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Catastrophic injuries change everything at once, from mobility and income to medical needs and the plans someone had for their life. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, severe burns, and amputations require long-term care that most people never budgeted for, and the costs compound quickly. Surgeries, rehabilitation, home modifications, and lost wages accumulate over years or decades, yet insurance companies often settle before the full extent of the damage is clear.
That gap between what a claim is worth and what gets offered is exactly where our attorneys step in. At Dormer Harpring, our Denver catastrophic injury lawyers bring years of experience handling complex, high-stakes injury cases across Colorado, working directly with medical experts and economists to document the true scope of a client’s losses. Call us today at (303) 756-3812 for a free consultation to discuss what happened and what your claim may be worth.
Available 24/7 – Call us now at (303) 756-3812 for expert legal help. Your case matters, and we’re here to fight for you!
Catastrophic injury claims are not ordinary personal injury cases, and they should never be handled like one. They demand extensive medical documentation, testimony from specialists in neurology, orthopedics, or rehabilitative care, and a full accounting of costs extending decades into the future. Building a claim of this scale requires resources that many firms are unwilling to commit, which is why choosing the right Denver catastrophic injury lawyer makes a real difference in the outcome.
At Dormer Harpring, here’s how that commitment shows up:
Our record reflects that approach. In one case, for example, our client suffered a moderate traumatic brain injury and serious physical injuries after a mangled sidewalk caused him to crash his e-scooter. Rather than accept an early settlement, our team took the case to trial and secured an $8,260,000 trial win on his behalf. Every catastrophic injury case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome, but this result reflects the kind of preparation and resolve behind every case our firm takes on.
Numbers and case results tell part of the story, but hearing from the families we’ve represented shows what that experience actually feels like.
“I had a great experience with my lawyer and her support staff at Dormer Harpring. They were so nice and supportive as well as hard-working. I’m the kind of person who likes to know what’s going on weekly, and I received constant and consistent communication from them. It made getting over this accident end on a positive note, and now I am able to move happily on. Would recommend to anyone who has gone through an accident and needs help navigating insurance companies”. — Kelly Richards — 5 stars
“Dormer Harpring is a talented team of true trial lawyers, dedicated to actually litigating cases to obtain proper value for their clients’ hardships. The team is led by top-notch trial lawyers, and their staff is fantastic. In particular, my experience in working alongside Tim Garvey, Sean Dormer, and their team has been exceptional.” — Michael Harris — 5 stars
Establishing fault in a catastrophic injury claim takes more than pointing to the most obvious party. A defective product, a poorly maintained property, or a negligent driver may all share responsibility, and finding every liable party often decides whether a family recovers what the injury truly costs. Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule under Colorado Revised Statutes Section 13-21-111, so an injured person can still recover damages as long as their share of fault stays below 50 percent, with compensation reduced accordingly.
Depending on how the injury happened, liability may fall on:
Insurers often try to shift blame toward the injured party to limit their own payout. Our team gathers medical records, accident reconstructions, maintenance logs, and expert opinions before evidence disappears or memories fade. This investigation can identify every party responsible, not just the one that’s easiest to blame.
Once liability is established, the next question is what the injury has actually cost, and that number is rarely as simple as the first hospital bill. Ongoing rehabilitation, assistive equipment, home modifications, and long-term care can dwarf the initial treatment costs, and a settlement that overlooks those future needs leaves a family exposed. A Denver catastrophic injury lawyer who understands these issues builds a claim around the full scope of loss, not just expenses already incurred.
Economic damages cover the financial losses that come with a receipt or an invoice, including the following:
Non-economic damages account for losses that do not carry a dollar figure but are just as real, including:
In cases involving especially reckless conduct, punitive damages may also be available. These are meant to punish conduct beyond ordinary negligence, not to compensate for a specific loss.
Our attorneys work with treating physicians and economic experts to accurately project these costs, since undervaluing a claim today can leave a client without resources years later. A settlement accepted too early often does not reflect the full value of a case.
Injuries this severe rarely trace back to a single, predictable cause. High-speed collisions along I-25 and I-70, where commercial trucks and commuter traffic converge, produce some of the region’s most severe crash outcomes. Motorcyclists and pedestrians face heightened risk in these same corridors, since they have little protection against the force of a vehicle or truck.
Beyond the roadways, catastrophic injuries can also result from defective products or dangerous property conditions such as unsecured stairwells or poorly maintained walkways, and workplace accidents involving heavy machinery. Falls from height, equipment malfunctions, and hazardous job site conditions all carry the potential for permanent harm. In most cases, the common factor is a preventable failure by a driver, property owner, employer, or manufacturer. Identifying that failure is where a Denver catastrophic injury lawyer begins building a strong claim.
A catastrophic injury changes everything, but the right legal team can help protect what comes next. Dormer Harpring brings the resources, trial readiness, and personal attention that serious injury cases demand, and we advance every litigation cost so financial strain never dictates the outcome of a claim. If you or a loved one needs a Denver catastrophic injury lawyer, contact us today at (303) 756-3812 to schedule a free consultation.
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Visit Our Offices in Denver, CO
Our dedicated attorneys at Dormer Harpring provide compassionate and aggressive representation for clients facing motorcycle accident claims in Denver. Our firm is conveniently located at 3457 Ringsby Ct Unit 110, Denver, CO 80216, United States. Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 39.7726247, -104.9820183.
Denver Personal Injury Attorney
Fighting for Justice, Winning Against the Odds
Sean Dormer has built his career on standing up to powerful corporations and insurance companies to get justice for the injured. With a relentless trial-focused approach, he has secured multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for clients who were turned away by other firms. His expertise has led him to speak at statewide legal conferences and advocate for fairer personal injury laws in Colorado.
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Most personal injuries follow a predictable path: treatment, recovery, and a return to normal life within months. A catastrophic injury does not. Conditions like spinal cord damage or a severe traumatic brain injury cause permanent harm to mobility, independence, or cognitive function. Because the damage does not resolve, a Denver catastrophic injury lawyer builds the case differently, drawing on specialized experts and long-term cost projections that a standard injury claim rarely requires.
A catastrophic injury is one that permanently limits a person’s ability to work, care for themselves, or carry out everyday activities. Colorado courts and insurers typically consider whether the harm results in a lasting disability, restricts mobility, or deprives a person of the ability to earn a living. It is the permanence of the injury, not how severe it looked at first, that separates a catastrophic claim from a standard one.
Some injury types appear again and again in catastrophic claims, precisely because of how thoroughly they disrupt a person’s life.
Each of these injuries calls for a different combination of medical evidence and expert testimony, which is why our attorneys at Dormer Harpring evaluate the specifics of an injury before building a claim.
Colorado generally allows three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, including most catastrophic injury claims. Missing this deadline typically means losing the right to pursue compensation, regardless of the severity of the injury. A few narrow exceptions may extend or pause this window, but they are not the rule, so a Denver catastrophic injury lawyer can help confirm which deadline actually applies to your case.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney, K.C. Harpring, a Denver personal injury attorney with extensive legal expertise.
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