When an injury changes everything, the legal decisions you make in the weeks and months that follow can shape your financial future for years to come. At Bird, Stevens & Borgen, P.C., we represent people throughout Rochester and southeastern Minnesota who have suffered serious, life-altering injuries caused by someone else’s negligence. Negligence, in plain terms, means that another person or company failed to act with reasonable care, and that failure caused harm to you.
These cases are not like typical injury claims. They involve higher medical costs, longer recoveries, greater financial losses, and legal issues that require careful, experienced handling. If you or a family member has been seriously hurt, understanding your rights and options as early as possible may make a meaningful difference in your case.
Not every serious injury is generally considered catastrophic. A broken arm that heals completely in a few months is a serious inconvenience, but it is generally not what attorneys and courts consider catastrophic. The distinction matters.
A catastrophic injury is one that causes long-term or permanent harm. It may prevent a person from returning to work, living independently, or performing basic daily tasks. In many cases, it requires ongoing medical treatment, rehabilitation, home modifications, or around-the-clock care. Some catastrophic injuries are immediately obvious at the scene of an accident. Others, such as certain traumatic brain injuries, may not show their full impact until days, weeks, or even months later.
Courts and medical professionals in Minnesota generally consider an injury catastrophic when it results in:
The severity of the injury, and how it affects the specific person’s life, often determines how a claim is valued and pursued. Two people can sustain similar injuries and face very different long-term consequences depending on their age, health, occupation, and other circumstances.
This is often the first question people have, and it is a fair one. When injuries are severe and permanent, the financial stakes are significant. Catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases often involve greater losses than other personal injury claims, which typically means the potential compensation may be higher.
In Minnesota, injured victims may pursue two broad categories of financial recovery, known as damages. Damages is the legal term for the money a court or settlement can award to compensate for losses caused by another party’s wrongdoing.
Economic damages cover measurable financial losses, including:
Non-economic damages cover losses that are harder to put a number on but are just as real:
In some situations, a court may also award punitive damages. These are not intended to compensate the victim but to punish a defendant, which means the party responsible for the harm, for especially reckless or intentional conduct. Punitive damages are not common, but they may be available in certain cases involving deliberate disregard for the rights or safety of others.
What a specific case is worth depends entirely on the facts. The nature and permanence of the injury, the strength of the evidence, the responsible party’s insurance coverage, and other variables all play a role. We cannot promise a particular outcome, but we can work to build the strongest possible picture of your losses and pursue full and fair compensation on your behalf.
Catastrophic injuries can result from many different types of accidents and incidents. Some of the most serious and frequently seen include:
Catastrophic injuries can result from many different types of accidents and incidents. Some of the most serious and frequently seen include:
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) A blow or jolt to the head can cause damage to the brain that affects cognitive function, memory, speech, personality, and motor skills. Some TBI survivors recover significantly with treatment. Others face permanent changes that affect every area of their lives. TBIs can be difficult to diagnose early, which is one reason why medical attention after any head trauma is so important.
Spinal Cord Injuries Damage to the spinal cord can cause partial or complete paralysis. Depending on the location and severity of the injury, a person may lose function in their legs (paraplegia) or in both arms and legs (quadriplegia). Spinal cord injuries often require lifelong medical care, assistive devices, and home modifications.
Amputations and Limb Loss The loss of a limb, whether at the scene of an accident or later due to tissue damage and infection, is among the most devastating outcomes of a serious accident. Victims may need prosthetics, extensive rehabilitation, and ongoing psychological support to regain independence.
Severe Burn Injuries Second and third-degree burns covering significant portions of the body can cause permanent scarring, disfigurement, nerve damage, and a heightened risk of infection. The road to recovery often involves multiple surgeries and years of treatment.
Organ Damage Internal injuries that result in permanent loss of function in the kidneys, lungs, liver, or heart may qualify as catastrophic, particularly when ongoing medical management is required for the rest of the person’s life.
Permanent Vision or Hearing Loss Injuries that result in total or significant loss of sight or hearing can permanently affect a person’s ability to work, communicate, and live independently.
Each of these injury types carries its own medical complexity and its own legal challenges. Our attorneys work to understand the full scope of what you are facing, not just the immediate medical bills.
Motor Vehicle Accidents Collisions on U.S. Highway 52, U.S. Highway 14, and U.S. Highway 63 are among the more common sources of serious injury in the Rochester area. High-speed crashes on these corridors can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and multiple fractures. Truck accidents, in particular, can be devastating given the size and weight of commercial vehicles. Motorcycle riders and pedestrians are especially vulnerable in these collisions.
Workplace Accidents Rochester’s healthcare sector, construction industry, and manufacturing operations all carry inherent risks. Falls from heights, equipment malfunctions, and exposure to hazardous materials can leave workers with permanent injuries. In some situations, a worker may have claims beyond a standard workers’ compensation claim, particularly when a third party’s negligence contributed to the accident.
Slip and Fall Accidents Premises liability, which is the legal responsibility a property owner has for maintaining a reasonably safe environment, covers situations where dangerous conditions on someone else’s property cause serious injury. A severe fall in an icy parking lot, on a poorly maintained floor, or from an unsafe staircase can result in spinal injuries, head trauma, and broken bones that lead to lasting complications.
Medical Malpractice Given that Rochester is home to Mayo Clinic and a number of other healthcare facilities, medical errors do occasionally occur. When a healthcare provider’s failure to meet the accepted standard of care causes a patient to suffer a serious, permanent injury, a medical malpractice claim may be possible.
Defective Products A faulty vehicle component, dangerous machinery, or a defective consumer product can cause catastrophic harm. In these cases, the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer may be liable for the injuries caused by their product.
Construction Accidents Falls from scaffolding, being struck by falling objects, and equipment accidents are common causes of catastrophic injuries on construction sites in and around Rochester.
The steps taken in the days and weeks following a serious injury can affect the strength of a legal claim. While every situation is different, some general guidance applies in most cases:
Catastrophic injury cases are among the most legally complex personal injury matters. They involve large amounts of money, contested facts, multiple parties, and medical questions that require input from specialists. Trying to navigate this process without legal representation can lead to serious mistakes that are difficult or impossible to correct later.
At Bird, Stevens & Borgen, P.C., our legal team may assist with:
Cases filed in Olmsted County are handled through the Olmsted County District Court, which is part of Minnesota’s Third Judicial District. Understanding how local courts handle these matters, and how judges and juries in this region tend to approach serious injury cases, is part of what our law firm brings to each case.
We also serve clients from Byron, Stewartville, Kasson, and other communities throughout southeastern Minnesota who may have been injured in or around the Rochester area.
A serious injury affects every part of your life. The financial pressure, the physical pain, the uncertainty about the future, and the emotional toll on your family are all real. At Bird, Stevens & Borgen, P.C., we understand what is at stake, and we take these cases seriously.
Our attorneys represent injured people in Rochester and throughout Olmsted County and the surrounding region. If you believe your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, we encourage you to reach out for a consultation. The sooner we can review the facts of your situation, the sooner we can help you understand your options and take steps to protect your future.
Contact Bird, Stevens & Borgen, P.C. today to speak with a catastrophic injury lawyer about your case.
To schedule a free initial consultation with a lawyer from our firm, contact us online now. You may also call our offices in Southern Minnesota or the Twin Cities. To reach our location in Rochester, call 507-282-1503. To reach us in Bloomington, call 612-421-0526. We are always happy to answer questions about important legal matters.
