Miami Catastrophic Injury Attorney

Reviewed by Mike Redondo, Founding Attorney, Redondo Law, P.A. • Updated October 2026

Redondo Law helps people whose lives were changed by a serious injury. If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, severe burn or other life-changing injury anywhere in Miami or the rest of Miami-Dade County, a Miami catastrophic injury lawyer can help you build a claim that covers the rest of your life, not just the next few months.

The consultation is free, and you pay no fee unless we win. Our phones are answered 24/7, and our staff is fully bilingual (Se habla español). You can meet us at our office at 2828 Coral Way, by phone or by video. If you are in the hospital or cannot travel, we come to you.

What counts as a catastrophic injury

Florida law has no single definition of a catastrophic injury. In practice, it means an injury that causes permanent harm, changes how a person lives and works, and needs long-term care. People often search for a severe injury lawyer when they realize the injury will not simply heal. These are the injuries we see most often.

Traumatic brain injury

A blow or jolt to the head can damage the brain in ways that last for years. Problems with memory, focus, mood, speech and balance can make it hard to work or live alone. Some brain injuries are missed at first. Learn more on our traumatic brain injury page.

Spinal cord injury and paralysis

Damage to the spinal cord can cause partial or complete loss of movement and feeling below the injury. That can mean paraplegia or quadriplegia, loss of bladder and bowel control, and care needs that last a lifetime. See our spinal cord injury page.

Amputation and loss of a limb

Losing a hand, arm, foot or leg, in the incident itself or later in surgery, changes daily life. Prosthetic limbs wear out and must be replaced over a lifetime. Many people also need therapy, changes to their home and training for new work.

Severe burns

Deep burns can require skin grafts, many surgeries and long hospital stays. They can leave scarring, nerve damage and limited movement. Burns from vehicle fires, explosions, electrical accidents and defective products are covered on our burn injury page.

Loss of vision or hearing

Losing sight or hearing affects work, driving, safety and independence. It may mean new devices, new training and help at home for years to come.

Multiple fractures with permanent impairment

Some broken bones heal well. Others do not. A crushed pelvis, a shattered joint or several fractures from one event can leave lasting pain, limited movement, arthritis and future surgeries. When the impairment is permanent, the claim must reflect that.

Why catastrophic injury cases are different

In a typical injury case, most of the losses have already happened by the time the case settles. In a catastrophic injury case, most of the losses are still ahead. The question is not just what the hospital bills were. It is what this injury will cost over the next 20, 30 or 50 years. That changes how the case is built.

Life care plans

A life care plan is a detailed report of the care a person will likely need for the rest of their life. It is prepared by a life care planner, often a nurse or rehabilitation professional, working from the medical records and the treating doctors’ opinions. It lists surgeries, therapy, medications, equipment, attendant care and follow-up visits, and what each will cost.

Future medical costs

Future care is often the largest part of a catastrophic injury claim. Wheelchairs need replacing. Prosthetics wear out. Some people need nursing care at home or in a facility. A settlement is usually final. If future costs are left out, there is no going back for more later.

Lost earning capacity

Lost wages cover the paychecks you already missed. Lost earning capacity covers what you would have earned over your working life if you had not been hurt. A young worker with a long career ahead can lose far more than the paychecks missed so far. We work with vocational evaluators and economists to measure that loss.

Home and vehicle modifications

Someone who uses a wheelchair may need ramps, wider doors, a roll-in shower, a lift and an adapted vehicle. Some families have to move to a new home. These costs belong in the claim.

The role of economists and life care planners

Numbers this large have to be proven, not guessed. A life care planner lays out the care needed. An economist calculates what that care and the lost income will cost over time, in today’s dollars. Your treating doctors support the medical need. Together, their work turns a life-changing injury into evidence a jury can understand.

Pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life

A claim can also include pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, loss of the ability to enjoy life and, in some cases, a spouse’s loss of companionship. These losses are real even though there is no receipt for them.

How insurers fight catastrophic injury claims

When a claim could be large, the insurer and the defense put real resources into it. Common tactics include:

• Blaming a prior condition. They argue your back, brain or joints were already damaged before the incident.
• Attacking the life care plan. They hire their own planners and economists to argue you need less care, cheaper care or care for fewer years.
• Surveillance and social media. They may watch you or study your posts for anything that seems to show you are doing better than you say.
• Shifting fault. Under Florida’s comparative fault rule, every percentage of fault they put on you lowers what you can recover.
• Early, low offers. An offer made before the full extent of the injury is known can look large and still fall far short of lifetime costs.
• Delay. Families facing medical bills and lost income feel pressure to settle. Delay can add to that pressure.

Mike Redondo and his team give every case personal attention. Before founding Redondo Law in 2019, he spent six years at Holland & Knight defending major corporations in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. He has sat on the other side of these claims. He knows how corporate defendants and their lawyers value a severe injury case, where they look for weak points and what evidence matters to them. Learn more about Mike Redondo.

Common causes of catastrophic injuries in Miami

Catastrophic injuries usually come from high-force events. These are the causes we see most across Miami-Dade.

• Truck crashes. Semi-trucks and 18-wheelers on I-95, the Palmetto Expressway and the Turnpike can cause devastating harm. See our truck accident page.
• Motorcycle crashes. Riders have little protection, and head, spine and limb injuries are common. See our motorcycle accident page.
• Pedestrian accidents. People on foot along busy roads like Biscayne Boulevard, SW 8th Street and Collins Avenue face serious risk from passing traffic. See our pedestrian accident page.
• Falls. A fall from a height, down stairs or on a wet floor can cause brain and spine injuries, especially for older adults. See our slip and fall page.
• Boating accidents. Collisions, ejections and propeller strikes on Biscayne Bay and offshore can cause amputations and brain injuries. See our boat accident page.
• Defective products. Faulty tires, airbags, power tools, batteries and other products can cause burns and severe injuries. See our product liability page.

High-speed car crashes on the Dolphin Expressway, I-95, US-1 and other Miami-Dade roads also cause life-changing injuries. See our car accident page.

Trauma care in Miami and what comes after

Miami is home to a major trauma center, Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. People with the most serious injuries are often taken to a trauma center first. Emergency care is only the start. Many patients then move on to surgery, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient therapy and years of follow-up care.

Keep every record, bill and discharge paper from every stage. Write down the names of your doctors and therapists. Your treating doctors are often the most important witnesses in a catastrophic injury case, because they know your injury most closely. We work with them and with your family to document how the injury has changed daily life.

If you are still in the hospital, you do not need to come to us. We can meet at the bedside, by phone or by video. Our bilingual staff can talk with family members in English or Spanish.

Medical liens: Medicare, Medicaid and health insurance

When someone else pays your medical bills, they may have a right to be paid back from your settlement. This is called a lien or a right of reimbursement. In a catastrophic injury case, liens can be large, and they must be dealt with before money is paid out.

• Medicare. If Medicare paid for injury-related care, federal law requires it to be repaid from the settlement. Ignoring a Medicare claim can cause serious problems later.
• Medicaid. Florida law gives Medicaid a right to be repaid from a recovery for care it paid for. The amount claimed can sometimes be challenged or reduced.
• Health insurance. Many private and employer health plans have repayment terms. Some plans fall under state law and some under federal law, and the type of plan affects how much it can claim back.
• Hospitals and providers. Some hospitals and doctors file liens or wait to be paid from the case.

We identify every lien early, check that each charge is related to the injury, and work to reduce liens where the law allows. What matters is what reaches you, not just the gross settlement number.

What to do after a catastrophic injury in Miami

Florida law that applies to catastrophic injury claims

Comparative fault. Florida uses modified comparative negligence. If you are found more than 50% at fault, you generally recover nothing. At 50% or less, your recovery is reduced by your share. In a hypothetical case where a jury finds you 10% at fault, your damages are reduced by 10%.

PIP and the permanent injury threshold. In a car crash, your own PIP pays first, up to $10,000: 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages. That is a small amount next to a catastrophic injury. To seek pain-and-suffering damages from the at-fault driver, you generally must have a permanent injury, significant scarring or a similar injury. Catastrophic injuries often meet this threshold, but it still has to be proven. PIP does not cover motorcycle riders.

Low insurance limits. Florida does not require most drivers to carry bodily injury liability coverage, so many at-fault drivers have little or none. Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) coverage on your own policy can help. We also look for every other source, such as an employer, a trucking company, a property owner or a product maker.

When a catastrophic injury leads to death, the family may have a wrongful death claim, brought by the personal representative of the estate on behalf of the estate and survivors.

Why choose Redondo Law as your catastrophic injury attorney

A severe injury case takes time, attention and resources over months or years. With Redondo Law, you know who is responsible for your case. We build it around your future: your care, your income and your family. We work with life care planners, economists, vocational evaluators and your treating doctors to prove what the injury will cost. We handle the liens, the insurers and the paperwork so your family can focus on recovery.

Our staff is fully bilingual, and our phones are answered 24/7. We serve clients across Miami-Dade, from Hialeah and Doral to Miami Beach and Homestead. You can see our case results, and you pay no fee unless we win.

Frequently asked questions

What is considered a catastrophic injury in Florida?

Florida law has no single fixed definition. The term usually means an injury that causes permanent harm and long-term care needs, such as a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury or paralysis, amputation, severe burns, loss of vision or hearing, or multiple fractures with lasting impairment. What matters in a claim is proving how the injury changes your life, your work and your future medical needs.

How much is a catastrophic injury case worth?

Value depends on the injury, future medical costs, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, fault, and the insurance and assets available. In serious cases, a life care plan and an economist’s analysis help show what the injury will cost over a lifetime. We explain what drives value in your case.

How long does a catastrophic injury case take?

Often longer than a typical injury case. We usually need a clear picture of your long-term medical outlook before we can value the claim, and that takes time. Settling too early risks leaving out future costs. Some cases resolve without a lawsuit, and others go through a full lawsuit and trial. The filing deadline still applies, so work on the case should start early.

Do I have to pay back Medicare, Medicaid or my health insurance?

Often, yes. Medicare must be repaid from a settlement for injury-related care it paid for. Florida Medicaid and many health plans also have repayment rights. The amount claimed is not always correct, and some liens can be reduced. We identify each lien early, check the charges and work to lower them where the law allows, so more of the recovery reaches you.

What is a life care plan in a personal injury case?

A life care plan is a report that lists the medical care, equipment, therapy, home help and other services a seriously injured person will likely need for life, along with the cost of each. A life care planner prepares it from the medical records and the treating doctors’ opinions. An economist then calculates the total cost over time. It is often the backbone of a catastrophic injury claim.

Can I still recover if I was partly at fault?

Yes, in many cases. Florida uses modified comparative negligence. If you are 50% or less at fault, you can recover, but your damages are reduced by your share. If you are found more than 50% at fault, you generally recover nothing. Insurers often push fault onto the injured person, so evidence gathered early matters a great deal.

If you or a loved one suffered a life-changing injury anywhere in Miami-Dade, call (305) 908-6778 or contact us online for a free consultation with a Miami catastrophic injury lawyer.