When a catastrophic injury changes your life in an instant, you need a lawyer who understands what you’re facing. Williams Hart & Boundas, LLP represents people in Big Spring, Texas who have suffered severe, life-altering injuries. We know that catastrophic injuries demand more than standard legal representation. They require strong advocacy and a deep commitment to pursuing the compensation you may need for long-term care and recovery.
What Qualifies as a Catastrophic Injury
A catastrophic injury is not a broken bone or a minor cut. These injuries can permanently alter your ability to work, care for yourself, or enjoy the life you had before the accident. Catastrophic injuries often result in long-term or permanent disability, ongoing medical treatment, and significant changes to your quality of life.
Common catastrophic injuries include spinal cord damage that causes paralysis, traumatic brain injuries that affect cognitive function, amputations that require prosthetics and rehabilitation, severe burns requiring multiple surgeries, and permanent disfigurement. These injuries may have lasting effects on your future, your family’s future, and your financial stability.
In Big Spring, catastrophic injuries often occur in workplace accidents. The oilfield and construction industries see many of these cases. Motor vehicle collisions, defective products, and premises liability incidents also cause catastrophic harm. Whatever the cause, these injuries require legal representation that reflects their severity.
Why Choose Williams Hart & Boundas, LLP for Your Catastrophic Injury Case
Williams Hart & Boundas, LLP has recovered millions of dollars for clients who suffered catastrophic injuries. Our team includes attorneys who focus on severe injury cases. We bring extensive experience handling the medical, financial, and legal issues that catastrophic injuries can involve.
Cesar Tavares, one of our partners, secured a $25 million settlement for a client injured in an oil and gas incident. He also secured a $14 million settlement for another oil and gas accident victim. He recovered $1.5 million for a client who suffered severe burns from a defective product and $800,000 for a client with a back injury from a work truck collision. These results reflect past case outcomes and do not guarantee similar results in future cases.
Alma Reyes Tavares focuses on catastrophic injuries and product defects. She has been recognized by national trial lawyer organizations, including selections among leading attorneys in her practice areas. Her experience in catastrophic injury cases means your claim receives focused attention.
We work on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront. We only collect a fee if we recover compensation for you. This approach allows you to focus on your recovery while we handle your claim. Catastrophic injury cases often require significant resources—medical professionals, consultants, investigators, and extensive case preparation. We invest these resources to build your case and pursue a fair outcome.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries We Handle
Our firm represents clients with many types of catastrophic injuries. Spinal cord injuries, whether resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia, may require lifetime care and support. Traumatic brain injuries can affect memory, cognition, personality, and physical function. Amputations and limb loss often involve prosthetics, rehabilitation, and adaptation to a new way of living.
We also handle severe burn injuries that require multiple surgeries and skin grafts. Neck and back injuries can result in long-term disability. Complete paralysis from accidents requires detailed legal and medical evaluation. Severe facial disfigurement and loss of vision or hearing also require careful legal handling. Each of these injuries requires a clear understanding of the medical, financial, and personal impact on your life.
How We Build Your Catastrophic Injury Case
Building a strong catastrophic injury case requires thorough investigation and detailed analysis. We begin by investigating the accident. We gather evidence, interview witnesses, and determine who may be responsible for your injuries. This investigation process is critical in workplace injury claims and oilfield accidents.
We then work with medical professionals to document the full extent of your injuries and assess their long-term impact. This includes current medical expenses, projected future care, rehabilitation needs, and ongoing treatment. We evaluate your lost earning capacity by considering what you may have earned over your lifetime if the injury had not occurred.
We also document non-economic damages, including pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and the impact on your relationships. These damages can make up a significant portion of a catastrophic injury claim. Our approach to documenting damages ensures maximum recovery potential.
Throughout this process, we prepare your case for trial. Insurance companies often take settlement negotiations more seriously when a case is fully developed for court. While many catastrophic injury cases settle, we approach each case with trial preparation in mind.
Compensation Available for Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injury cases can involve substantial compensation because the damages are significant. Economic damages include medical expenses—past, present, and future—which may reach hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars over time.
- Economic damages also include lost wages and reduced earning capacity. If an injury prevents you from working, you may be able to recover lost income over many years. If your earning ability is reduced, compensation may reflect the difference between past and current earning potential. Texas law allows juries to award these damages when supported by the evidence.
- Non-economic damages may include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, loss of companionship, and the impact on personal relationships. These damages are particularly important in cases involving spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries.
Several factors affect the value of your case, including your age, the severity of the injury, your prognosis, and how the injury affects your daily life. Texas law also recognizes comparative negligence. If you were partially at fault, you may still recover compensation, as long as you are not more than 50 percent responsible, and any recovery would be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a catastrophic injury claim in Big Spring, Texas?
Texas law generally gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit. This deadline is known as the statute of limitations. Certain exceptions may apply, particularly in cases involving wrongful death or maritime accidents. Speaking with an attorney can help you understand how the deadline applies to your situation.
What makes a case “catastrophic”?
A catastrophic injury is one that results in long-term or permanent impairment and significantly alters your life. These injuries often require ongoing medical care and may limit your ability to work or live independently. Examples include spinal cord injuries, amputations, and severe burns.
How much is my catastrophic injury case worth?
The value of a case depends on factors such as the severity of the injury, medical costs, lost income, and overall impact on your life. Some catastrophic injury cases result in substantial settlements or verdicts, but outcomes vary based on the facts of each case. Our case results page provides examples of recoveries we have achieved.
Do I need to go to trial for my catastrophic injury case?
Many cases settle before trial. However, preparing a case for trial can strengthen your position during negotiations. Some cases do proceed to court when a fair settlement cannot be reached. We have experience with construction accidents, workplace injuries, and other complex catastrophic injury litigation.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
Under Texas law, you may still recover compensation if you were partially at fault, provided you are not more than 50 percent responsible, and any award would be reduced in proportion to your share of fault. This principle applies across all injury types, from motor vehicle accidents to workplace incidents.
Contact Williams Hart & Boundas, LLP for Your Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury in Big Spring, contact Williams Hart & Boundas, LLP today. Call (713) 230-2200 to speak with a catastrophic injury lawyer. We offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
We are available to answer your questions and discuss your case. We serve Big Spring and the surrounding areas of Howard County and West Texas. Contact us to learn more about your legal options and how we may assist you. Whether you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or other severe injury, our team is ready to help.