Get Real Justice with Our Catastrophic Injury Attorneys Proudly Serving Clients in Nashville & Throughout Tennessee
If you are searching for a Nashville catastrophic injury lawyer after a life-changing accident, you’ve already carried enough. Fears, questions, and worries are probably taking over your thoughts when you need to focus on healing. You deserve honest answers, supportive guidance, and a legal team that listens to your story and prioritizes your needs and goals.
Catastrophic injuries can shake the foundations of your life, impacting your health, financial well-being, independence, and relationships. And when someone else’s negligence caused your injuries, it can be hard to get past.
Our promise is simple: we will protect your rights, demand accountability, and pursue full and fair compensation. All the while, we’ll be by your side, so you aren’t traveling this road alone.
At Bernheim Kelley Injury Lawyers, we get Real Results for our clients by providing Real Advocacy, backed by Real Experience. When you are ready to talk about what happened to you or your loved one, call 615-813-1111 or contact us online for a FREE consultation. Our Nashville catastrophic injury lawyers Keep It Real and stay focused on you, your family, and your future.
"*" indicates required fields
Why Choose Us?
When you’re facing one of the toughest moments of your life, you need more than just a lawyer—you need a trusted ally who will stand with you and fight for your rights.
What To Do If You or a Loved One Suffers a Catastrophic Injury
In the first hours and days following an accident, it is normal to feel scared and overwhelmed. Try to focus on safety and care, then take the small steps you can to document the accident, injuries, and losses.
Ideally, here is what you should do:
- Get medical help right away. Follow all instructions and keep every record, bill, and appointment. If you are still in the hospital, we can start our work while you heal.
- Save what you can. Photos, videos, damaged clothing, equipment, names of witnesses, etc. Anything related to the accident or injuries could be important. Don’t throw anything away.
- Report what happened. Call the police for motor vehicle crashes and file incident reports for injuries on someone else’s property or at work.
- Do not sign or record statements yet. Insurance adjusters may call fast and request an official statement or ask leading questions. Speak with a lawyer first so nothing is used against you.
- Call us. Our Nashville catastrophic injury attorneys can secure evidence, coordinate with experts, and protect the timeline so you are not rushed into a quick, unfair settlement.
Your focus has to be on recovery. We can handle the details, deadlines, and hard conversations. Contact Bernheim Kelley Injury Lawyers today for a no-obligation case review. We can evaluate your claim and discuss your options.
What Is a “Catastrophic Injury”?
A catastrophic injury is a permanent, life-changing injury. These injuries are so serious that they change how a person lives and works. They often lead to long-term disability, loss of independence, and the need for ongoing medical care and support.
Different Types of Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries look different for everyone. What they share is how drastically they can change your life. Here are the different types of catastrophic injuries:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including severe concussions, brain contusions, penetrating injuries, diffuse axonal injury, etc.
- Spinal cord injuries, including paraplegia & quadriplegia
- Amputation or loss of limb
- Severe burns
- Multiple fractures with long-term mobility limits
- Loss of vision or hearing
- Organ damage or failure
In most Tennessee personal injury cases, the cap on non-economic damages is $750,000. Non-economic damages cover things like pain and suffering, mental anguish, scarring, and loss of enjoyment of life.
However, Tennessee law also recognizes a special category called catastrophic loss or injury that can raise the non-economic damages cap. Under the law, an injury qualifies as a catastrophic loss or injury if it involves any of the following:
- Paralysis from a spinal cord injury (paraplegia or quadriplegia)
- Amputation of two hands, two feet, or one hand and one foot
- Third-degree burns over at least 40% of the body or face
If your injury meets this definition, the cap on non-economic damages increases from $750,000 to $1,000,000.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the catastrophic injuries we often see. In 2023, the Tennessee Department of Health reported 8,196 TBI patients. Nearly 1 in 5 were tied to motor vehicle crashes, and 974 families lost a loved one. These numbers represent thousands of injured Tennesseans and their families who need support, accountability, and fair compensation. And that’s only taking TBIs into account.
If you’re not sure whether your injury qualifies as a catastrophic injury, we can review your medical records, speak with your doctors, and explain how Tennessee’s laws apply to your claim. These cases require careful, long-term planning, and we work with your care team and life care planners to make sure future care, home modifications, and equipment are fully accounted for.
Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries
Severe injuries can happen in many ways, but the result is the same: a long road back and real financial pressure. Common causes include:
- Traffic crashes involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, and pedestrians
- Commercial vehicle and rideshare collisions
- Falls from heights or dangerous conditions on someone else’s property
- Workplace and construction incidents, including heavy equipment failures
- Defective products and unsafe household or industrial equipment
- Medical negligence leading to permanent harm
If the cause of your accident isn’t listed here, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a valid claim for compensation. Reach out to our compassionate team for a FREE case evaluation. We’ll listen to your story, help you understand your options, and discuss what the process of seeking Real Justice could look like.
How Can Our Nashville Catastrophic Injury Lawyers Help?
When your life changes in an instant because of someone else’s negligence, you deserve swift and fair recompense. At Bernheim Kelley Injury Lawyers, we provide compassionate, steadfast support because we know this isn’t just a case for you. This is a turning point in your life, and we strive to be a source of hope for you and your family as we work to protect your future.
Here’s how we can help, step by step:
- We get to work right away. We secure police and incident reports, photos, surveillance video, black box data, and witness statements. Quick action protects your case and keeps every path to recovery open.
- We build a clear picture of your injuries and care. We collect your medical records, talk with your providers, and map out future treatment, equipment, and costs.
- We bring in the right team. Accident reconstructionists, life care planners, vocational experts, and economists help us evaluate the full cost of your future care and support.
- We explore all avenues to compensation. We identify every responsible party and all available insurance, including excess and umbrella policies, so your recovery is not limited by one policy.
- We stay ready for trial. We push for a fair and full settlement, but if that doesn’t happen, we’re fully prepared to go to trial.
- We support you. We take the legal ins and outs off your plate by handling forms and deadlines, dealing with insurers, and sorting out medical bills and liens so your care keeps moving, and your stress goes down while your case moves forward.
What Is the Statute of Limitations on a Catastrophic Injury Lawsuit in Tennessee?
When you are hurting, dates and laws are the last things you want to think about. Unfortunately, Tennessee gives very little time to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a deadline passes, the court can dismiss your case, no matter how strong it is. Here’s what you need to know:
- Most Tennessee personal injury claims have to be filed within 1 year of the injury.
- Generally, wrongful death claims must be filed within 1 year of the date of death.
- Most medical negligence claims must be filed within 1 year of the discovery of the injury, but no more than 3 years from the date the injury was suffered.
Missing these deadlines could mean losing your right to pursue compensation. In addition, as time passes, evidence can be lost and memories fade. Starting now gives us the best chance of building a solid case.
Don’t wait. Contact us today for a FREE case review with our Nashville catastrophic injury attorneys. We will ensure deadlines are met and fight tirelessly to secure the full and fair compensation you need to move forward.
What Compensation Is Available for Catastrophic Injuries in Tennessee?
Compensation is about getting the care you need, maintaining financial stability, and reclaiming your dignity and hope. Though every case is different, Tennessee law typically allows recovery for the following:
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover the financial losses tied to your injury. These are tangible losses that we can add up by looking at bills, estimates, pay stubs, etc.
- Emergency treatment
- Hospital stays
- Surgeries
- Medications
- Rehabilitation
- Follow-up care
- Specialist visits
- In-home nursing & home health care
- Mobility aids & medical equipment
- Home & vehicle modifications
- Lost wages & benefits
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Household services you can no longer perform
Non-economic Damages
Non-economic damages address the impact your injuries have had on you as a person. These losses aren’t calculated by adding up bills. Nevertheless, they are real and compensable under Tennessee law.
- Pain & suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement & scarring
- Disability
- Loss of companionship, society & consortium
Wrongful Death Damages
Losing someone you love causes unimaginable pain. No amount of money can fill that empty space in your heart, but that is not what compensation is for. Wrongful death damages exist to ease the financial strain after a loss and to help your family seek accountability and a measure of justice.
If your family has lost a loved one, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Funeral & burial expenses
- Medical expenses incurred before death
- Loss of financial support & benefits
- Loss of companionship & guidance
If you are grieving, we will move at your pace, handle the legal work, and keep you informed so you can take care of yourself and your family.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are rare. They are meant to punish and deter especially harmful conduct, not to compensate losses. Tennessee allows them only when the defendant acted “maliciously, intentionally, fraudulently, or recklessly.”
How Do I Know If I Have a Catastrophic Injury Claim?
To determine whether you or a family member might have a catastrophic injury claim, ask yourself these questions:
- Did someone owe you a duty to act safely?
- Did that person or company fail to use reasonable care?
- Did that failure cause the incident and your injuries?
- Are you facing real losses?
If you answered “yes” to most of these, you may have a claim. If you’re unsure, tell us what happened. Let’s sit down for a FREE case review. We’ll Keep It Real, explain your options, and discuss possible next steps.
Bernheim Kelley Injury Lawyers Gets Real Results: Here’s How
When everything feels uncertain, you deserve a team that shows up, listens, and does the work with heart. We bring compassion and dedication to every interaction and keep your needs, goals, and best interests at the forefront of our minds.
Here’s what you can expect from the steadfast Nashville catastrophic injury attorneys at Bernheim Kelley:
- Decades of Real Experience. We have helped families throughout Tennessee pursue accountability and compensation after catastrophic injuries.
- Trial-ready reputation. Insurers know our record of success in Tennessee courts and negotiate differently when they see us coming.
- Transparent, Real Advocacy. You will always know what is happening, why it matters, and what comes next. And we won’t make a move that doesn’t align with your priorities.
- Real Results. We have recovered more than $1 billion for injured clients through settlements and verdicts.
- No fee unless we win. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means we don’t get paid until we recover compensation for you.
– you are in good hands!
Real Experience. Real Advocacy. Real Justice. Take the First Step
When you’re suddenly and severely injured or you lose a precious loved one in an accident, everything changes. At Bernheim Kelley Injury Lawyers, we strive to give our clients the steadfast support, guidance, and resources they need to start over.
When you work with our team of Real Advocates, you’re never alone. We Keep It Real by staying accessible, honest, and committed throughout the entire process. Let us shoulder the legal burden so you can focus on healing and family.
Contact Our Nashville Catastrophic Injury Attorneys Today for a FREE Case Review
Our Nashville catastrophic injury lawyers are ready to listen, explain your options, and start protecting your rights and your claim today. Call 615-813-1111 or contact us online for your FREE case review. We are proud to represent clients in Nashville, Davidson County, and all across Tennessee.