When a catastrophic injury changes your life forever, one of the first questions families ask is: “Who is responsible for this?” The answer isn’t always simple. Catastrophic injuries often involve multiple negligent parties, from employers who cut safety corners to manufacturers who release defective products into the market.
At Cellino Law, our New York catastrophic injury lawyers have spent decades uncovering the truth behind life-altering accidents. We hold every responsible party accountable, because the compensation you recover depends on identifying everyone who contributed to your injury.
This page explains who can be held liable in catastrophic injury cases, the types of negligence that commonly cause them, and how Cellino Law’s personal injury attorneys in New York build powerful claims against individuals, corporations, and public entities alike.
Understanding Catastrophic Injury Liability in New York
A catastrophic injury, such as a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, or amputation, doesn’t just affect your health. It impacts your ability to work, live independently, and support your family. Legally, these cases fall under personal injury law, but because of their scope, they often involve several defendants and complex liability issues.
Our goal is simple: to find every responsible party, prove negligence, and pursue every available source of compensation, whether that’s through insurance, corporate assets, or government claims.
Common Defendants in Catastrophic Injury Lawsuits
1. Employers and Contractors
Workplace accidents are a leading cause of catastrophic injuries in New York, particularly in construction, manufacturing, and transportation. Employers can be held liable when:
- Safety rules or OSHA standards are ignored
- Workers are forced to use defective equipment
- Proper training or protective gear isn’t provided
- Contractors or subcontractors create unsafe conditions
While New York’s workers’ compensation laws generally bar employees from suing their direct employer, many cases involve third-party claims, against negligent subcontractors, equipment manufacturers, or property owners.
How Cellino Law helps: We conduct on-site investigations, review safety reports, and collaborate with industry experts to uncover every act of negligence that caused your injury.
2. Product Manufacturers and Distributors
Defective or dangerous products are another major source of catastrophic harm. When an automobile part fails, a medical device malfunctions, or industrial machinery lacks proper safeguards, the manufacturer can be held responsible under product liability law.
Liable parties may include:
- Manufacturers of defective components
- Designers of unsafe machinery or vehicles
- Distributors and retailers who sold the product without warnings
How Cellino Law helps: Our attorneys work with engineers and forensic experts to prove the defect and link it directly to your injury, building a case for both compensatory and, in some cases, punitive damages.
3. Property Owners and Businesses
Catastrophic injuries often occur because of unsafe property conditions, falls from heights, collapsing structures, electrical hazards, or fires caused by negligence. Under New York premises liability law, property owners have a duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions for visitors and workers.
Liability may fall on:
- Commercial landlords or building owners
- Retail stores, hotels, or apartment complexes
- Maintenance or security companies that failed to perform their duties
How Cellino Law helps: We use building code violations, inspection reports, and witness testimony to prove that the property owner knew or should have known about the danger.
4. Municipalities and Government Entities
When catastrophic injuries occur on public property, such as defective roadways, unsafe bridges, or public transit accidents, the responsible party may be a city or state agency.
Examples include:
- Unsafe road design or failure to maintain infrastructure
- Negligence by public employees or vehicle operators
- Defective public facilities or lack of hazard warnings
Filing a lawsuit against a municipality requires strict compliance with notice rules under New York General Municipal Law § 50-e, including a Notice of Claim within 90 days.
How Cellino Law helps: We handle every procedural step, preserve evidence quickly, and ensure deadlines are met so your claim isn’t dismissed on a technicality.
5. Medical Professionals and Hospitals
Medical negligence that leads to catastrophic injuries, such as paralysis, brain damage, or birth trauma, can result in claims against healthcare providers or institutions. These cases require expert testimony and detailed medical analysis to prove that the standard of care was breached.
How Cellino Law helps: Our attorneys collaborate with board-certified medical experts to build strong malpractice cases and expose errors that hospitals or insurers often try to conceal.
How Cellino Law Builds Liability in Catastrophic Injury Cases
Proving liability in catastrophic injury claims requires more than identifying a single act of negligence. It means telling the full story of what happened, and why it should never have happened at all.
Our process includes:
- Accident Reconstruction: Working with technical experts to analyze the cause.
- Medical Evaluation: Documenting the extent and permanence of injuries.
- Economic Analysis: Calculating lost income, future care costs, and total damages.
- Litigation Preparedness: Building every case as if it will go to trial, because insurers take serious cases seriously when Cellino Law is on the other side.
Local Resources for Catastrophic Injury Victims in New York
Recovery after a catastrophic injury is a long process that requires medical, emotional, and legal support. These New York institutions often play a vital role:
- Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Health – spinal cord, TBI, and amputation recovery specialists.
- Mount Sinai Hospital – Department of Rehabilitation Medicine – comprehensive care for severe trauma.
- New York State Unified Court System – where personal injury lawsuits are filed statewide.
Why Choose Cellino Law
When your life has been shattered by a catastrophic injury, you deserve more than a settlement, you deserve a law firm that understands the lifelong implications. At Cellino Law, we combine decades of trial experience, financial acumen, and personal compassion to ensure no responsible party escapes accountability.
With offices across New York, including Manhattan, Buffalo, Rochester, Melville, and Brooklyn, our attorneys are ready to fight for you and your family anywhere in the state.
Contact Cellino Law Today
If you or a loved one suffered a catastrophic injury due to someone else’s negligence, don’t wait to find out who may be liable, let us do the investigating for you.
Call Cellino Law today for a free consultation. Our New York catastrophic injury lawyers are ready to identify every responsible party and fight for the full compensation you deserve.