Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
When a sudden, life-changing accident upends your family, you need clear guidance and steady support. If you or a loved one suffered a severe injury in Huntington, our catastrophic injury lawyer in Huntington at Shulman & Hill helps individuals and families pursue accountability and full compensation.
Our personal injury lawyer in Huntington knows you may be facing hospital bills, missed income, and uncertainty about the future. We explain your options, manage the insurance process, and prepare your case for trial when needed. With over 200 years of combined experience, our team can help you build a strong case.
What Counts as a Catastrophic Injury
A catastrophic injury causes permanent or long-term impairment, disfigurement, or loss of a bodily function. These injuries affect your ability to work, live independently, or enjoy daily activities. In New York, they often meet or exceed the “serious injury” threshold that allows you to seek pain-and-suffering damages beyond no-fault benefits.
Examples include traumatic brain injuries that impair memory and cognition, spinal cord injuries that limit mobility or lead to paralysis, and severe orthopedic injuries requiring multiple surgeries. Life-care planning is common in these cases to project future medical needs and costs.
Catastrophic Injury Cases We Handle in Huntington
We handle severe injury claims arising from motor vehicle collisions, motorcycle and bicycle crashes, pedestrian impacts, falls on dangerous property, construction site incidents, medical negligence, defective products, and building fires or explosions. If another party’s carelessness or a dangerous condition caused your harm, we pursue every liable party.
Our catastrophic injury lawyers in Huntington also manage claims for families after fatal accidents. A wrongful death case can recover funeral costs, financial losses to dependents, and other damages permitted under New York law.
How Fault and Insurance Work in New York
New York is a no-fault state for car crashes, which means your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) covers initial medical bills and a portion of lost wages regardless of fault. For catastrophic harm, you can step outside no-fault and bring a liability claim when the injury meets the statutory “serious injury” threshold or your losses exceed PIP.
Outside of auto cases, fault drives recovery. Property owners, contractors, healthcare providers, and product manufacturers each owe duties of care. We identify how those duties were breached, connect that breach to your injuries, and seek damages from all responsible insurers to avoid leaving money on the table.
Compensation You Can Pursue in Huntington
Severe injuries create immediate and lifetime costs. We calculate both to present the complete impact of the accident. Economic losses cover quantifiable financial harm, while non-economic losses capture human losses like pain, grief, and loss of independence. To build a full-value claim, we document:
- Past and future medical treatment and rehabilitation
- Lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and job benefits
- Home and vehicle modifications and in-home support
- Pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring or disfigurement and loss of consortium
- Wrongful death damages allowed under New York law
Evidence That Strengthens Your Claim
Strong evidence is the foundation of a successful catastrophic injury case. We secure accident reports, scene photos, surveillance footage, black box data, safety logs, and witness statements. When corporate or institutional defendants are involved, we move quickly to preserve records and prevent spoliation.
Your medical records tell the story of severity and permanence. We work closely with treating physicians, neurologists, orthopedists, burn specialists, and rehabilitation experts to document impairment, limitations, and prognosis. Functional capacity evaluations and neuropsychological testing often clarify how the injury affects work and daily living.
Deadlines and Special Rules in New York
New York imposes strict time limits that vary by case type and defendant. Missing a deadline can end your claim. If your case involves a public entity, you may need a Notice of Claim within 90 days, followed by a shorter statute than in private actions.
Most negligence claims must be filed within three years. Wrongful death actions generally have a two-year window. Medical malpractice claims are typically two years and six months from the act or last treatment. Product liability mirrors general negligence in many situations. There are exceptions and tolling rules, so prompt review is vital.
How Our Catastrophic Injury Lawyers in Huntington Build Your Case
We start with a detailed intake to map out liability, coverage, and damages. Our catastrophic injury lawyers in Huntington then launch an evidence plan: preserve physical evidence, send spoliation letters, interview witnesses, and retain experts in fields like accident reconstruction, life-care planning, vocational economics, and medical specialties.
Each expert addresses a piece of liability or damages, so the whole case fits together. We calculate future needs using life-care plans and present-value projections for long-term costs.
Dealing With Insurer Tactics
Insurers often argue preexisting conditions, delay authorizations, or send you to independent medical exams. We prepare you for each step, challenge biased reports, and counter with treating-physician opinions and objective test results. When needed, we file motions to compel discovery and sanctions to keep the case moving.
If the defense questions causation, we connect the dots with imaging, surgical findings, and expert testimony. When they minimize pain and suffering, we use day-in-the-life videos and witness statements to show how your injury changed daily routines and relationships.
How Fees Work and What You Can Expect
We handle catastrophic cases on a contingency fee. You pay no upfront legal fees, and our fee is a percentage of the recovery. Case costs like experts, filings, transcripts are advanced by us and typically reimbursed from the settlement or award, which we explain in writing.
At the end of the case, you receive a closing statement showing the gross recovery, deductions for costs and fees, lien resolutions, and your net. Transparency helps you plan for the next phase of care and life.
Contact Our Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in Huntington
You should not shoulder lifelong medical needs, lost income, and daily hardships caused by someone else’s carelessness. Shulman & Hill builds cases that reflect the full scope of your losses and pushes insurers to pay what the law allows.
Contact us today to get answers and a clear plan forward in a free consultation.