Catastrophic Injury matters in Long Beach
Long Beach is a working city. The Port of Long Beach, one of the busiest container ports in the country, sends a constant stream of big-rigs up and down the 710 freeway, through the industrial corridors near the harbor and along Anaheim Street and Pacific Coast Highway. Add the refineries and rail yards, the dense apartment neighborhoods of the East Side and downtown towers, and a busy waterfront, and you have a city where catastrophic injuries can arise from truck and forklift collisions, dock and warehouse accidents, falls from height, and high-speed crashes on the 405 and 710. The most severely hurt are often taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center or the Level I trauma center at nearby Harbor-UCLA. MMG Law Firm represents people whose lives are changed in these moments.
Why catastrophic injury cases stand apart
Traumatic brain injury, spinal-cord injury, severe burns, traumatic amputations, and polytrauma with multiple fractures are different from ordinary claims. They often mean permanent disability, a lifetime of care, and the loss of a person's ability to earn a living. Because the exposure is so large, insurers and self-insured trucking and shipping companies fight these claims aggressively, disputing fault and the extent of harm. In a port city full of commercial defendants, having a lawyer who will dig into the evidence matters.
The role of a life-care plan
The future is where a catastrophic case is won or lost. A life-care planner, guided by treating physicians, projects the lifetime cost of surgeries, therapy, equipment, medication, and in-home care. Vocational experts measure lost earning capacity, and economists reduce those future costs to present value. Without this work, a settlement rarely reflects what a serious injury truly costs over a lifetime.
Catastrophic injuries common in Long Beach
- Traumatic brain injury from crashes and falls from height
- Spinal-cord injury and paralysis after truck and dock collisions
- Severe burns from refinery, industrial, and vehicle fires
- Traumatic amputations and crush injuries from heavy machinery
- Multiple fractures and internal injuries (polytrauma)
Why not to settle too soon
After a port or freeway accident, the bills come fast and an early offer can be tempting. But settling before maximum medical improvement, when doctors can finally describe your long-term condition, can leave you covering future care yourself. A signed release ends the case for good.
Deadlines and the local court
Most California injury claims must be filed within two years under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a government entity is involved, such as a City of Long Beach vehicle, a public transit bus, or a dangerous public roadway, a written claim is generally due within six months under Government Code section 911.2. Long Beach cases are usually filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, frequently at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse downtown. Evidence at a busy port or freeway scene can vanish quickly, so early legal help is valuable. MMG Law Firm offers free consultations in English, Armenian, and Russian, with no fee unless we win.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with catastrophic injury
A catastrophic injury is measured over a lifetime, and Mihran M. Ghazaryan builds it that way. He assembles the life-care plan and the medical and economic experts who can prove the true future cost, refuses the quick lowball offer insurers use to close out large exposure early, and prepares the case for the long horizon it requires — so the recovery reflects the care you'll actually need.
Types of catastrophic injuries we handle
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
From concussion with lasting cognitive effects to severe TBI. We pair imaging and neuropsychological testing with day-in-the-life evidence so the invisible effects are made concrete.
Spinal-cord injury and paralysis
Paraplegia and quadriplegia carry lifelong attendant-care and accessibility costs. A life-care plan quantifies them so the demand reflects the real future.
Amputation, severe burns, and disfigurement
Permanent loss and scarring support significant non-economic damages alongside future surgical and prosthetic costs.
Multiple fractures and polytrauma
Injuries needing several surgeries, hardware, and extended rehabilitation, where future-treatment proof drives the value.
Damages
What compensation can cover
Every catastrophic injury claim is different, but California law allows injured plaintiffs to seek several categories of damages. We build each one with documentation — medical records, wage statements, expert opinions — so nothing is left on the table.
Medical expenses
Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and the future treatment your providers say you'll need.
Lost wages
Income you lost while recovering — and, where the injury affects your ability to work, diminished future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has changed how you live day to day.
Property damage
Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other property damaged in the incident.
Out-of-pocket costs
Transportation to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and the other expenses an injury forces on you.
How we work
- 1
Free, no-pressure consultation
We listen first. We answer your questions. There is no fee for the initial conversation — and you decide whether to engage us at the end of it.
- 2
Investigation and evidence preservation
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, vehicle data, surveillance video, medical records. The earlier we collect, the harder it is for the other side to reshape the story later.
- 3
Treatment, demand, and negotiation
We coordinate with your providers, document the full extent of damages — medical, lost income, pain — and present a demand backed by evidence. We push back firmly when an insurer lowballs.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Most matters settle. When an insurer refuses to be reasonable, we file. Preparing every case as if it will be tried is what makes the settlement number move.
What to do right away
- Follow every treatment recommendation and keep all specialist appointments — gaps in care get used against you.
- Keep a journal of pain, limitations, and how daily life has changed.
- Preserve everything: medical records, bills, the device or vehicle involved, and the scene if possible.
- Designate one family member to track providers and expenses while you focus on recovery.
- Do not accept an early settlement before the full extent of future care is known.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the insurer before speaking with a lawyer.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Deadlines that matter
Most California personal-injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss the window and the court will almost always dismiss the case, no matter how strong it is.
Claims against government entities are much shorter — generally a written claim within six months (Government Code §911.2). Crashes involving city vehicles, public buses, or dangerous public-road conditions can fall under this rule.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.