The CDC reports about 214,110 TBI-related hospitalizations (2020) and 69,473 TBI-related deaths (2021) in the U.S. Catastrophic injuries happen when extreme force, exposure, or medical failures cause permanent harm. These injuries often stem from crashes, falls, workplace accidents, or negligence. The effects are long-lasting, and recovery involves far more than just healing. While prevention matters, so does knowing what to do next when the worst happens.
At Smith Barkett Law Group, our Oklahoma City catastrophic injury lawyer works with families who are suddenly dealing with medical bills, lost wages, and insurance company pressure after life-changing harm. Below is a clear, clinical breakdown of how catastrophic injuries typically happen and what support can look like afterward.
A catastrophic injury usually has at least one key feature that makes it life-changing. It may cause permanent disability or long-term impairment, require major medical care with ongoing rehabilitation or physical therapy, and create lifetime care costs instead of short-term bills. It can also change basic functions such as walking, speaking, memory, vision, or the ability to handle everyday self-care.
Common examples include:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a good example of why this category matters. About 18,000 new traumatic spinal cord injuries occur each year in the U.S., and hundreds of thousands of people live with SCI.
Catastrophic injuries create a ripple effect. The injured person may face:
Families often absorb hidden burdens too: transportation, caregiving time, and the stress of uncertainty. The medical diagnosis is only part of the story. The daily impact is what makes these injuries life-changing.
High-impact trauma is a common cause of catastrophic injury. The body cannot absorb extreme force without serious harm, especially to the brain and spine. This harm often comes from rapid deceleration, direct impact to the head or spine, crush forces, or a secondary hit like the steering wheel, glass, or the ground.
These extreme forces show up in:
Seat belts and helmets don’t prevent every catastrophic outcome, but they can reduce risk. They also reduce the secondary impacts that cause brain injuries and spinal cord damage.
Severe burns can become catastrophic because they can damage more than just the skin and may affect breathing, infection risk, and long-term mobility. The larger and deeper the burn, the more likely it is to require specialized care and long rehabilitation. These injuries often lead to lasting scarring and functional limits that change daily life.
Burn injuries can become catastrophic when they involve:
The American Burn Association reports large national burdens from burns, including hundreds of thousands of burn-related injury visits and tens of thousands of hospital admissions each year.
Some catastrophic injuries happen inside the body, not on the surface. When the brain loses oxygen or the body loses too much blood, organs can fail quickly, even with little visible injury. That’s why serious trauma should be treated as an emergency; someone can look stable and still be in real danger.
Examples include:
This is one reason we emphasize immediate medical attention after serious trauma. A person can look stable and still be in danger.
Motor vehicle accidents can cause catastrophic injury in seconds because crashes combine speed, weight, and sudden impact angles. The result can be severe harm to the brain, spine, or internal organs, often with long-term disability and high medical expenses. The CDC also lists motor vehicle crashes as a common cause of traumatic brain injuries.
Severe outcomes often include:
Risk factors that increase severity:
Work-related injury is another common source, especially in industrial and construction settings.
High-risk workplace events include falls from height, struck-by incidents involving falling objects or equipment, and crush injuries caused by machinery. They can also involve chemical exposure that leads to severe burns, as well as electrical injuries that cause serious internal damage.
Safety protocols help, but when they fail or when a hazard is ignored, injuries can be devastating.
Slips and falls can cause catastrophic outcomes, especially for older adults or when the fall is from a height. Serious falls can cause brain injuries from head impact and spine and back injuries, including cervical fractures. They can also lead to hip fractures with long-term mobility loss and internal bleeding in vulnerable patients.
Falls are also a major contributor to TBI hospitalizations, according to CDC summaries.
Sports injuries can become catastrophic in rare but serious events, especially when the head, neck, or spine is involved.
High-risk categories include:
The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research (NCCSIR) tracks catastrophic sports injuries and publishes annual reports to support prevention and rule changes.
Some catastrophic injuries result from medical errors or failures in care. Examples can include:
These cases tend to be evidence-heavy and depend on medical records, expert review, and causation analysis. When catastrophic harm happens in a healthcare setting, proving what went wrong often requires careful medical review.
After a catastrophic injury, recovery is not only medical, it’s also legal and financial. To secure support, you usually must prove who is responsible and show that the event caused the injury and the losses. Strong documentation helps you answer insurance company pushback and keep the focus on the facts.
In catastrophic cases, proof often includes medical records and imaging, specialist reports, and documentation of rehab or therapy. It may also include incident reports, such as worksite reports or crash reports, along with photos or video when available. In many cases, expert opinions help explain the injury mechanism and the long-term prognosis.
Insurance companies may challenge causation by claiming the injury is pre-existing or not related. Strong medical documentation helps address that.
Catastrophic injury claims often involve high stakes and complicated insurance issues. When medical bills, lost income, and fault disputes pile up, legal help can protect your rights and keep the claim on track. A lawyer can also help organize proof and deal with insurers while you focus on care and recovery.
In Oklahoma, fault can matter even when injuries are severe. Oklahoma’s modified comparative negligence rule is in 23 O.S. § 13.
Legal representation can help with:
After a catastrophic injury, compensation should reflect both the immediate crisis and the long-term reality. These cases often involve high medical costs, major life changes, and losses that don’t show up on a receipt. A clear damages breakdown helps show what recovery truly requires.
Economic damages can include medical expenses and future care, rehabilitation and physical therapy, durable medical equipment, and home modifications needed for daily living. They may also cover lost wages and long-term lost income when the injury affects your ability to work.
Non-economic damages may include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In appropriate cases, they can also include loss of consortium, which reflects how the injury affects a spouse and the relationship.
Catastrophic injuries tend to come from high force, burns, internal disruption, or preventable failures in safety protocols. Prevention steps such as seat belts, sober driving, safe work practices, and proper supervision can lower risk, even though they can’t erase it.
If a catastrophic injury happens, treat it like a medical emergency and a documentation emergency. Get care, follow up, and keep records. Then get help handling insurance companies and the legal process, especially when lifetime care costs are on the table.
An injury causing permanent disability or long-term impairment, like spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, severe burns, loss of vision, or major organ damage.
Most come from high-impact trauma, severe burns, oxygen deprivation, internal bleeding, or major medical complications after a serious accident.
Car and truck accidents, workplace and construction accidents, serious falls, severe sports incidents, medical negligence, and some crime-related injuries.
Immediately. Call 911 for severe pain, confusion, head impact, numbness, weakness, burns, breathing problems, or any symptoms that rapidly worsen.
Often, two years is the time limit for many personal injury claims under 12 O.S. § 95, but exceptions can apply. Get legal advice early.
You may be able to recover costs for medical care, lost income, future treatment, and pain and suffering. It all depends on who’s at fault and the supporting evidence.
Catastrophic injuries can create lifelong medical needs, sudden financial burdens, and hard decisions while you’re still trying to stabilize your health. Early action can help preserve evidence, organize medical records, and reduce the risk that insurance companies will undervalue severe injuries.
At Smith Barkett Law Group, we put clients first. We can go over the details of your accident and help you understand the different paths you can take to get help. If you or someone in your family has dealt with a life-changing injury that requires long-term care in Tulsa or anywhere in Oklahoma, contact us for a free consultation.
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