Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Marietta, GA

Were you injured in a catastrophic injury incident in Marietta, GA?

At Deitch + Rogers, we help injured clients in Marietta pursue full recovery in catastrophic injury matters.

If a violent crime on someone else’s property in Marietta left you or a family member with a life-altering injury, you may have a civil claim against the property owner or business whose negligence allowed the crime to occur. Catastrophic injuries from shootings, assaults, and other violent acts on poorly secured properties change everything. The medical costs alone can reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars before a victim even begins long-term rehabilitation. Deitch + Rogers has represented crime victims across Georgia for more than 40 years in civil claims against negligent property owners, businesses, and landlords. Our Marietta, GA catastrophic injury lawyer can review your case during a free consultation.

Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Marietta, GA

A catastrophic injury is one that permanently alters a person’s ability to function. In the crime victim context, these injuries most often result from shootings, severe assaults, and other violent crimes that occur on properties where the owner failed to provide reasonable security. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, paralysis, and severe internal organ damage all fall into this category.

What separates a catastrophic injury from other personal injury claims is the scope of the harm. These injuries typically require years of medical treatment, ongoing rehabilitation, and often permanent in-home care. A catastrophic injury attorney in Marietta, GA can help you understand the full financial and personal impact of the injury and what compensation may be available under Georgia law.

Types of Catastrophic Injury Cases We Handle in Marietta

Catastrophic injuries arising from violent crime take different forms depending on the nature of the attack and the setting where it occurred. At Deitch + Rogers, our focus is on cases where a property owner’s failure to maintain safe conditions or adequate security led to the violent incident that caused the injury. These are the types of catastrophic injury cases we handle in Marietta and across Georgia.

  • Traumatic brain injuries. Blunt force assaults, falls during violent crimes, and gunshot wounds to the head can cause permanent brain damage. Victims may face cognitive impairment, memory loss, personality changes, and the inability to live independently. The long-term costs of TBI care often reach well into seven figures.
  • Spinal cord injuries and paralysis. Shootings and violent assaults on negligently secured properties can cause spinal cord damage resulting in partial or complete paralysis. Victims of these injuries require ongoing medical care, adaptive equipment, and home modifications for the rest of their lives.
  • Gunshot wounds. Victims of shootings on public property frequently suffer catastrophic injuries that affect multiple organ systems. The damage from a single bullet can involve emergency surgery, internal organ repair, and months of rehabilitation. When the shooting occurred because a property owner ignored foreseeable security risks, the victim may pursue a civil claim.
  • Wrongful death. Some catastrophic injuries prove fatal, either at the scene or after weeks or months of treatment. When a victim dies from injuries sustained during a crime on a negligently maintained property, the surviving family may have both a wrongful death claim and a survival action.
  • Premises liability. The underlying basis for most catastrophic injury crime victim cases is premises liability. The property owner’s failure to maintain safe conditions or provide adequate security creates the civil claim. Broken locks, absent lighting, nonfunctional surveillance, and lack of security personnel are all factors we examine.
  • Assault and stabbing injuries. Severe assaults and stabbing incidents can cause catastrophic harm, including nerve damage, internal bleeding, and disfigurement. When these attacks happen at locations where the property owner knew about or should have anticipated the risk, the owner may be civilly liable.
  • Child care injuries. Children who suffer catastrophic injuries at daycare facilities or childcare centers due to negligent supervision or unsafe conditions face a lifetime of medical care. We represent families pursuing claims against the responsible facility.

Why Choose Deitch + Rogers as My Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in Marietta, GA?

Proven Results in Catastrophic Injury Cases

Deitch + Rogers has recovered more than $200 million for crime victims and their families. Among those recoveries are results directly involving catastrophic injuries, including a $35 million verdict in a traumatic brain injury and premises liability case, a $9.75 million recovery for a shooting victim who suffered paralysis, and a $10 million recovery for a shooting on a commercial property. Each of these cases involved holding a negligent property owner accountable for the conditions that led to a violent crime.

Partner Michael D’Antignac earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2001 and has served on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Bar Association. He is a member of the American Association for Justice and the National Crime Victim Bar Association. D’Antignac has been involved in significant catastrophic injury matters for the firm, including cases resulting in multimillion-dollar verdicts.

Founding Partners Gilbert Deitch and Andrew Rogers have spent their careers focused on plaintiff-side crime victim representation. Deitch has practiced since 1970 and is a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. Rogers, recognized by Super Lawyers, has achieved some of the highest premises liability verdicts in Georgia.

We handle catastrophic injury cases on a contingency fee basis. The firm advances all case expenses, and there are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

What Is Important to Understand About a Catastrophic Injury Case?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Catastrophic Injury Cases

The damages in a catastrophic injury case reflect the severity and permanence of the harm. Unlike a claim involving a broken bone or soft tissue injury, a catastrophic injury case accounts for the fact that the victim’s life has been permanently changed.

Economic damages in catastrophic injury claims typically include past and future medical expenses, which can encompass emergency care, surgeries, inpatient rehabilitation, medication, and assistive devices. Lost wages and diminished earning capacity are also recoverable, particularly when the injury prevents the victim from ever returning to their prior occupation. Many catastrophic injury cases require a life care plan, which is a detailed projection of the victim’s future medical and personal care needs prepared by a qualified professional.

Non-economic damages address the emotional and psychological toll of the injury. Physical pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of the ability to maintain personal relationships are all recoverable under Georgia law. Georgia also permits punitive damages where the defendant’s conduct was willfully negligent or showed a conscious disregard for the safety of others.

Liability in catastrophic injury crime victim cases requires showing that the property owner knew or should have known about a dangerous condition or security deficiency and failed to take reasonable action. Prior criminal incidents on the property, tenant or guest complaints, and applicable security standards all play a role in establishing this element.

What Are Important Aspects of a Catastrophic Injury Case?

Catastrophic injury claims are among the most complex civil cases a firm can handle. Several factors make them distinct from other personal injury matters.

  • The need for medical and vocational testimony to establish the full extent of the victim’s injuries and limitations
  • Life care planning, which projects future medical costs, equipment needs, and in-home assistance over the victim’s remaining lifespan
  • The property owner’s prior knowledge of crime or security problems at the location
  • Evidence preservation, including surveillance footage, maintenance records, and incident logs
  • The financial resources of the defendant and available insurance coverage

What Is the Catastrophic Injury Case Timeline?

Catastrophic injury cases involving crime victims tend to take longer than other civil claims because of the complexity of the medical evidence and the size of the damages at stake.

  • Medical treatment and stabilization of the victim, which may take months before the full extent of the injury can be determined
  • Filing the civil complaint within Georgia’s two-year statute of limitations for personal injury under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33
  • Discovery, including depositions of property owners, management companies, and security consultants, which typically takes six months to well over a year
  • Retention of medical, vocational, and life care planning professionals to establish the long-term cost of the injury
  • Settlement negotiations or trial, with trial becoming more likely when the damages are substantial

What Should You Bring to Your Catastrophic Injury Consultation?

Because catastrophic injury cases involve extensive medical evidence, the more documentation you can bring to the initial meeting, the more productive that meeting will be.

  • Police reports and any criminal case information
  • All medical records, surgical reports, and treatment summaries from the date of the injury forward
  • Bills for medical treatment, rehabilitation, prescriptions, and assistive devices
  • Information about the property where the incident took place, including the owner and any management company
  • Documentation of lost wages or an inability to return to work

We will review the facts of your case, identify the responsible parties, and explain what a catastrophic injury claim would involve. The consultation is free, and there is no obligation.

What Are Important Georgia Legal Resources for Catastrophic Injury Cases?

Georgia’s legal framework provides the basis for catastrophic injury claims arising from crime on someone else’s property. The following resources cover the key statutes and agencies relevant to these cases.

  • Georgia’s statute of limitations for personal injury, including catastrophic injury claims, is two years from the date of the injury under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. The full text of Georgia statutes is available through the Georgia General Assembly website.
  • Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence rule under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33. If the injured person is found to be 50 percent or more at fault, they cannot recover. If they are less than 50 percent at fault, the recovery is reduced proportionally.
  • The Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council administers the Crime Victims Compensation Program, which may provide supplemental financial assistance to crime victims with catastrophic injuries.
  • The Bureau of Justice Statistics tracks violent crime victimization data nationwide, which can support foreseeability arguments in catastrophic injury premises liability claims.

Reach Out to Deitch + Rogers to Schedule a Consultation

If you or someone in your family suffered a catastrophic injury from a violent crime on another party’s property in Marietta, GA, Deitch + Rogers is prepared to evaluate your claim. We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis and advance all costs. There are no fees unless we recover. The initial consultation is free and confidential. Contact us to speak with a catastrophic injury attorney in Marietta about your case.