the arbitration clause complications and coverage disputes that come with them.
- Slip and fall injuries. Falls from heights, staircase collapses, and similar premises failures can cause spinal damage, head trauma, and other permanently disabling conditions. When a property owner’s negligence caused your injury in Kendall, we build the liability case from the ground up.
- Dog bites. Severe dog attacks can result in nerve damage, disfigurement, and the need for reconstructive surgery. Florida imposes strict liability on dog owners, and we pursue every available avenue of recovery for victims of serious attacks.
Florida Legal Requirements for Catastrophic Injury Claims
Florida’s laws on personal injury have changed significantly in recent years, and those changes directly affect catastrophic injury cases in Kendall, FL.
Statute of Limitations. Under Florida Statute § 95.11, personal injury claims based on negligence now carry a two-year statute of limitations. This change took effect March 24, 2023, reducing the prior four-year window to half. So if your injury occurred on or after that date, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. If you miss that deadline, the Florida courts will dismiss your case, regardless of how strong it is.
For catastrophic injuries, this compressed timeline matters even more. Long hospital stays and extended recovery periods can create the false impression that there is time to wait. But the investigation process, gathering documentation and evidence, and filing your case all have to happen within that window of time.
Modified Comparative Fault. Florida follows a modified comparative fault system under Florida Statute § 768.81. Under the 2023 tort reform changes, if you are found more than 50% at fault for your own injury, you cannot recover compensation at all. If you are found partially at fault but less than 50%, your damages are reduced proportionally. Defendants and their insurers frequently argue that injured people share fault, but this is a standard tactic to reduce or eliminate what they owe.
Both of these laws create real risk for catastrophic injury victims who wait too long or handle a claim without legal counsel.
What Damages Are Recoverable in a Kendall Catastrophic Injury Case?
Catastrophic injuries produce losses that go far beyond your current expenses. Florida law allows injured people to pursue several categories of compensation.
Economic Damages cover the measurable financial costs of the injury. This includes emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, surgeries, physical and occupational therapy, ongoing medication, and anticipated future medical care. Lost wages from time missed at work are also recoverable, and so is loss of earning capacity, which is the difference between what you could have earned without the injury and what you can now realistically expect to earn going forward.
Non-Economic Damages address what doesn’t show up as a monetary expense. Most commonly, this includes pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, permanent disability and disfigurement, and the loss of companionship in serious cases where the injury affects a marriage or family relationship. These damages are very real, and they are often the largest component of a catastrophic injury recovery.
Punitive Damages are less common but available in Florida when a defendant’s conduct was intentional or showed a conscious disregard for the safety of others. Under Florida Statute § 768.73, punitive damages are capped at three times the compensatory award or $500,000, whichever is greater, though exceptions exist. In cases involving drunk drivers, certain product failures, or deliberate misconduct, we evaluate whether punitive damages apply and pursue them accordingly.
The CDC’s data on traumatic injury shows that serious injuries account for a disproportionate share of long-term disability and lifetime medical costs in the United States. Catastrophic cases need to be built with that full picture in mind, including what this injury will cost a person over the next 20, 30, or even 40 years.
Contact The Andres Lopez Law Firm
If you suffered a catastrophic injury in Kendall or anywhere in the surrounding area, we want to hear from you. Attorney Andres Lopez handles these cases personally, and we offer free consultations for personal injury matters.
We work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Catastrophic injury claims move fast under Florida’s two-year statute of limitations, so reaching out now protects your options. Contact us to schedule your consultation and let us evaluate what your case is worth.