Savannah GA Catastrophic Injury Lawyers

Are You in Need of a Savannah GA Catastrophic Injury Lawyer?

A catastrophic injury changes everything. Whether you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, severe burns, or multiple fractures, the impact on your life and your family is profound. You deserve a legal team with the resources, experience, and determination to pursue full compensation.

At Butler Prather LLP, we understand the serious nature of catastrophic injury cases. Our Savannah personal injury attorneys have decades of experience taking on insurance companies, powerful corporations, and other negligent parties to secure justice for clients in Savannah.

Why Choose Us Over Other Catastrophic Injury Attorneys in Savannah?

Butler Prather LLP has built a national reputation for high-stakes cases. We handle big cases with the personal attention and dedication they deserve.

Here’s why so many clients trust us with serious injury claims:

• Over 35 years of experience helping clients nationwide
• More than $500 million recovered in a single product liability case
• Ten verdicts over $100 million
• Recognized by Super Lawyers based on peer reviews and independent research
• Proven record in trials involving brain injuries, paralysis, and wrongful death
• We prepare every case for trial

Life-Altering Injury? You Deserve Justice

Why You Should See an Experienced Savannah Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Right Away

Time is critical after a catastrophic injury. Evidence can be lost, witnesses’ memories can fade, and insurance companies may pressure you into signing away your rights. A qualified attorney can intervene immediately to:

• Preserve key physical and digital evidence
• Investigate the cause of the injury thoroughly
• Protect you from lowball settlement offers
• Help coordinate necessary medical evaluations and treatment
• Ensure that deadlines are met and procedural rules are followed

What’s the Legal Process for a Catastrophic Injury Claim?

Catastrophic injury cases require in-depth preparation and legal strategy. When you work with Butler Prather LLP, here’s what you can expect:

1. Free Consultation. We begin by reviewing your accident, medical condition, and how your life has been impacted. If we take your case, you owe us nothing unless we recover compensation.
2. Investigation. Our attorneys and investigators gather all relevant evidence, including accident reports, photos, expert evaluations, witness statements, and surveillance footage. We may hire engineers, accident reconstructionists, or medical specialists as needed.
3. Filing a Claim. We file a formal claim against all responsible parties and notify their insurance carriers. This may include businesses, drivers, manufacturers, or property owners.
4. Pre-Litigation Negotiation. We attempt to resolve the claim through negotiation. Our preparation allows us to demand full compensation, backed by strong evidence and expert testimony.
5. Litigation and Trial. If the other side refuses to make a reasonable settlement offer, we are always ready to argue your case in front of a jury.

What Is the Statute of Limitations in Georgia?

What Is a Catastrophic Injury?

A catastrophic injury permanently alters a person’s ability to live independently, earn a living, or enjoy a normal quality of life. These injuries often involve significant physical or neurological damage and require long-term medical care.

Examples include:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Severe burns
• Bone fractures
• Amputation
• Lacerations
• Hearing loss
• Vision loss
• Nerve damage
• Organ failure

How an Experienced Savannah GA Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help

A catastrophic injury case is not like a typical accident claim. The stakes are higher, and the legal strategy must reflect that. At Butler Prather LLP, we:

• Investigate all facts thoroughly to determine how and why the injury occurred
• Identify every liable party, including individuals, companies, and manufacturers
• Work with top-tier medical experts to document the long-term impact of your injury
• Consult life care planners and economists to project your future costs and losses
• Negotiate powerfully with insurers who want to minimize your claim
• Litigate boldly in court if the other side refuses a fair settlement

Serious Injury. Serious Results.

We’re nationally recognized for winning big cases. Call (706) 322-1990 to learn more today.

Types of Damages Available

Catastrophic injury victims may be entitled to recover a broad range of damages, including:

• Medical expenses (past, present, and future)
• Rehabilitation and physical therapy
• Home care and accessibility modifications
• Lost income and future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish and emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disfigurement or loss of mobility

How Negligence Causes Catastrophic Injuries

Most accidents that cause catastrophic injuries are the result of somebody’s careless behavior. Types of accidents that happen when people refuse to take sensible precautions include:

• Car accidents. Speeding, tailgating, texting while driving, ignoring traffic signals, sudden lane changes, and other hazardous maneuvers can ruin somebody’s life in an instant.
• Tractor-trailer accidents. A big-rig truck is heavy, unwieldy, and takes over twice as long to stop as a regular vehicle. Trucking companies must only hire safe drivers and make sure they have the necessary training to handle such a dangerous machine. These trucks also require regular maintenance and inspections to make sure brakes, tires, lights, and other safety features are working properly. Butler Prather LLP won the largest trucking accident injury verdict in U.S. history.
• Motorcycle accidents. Motorcycles are a convenient way to get around, and they leave a much smaller carbon footprint than cars, trucks, and SUVs. Unfortunately, motorcycle riders and their passengers are much more vulnerable to serious injuries that result when careless drivers fail to pay attention to the road.
• Product liability. A lot of people are severely harmed when companies fail to adequately test products before releasing them into the marketplace. The Savannah catastrophic injury lawyers at Butler Prather LLP are proud of the landmark verdicts we have won in product liability cases. This includes representing drivers and passengers who were injured in fires caused by unsafe gas tanks in Jeep Cherokees. Occupational hazards. Occupational diseases caused by hazardous substances and toxins in the workplace can lead to respiratory illness, hearing loss, musculoskeletal disorders, and cancer.
• Premises liability accidents. Falls and other types of harmful accidents will occur when landlords, businesses, and property owners fail to fix broken stairs, loose handrails, inadequate lighting, lack of warning signs, broken smoke detectors, slippery floors, and other hazards.
• DUI. There is no excuse for accidents caused by drivers whose reflexes, judgment, vision, coordination, and other essential driving skills are seriously impaired by drug and alcohol consumption.

What Clients Are Saying About Us

A very satisfied client! - Roy Burns (5-Star Google Review)

My wife was involved in a terrible wreck, hit by a large truck that ran a RED LIGHT! One of my brothers told me about this law firm, Butler Prather LLP! After praying to God to help my wife recover from this wreck, the second best thing was calling Butler Prather LLP. This firm operates as a highly professional organization, competent and extremely loyal to its clients. When you are assigned an attorney to work your case, you also meet a team of professionals. And they all come to work for you; my wife and I called it "Total Coverage," from start to finish, your team is hard at work to win your case for you! A very satisfied client!

Everyone was thorough, available, and compassionate - Kathy Thrasher (5-Star Google Review)

Mr. Jim Butler and his colleagues worked diligently on my behalf. Their ability to navigate our situation gave me and my family peace of mind that our case was in competent hands. Everyone was thorough, available, and compassionate as they guided and assisted me through this difficult time.

Case Results

Auto Products / Wrongful Death

Kim Hill and Adam Hill, surviving children and Co-Administrators of the Estates of Melvin Hill and Voncile Hill, deceased v. Ford Motor Company, The Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack (Inc.), Curtis Clinton Thompson, Jr., Willie Braswell, and Donald Taylor; State Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia. On August 19, 2022, a jury in Lawrenceville, Georgia returned a verdict against Ford Motor Company in a case arising out of a fatal rollover wreck that killed Melvin and Voncile Hill. The case was filed on December 22, 2014, by Kim Hill and Adam Hill, the surviving sons of Melvin and Voncile Hill, who were tragically killed on April 3, 2014. The jury returned a verdict for the wrongful death of Melvin and Voncile Hill and for their pain and suffering in the amount of $24,030,500 and also awarded $1.7 billion in punitive damages. The jury apportioned 70% of the fault to Ford and 30% of the damages against Pep Boys, a tire distributor that mistakenly installed the wrong size, or "load range," tires of the Hills' truck in 2010. That mistake caused the right front tire to blow out, causing the wreck. Undisputed evidence at the trial showed the wreck was survivable, and the crushing of the roof caused the injuries that led to the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Hill. Pep Boys settled in 2018. This is the largest verdict by far in Georgia history. The case has been litigated for several years and was originally tried in 2018 until Ford’s violation of a multitude of court orders forbidding Ford from injecting into the trial arguments the Court had excluded caused the Gwinnett County State Court to grant a mistrial. The Court subsequently sanctioned Ford. The case was tried in a second trial for three weeks in August 2022. Plaintiff was represented by James E. Butler, Jr. and Daniel E. Philyaw of Butler Prather LLP, assisted by Butler Prather paralegal Sarah Andrews and another paralegal, and by Gerald Davidson of Mahaffey Pickens Tucker LLP, along with Mike Terry and Laurie Taylor of Bondurant Mixson & Elmore.

Product Liability / Auto / Rollover / Quadriplegia

Rodriguez v. Suzuki Motor Corp. and American Suzuki Corp.; Circuit Court of St. Louis, Missouri. Kathryn Rodriguez, 32 years old at the time of this verdict, is a quadriplegic who was paralyzed while riding as a passenger in a Suzuki Samurai that rolled over on February 11, 1990. The case involved the propensity of the Suzuki Samurai to rollover due to an unstable and defective vehicle design. The jury awarded $25 million in compensatory damages and $11.9 million in punitive damages against Suzuki. Testimony and documents at trial showed that Suzuki developed a “crisis plan” to deal with the Samurai rollover problem more than three months before the first Samurai was sold in the United States. Suzuki documents further showed that it knew the Samurai, because of its narrow wheelbase, was “bound to turn over.” General Motors evaluated a Samurai-type vehicle in the early 1980s and rejected the idea of importing it into the United States because the vehicle would have “unacceptable rollover tendencies.” After G.M. refused to import and market the Suzuki vehicle, Suzuki decided to sell the vehicle itself in the United States without making the significant engineering changes recommended by G.M. More than 240 cases have been filed against Suzuki, and more than 8,200 people have been injured and 213 killed in Samurai rollover accidents since Suzuki started selling the vehicle in the U.S. This case was first tried to a verdict of $90 million in July of 1995. The first jury’s verdict was reversed because of the exclusion of evidence that the driver had consumed some wine at a winery before the accident. On retrial, the Court admitted evidence of wine consumption. The second jury’s verdict of $36,900,000 was also appealed by Suzuki. The case was settled by Suzuki after an appeal before a third trial.

Speak With an Experienced Savannah Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury in Savannah, you don’t have to face this battle alone. Contact the Georgia catastrophic injury lawyers at Butler Prather LLP today at (706) 322-1990 for a free consultation. We’re here to help you seek justice and restore your dignity.

Catastrophic Injury FAQs

What qualifies as a catastrophic injury?

A catastrophic injury is one that causes permanent or long-term impairment and significantly affects a person’s ability to work or live independently. Examples include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, severe burns, amputations, and multiple orthopedic injuries.

What types of compensation can I recover for a catastrophic injury?

You may be eligible for damages including:

• Medical expenses (past and future)
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Home modifications and long-term care
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Punitive damages (in cases of gross negligence or misconduct)

How long do I have to file a catastrophic injury lawsuit in Georgia?

Generally, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the injury. However, if a government agency is involved, a formal notice may be required within six months.

Do I have a valid catastrophic injury case?

If your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence or misconduct and it has resulted in long-term or life-changing consequences, you may have a case. We offer free consultations to evaluate the details and provide honest feedback.

How are future medical costs calculated in these cases?

We work with life care planners, rehabilitation specialists, and economists to calculate the full scope of future expenses, including surgeries, therapy, assistive devices, home care, and lost income.

What if my injury was caused by a defective product or unsafe workplace?

You may have claims against manufacturers, contractors, or third parties in addition to any workers’ compensation. We regularly handle product liability and industrial injury cases and can identify all sources of liability and compensation.

Meet Our Savannah GA Catastrophic Injury Attorneys

James E. Butler Jr.

James E. Butler Jr. is a founding partner of Butler Prather LLP and one of the most accomplished trial attorneys in the United States. Over the course of his career, he has secured some of the largest verdicts in American legal history, including multiple verdicts exceeding $100 million and one of over $500 million in a single product liability case. His trial work has not only delivered justice for individual clients, but also driven corporate accountability and improved public safety.

Known for his relentless preparation and courtroom skill, James has represented clients in high-stakes cases involving catastrophic injury, wrongful death, product defects, and corporate misconduct. He is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group of the top 100 plaintiff trial lawyers in the country, and has been featured in the Atlanta Bar Association’s Legends of the Bar Series.

Ramsey B. Prather

Ramsey B. Prather is a skilled trial attorney and partner at Butler Prather LLP, where he focuses on representing individuals and families in high-stakes personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability cases. Known for his strategic thinking and meticulous case preparation, Ramsey has played a key role in securing substantial verdicts and settlements for clients harmed by corporate negligence, unsafe products, and catastrophic accidents.

Ramsey’s practice includes complex litigation involving trucking accidents, defective vehicles, industrial injuries, and unsafe premises. He is particularly skilled at simplifying highly technical evidence for juries and developing compelling narratives that highlight the human cost of negligence. His legal work reflects a deep commitment to holding powerful defendants accountable and making communities safer.

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Savannah Office:
213 West York Street
Savannah, GA 31401