Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Chicago, IL

A catastrophic injury can change a person’s life in a single moment. A spinal cord injury, a severe brain injury, or the loss of a limb can mean months in the hospital, years of therapy, and a future that looks very different from the one the person planned. A catastrophic injury lawyer in Chicago, IL can investigate what happened, measure the full lifetime cost of the injury, and pursue compensation from the people responsible. Jacobson Injury Firm represents seriously injured people throughout Chicago. Contact the firm for a free consultation.

How Catastrophic Injury Claims Work in Illinois

“Catastrophic injury” is not a separate legal category in Illinois. The term describes an injury so severe that it causes permanent disability, long-term care needs, or a lasting loss of the ability to work. Most of these claims are negligence claims, which means the injured person must show that someone failed to act with reasonable care and that this failure caused the injury.

What sets these cases apart is the size and length of the losses. A claim has to account for care the person will need for decades, not just the bills already received. That usually takes medical experts, life care planners (specialists who map out future medical and support needs), and economists who can put a value on lost future earnings.

Workplace Injuries and Third-Party Claims

Many catastrophic injuries happen on the job. Under 820 ILCS 305/5, an employee covered by the Workers’ Compensation Act generally cannot sue their own employer and must rely on workers’ compensation benefits instead. The same section allows an injured worker to sue a third party, meaning someone other than the employer, such as a negligent driver, a subcontractor, or an equipment manufacturer. If that claim succeeds, the employer may be repaid from the recovery for the workers’ compensation benefits it paid.

Where Catastrophic Injuries Happen in Chicago

Traffic crashes are a leading source of life-changing injuries in Chicago. The Chicago Department of Transportation’s annual crash report found that 1,896 people were seriously injured and 130 were killed in Chicago traffic crashes in 2024, according to a summary by Streetsblog Chicago.

The city’s police crash records on the Chicago Data Portal show where serious injuries cluster. In 2025, the streets with the most incapacitating injuries in that data included:

• Western Avenue:54 incapacitating injuries
• Cicero Avenue:51 incapacitating injuries
• Pulaski Road:48 incapacitating injuries
• Halsted Street:42 incapacitating injuries

People with the most severe injuries are often taken to one of the city’s Level I trauma centers, which are equipped to treat the most critically injured patients around the clock. These include Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Streeterville, UChicago Medicine in Hyde Park, and John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, which in 2025 became the first trauma center in Chicago to receive Level I verification from the American College of Surgeons.

Common Types of Catastrophic Injuries

Jacobson Injury Firm handles claims involving many kinds of life-altering injuries, including:

• Traumatic brain injuries that affect memory, thinking, mood, or physical abilities
• Spinal cord injuries, including partial or complete paralysis
• Amputations and the loss of a limb
• Severe burns that require skin grafts or leave permanent scarring
• Multiple fractures and crush injuries that need several surgeries
• Loss of vision or hearing
• Internal organ damage

These injuries often come from car and truck crashes, pedestrian and motorcycle crashes, construction accidents, dangerous property conditions, and defective products.

What Compensation Can a Catastrophically Injured Person Recover?

Because a catastrophic injury affects the rest of a person’s life, the claim must look forward as well as back. Compensation may include:

• Past and future medical expenses, including surgeries and hospital stays
• Rehabilitation, therapy, and in-home or long-term care
• Medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and prosthetics, and home or vehicle modifications
• Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering and emotional distress
• Disfigurement and loss of a normal life

The value of a claim depends on the severity of the injury, the available insurance, and the strength of the evidence. A settlement that seems large today can fall short if it does not account for decades of care, which is why the firm’s guide on how strong a personal injury case is stresses careful case evaluation.

What If the Injured Person Was Partly at Fault?

Illinois follows a modified comparative fault rule under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. An injured person found more than 50% responsible for their own injury cannot recover damages.

A person who is 50% at fault or less can still recover, but the award is reduced by their share. For example, a person found 20% at fault with $1,000,000 in damages could recover $800,000. With so much at stake, insurers often try to shift blame onto the injured person, so a thorough investigation matters.

What Should You Do After a Catastrophic Injury?

The first priority is medical care. Once the injured person is stable, family members can take steps to protect the claim:

• Follow every treatment plan.Gaps in care can be used to argue the injury is less serious than it is.
• Keep records.Save medical bills, discharge papers, pay stubs, and a journal of daily limitations.
• Preserve evidence.Photos of the scene, damaged vehicles or equipment, and witness names can be hard to recover later.
• Get the police or incident report.For workplace injuries, make sure the employer has a written report.
• Avoid recorded statements.Insurers may ask for a statement early, before the extent of the injury is known. Speaking with a lawyer first can protect the claim.

Some symptoms take time to appear. The firm’s article on how car accidents can affect your health long after the crash explains why.

How Long Do You Have to File a Catastrophic Injury Claim in Illinois?

Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, most personal injury lawsuits in Illinois must be filed within two years after the cause of action accrued, which is usually the date of the injury.

A shorter deadline applies when a local government body is responsible. Under 745 ILCS 10/8-101, most lawsuits against a local public entity, such as the City of Chicago, must be filed within one year. Catastrophic injury cases take time to build, so a catastrophic injury lawyer in Chicago, IL should be involved well before any deadline approaches.

No Fee Unless We Win

Jacobson Injury Firm handles catastrophic injury cases on a contingency fee basis. There is no upfront cost, and no attorney fee is owed unless the firm recovers compensation.

The firm represents plaintiffs only. Clients work directly with attorney Adam Jacobson, who is licensed in Illinois, Florida, New York, and Connecticut and prepares each case as if it may go to trial.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes an injury “catastrophic”?

There is no single legal definition. The term generally refers to injuries that cause permanent disability, require long-term care, or prevent a person from returning to work, such as paralysis, severe brain injuries, and amputations.

Can I sue if I was catastrophically injured at work?

An Illinois worker generally cannot sue their own employer and receives workers’ compensation benefits instead. If a third party, such as a negligent driver or equipment maker, caused the injury, the worker may also bring a lawsuit against that party.

How is the value of future care calculated?

Lawyers often work with physicians, life care planners, and economists. Together they estimate the medical care, equipment, and support the person will need over their lifetime, along with lost future earnings.

How long does a catastrophic injury case take?

These cases often take longer than typical injury claims, because the full extent of the injury may not be known until treatment stabilizes. Cases that go to trial can take longer still.

How much does a catastrophic injury lawyer cost?

Jacobson Injury Firm works on a contingency fee basis. Clients pay nothing upfront, and there is no attorney fee unless money is recovered.

Contact a Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in Chicago, IL

Jacobson Injury Firm’s Chicago office is listed on its Google Business Profile: Jacobson Law Offices, 1 E Erie St Ste 525, Chicago, IL 60611. A life-changing injury calls for a claim that reflects the full cost of the future, not just today’s bills. A catastrophic injury lawyer in Chicago, IL can investigate the cause, document the lifetime losses, and stand up to insurance companies. Contact Jacobson Injury Firm today to schedule a free consultation.