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Which losses can a claim cover after a life-changing catastrophic injury in Sonoma County?

When another party is legally responsible, a claim can seek past and future medical care, lost earnings, lost earning capacity and non-economic damages, and each type must be proven (CACI Nos. 3903A, 3903C, 3903D and 3905A). The Law Offices of J. Chrisp represents people with catastrophic injuries in Sonoma County and in Napa, Lake, Mendocino and Marin counties and the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Law Offices of J. Chrisp has recovered over $350 million for clients since 2010. The page also covers what counts as a catastrophic injury, case results, insurance limits, public property claims and deadlines.

What is a catastrophic injury?

One California statute, a workers’ compensation rule, says a catastrophic injury includes, but is not limited to, loss of a limb, paralysis, severe burn or severe head injury (Labor Code section 4660.1). The Law Offices of J. Chrisp’s practice areas include catastrophic injury, brain and spine injury, and wrongful death.

Case results

The Law Offices of J. Chrisp has recovered over $350 million for clients since 2010. Results the firm has obtained include:

$10,000,000 in a motorcycle-versus-car crash

$6,015,000 in a motorcycle-versus-car crash

$5,000,000 in a case involving a dangerous pool that caused a child’s brain injury

$4,000,000 in a wrongful death case

$3,000,000 in a semi-truck crash case

$1,250,000 in a car crash case involving a fractured scapula, broken ribs and a concussion

$300,000 in a car crash case involving internal organ damage

Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See more of the firm’s case results.

What damages can you recover?

If another party is legally responsible for the injury, the injured person can seek the types of damages below. Each type must be proven (CACI Nos. 3903A, 3903C, 3903D and 3905A).

Type of damages	What it covers
Past and future medical care	The reasonable cost of reasonably necessary medical care received so far, and of care the person is reasonably certain to need in the future
Lost earnings	Earnings lost to date, and earnings the person is reasonably certain to lose in the future because of the injury
Lost earning capacity	The difference between what the person could probably have earned without the injury and what they can still earn with it
Non-economic damages	Past and future physical pain, mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement and physical impairment

If the injured person’s own negligence also helped cause the harm, the damages are reduced by that person’s percentage of responsibility (CACI No. 405).

Some claims have limits. Civil Code section 3333.2 limits non-economic damages in professional negligence cases against health care providers. Civil Code section 3333.4 can bar non-economic damages in a vehicle case if the injured person was an owner or driver without the insurance or other financial responsibility the law requires. It can also bar them if the injured person was driving under the influence at the time and was convicted of that offense. An exception covers an uninsured owner injured by a driver who was convicted of driving under the influence.

If the at-fault driver has only minimum insurance

California’s minimum liability coverage is $30,000 for injury or death of one person and $60,000 for two or more people in one accident. These minimums apply to policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, and they increase for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2035 (Vehicle Code section 16056).

Underinsured motorist coverage on the injured person’s own policy may add to that amount. It applies when the at-fault vehicle is insured for less than the uninsured motorist limits carried on the injured person’s vehicle. It does not apply until the liability limits of all insured vehicles that caused the injury are used up by payment of judgments or settlements, and proof of payment is submitted to the insurer. It pays at most the underinsured motorist limit, minus amounts paid by or for those who may be legally liable (Insurance Code section 11580.2).

Claims involving public property

A public entity, such as a city, county or the state, can be liable for an injury caused by a dangerous condition of its property. Except as other statutes provide, Government Code section 835 requires proof that:

The property was in a dangerous condition when the injury happened.
The dangerous condition proximately caused the injury.
The condition created a reasonably foreseeable risk of the kind of injury that happened.
Either a public employee’s negligent or wrongful act or omission within the scope of employment created the condition, or the entity had actual or constructive notice of it in time to protect against it.

Deadlines for a catastrophic injury claim

Deadline	What it controls	Source
6 months	Written claim for personal injury against a public entity, such as a city, county or the state, counted from when the cause of action accrues. If it is missed, an application to present a late claim can be made within a reasonable time, up to one year after accrual.	Government Code section 911.2 and section 911.4
2 years	Most lawsuits for injury caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another. Professional negligence lawsuits against a health care provider have a different deadline (Code of Civil Procedure section 340.5). Lawsuits against a public entity have separate deadlines tied to the claim process.	Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1; Government Code section 945.6
Paused for minors and incapacity	If the injured person was under 18, or lacked the legal capacity to make decisions, when the claim arose, that period is generally not counted toward the lawsuit deadline. This does not apply to lawsuits against a public entity or public employee that require a government claim. Professional negligence lawsuits against a health care provider follow their own rules for minors and for pausing the deadline (Code of Civil Procedure section 340.5).	Code of Civil Procedure section 352

A lawsuit against a public entity generally cannot be filed until a written claim has been presented and acted on or deemed rejected (Government Code section 945.4).

Founding attorney Jesse Chrisp

Jesse Chrisp has represented thousands of injured clients. He holds the record for the highest personal injury verdict in Lake County. He is a graduate of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College. In 2018, he was one of four finalists for San Francisco Trial Lawyer of the Year. He was selected to Northern California Rising Stars from 2013 to 2021, an honor awarded to only 2.5% of attorneys in the state.

In a client review, Eddie Berengue wrote: “He’s incredibly skilled at what he does and a true pro!”

Offices and service area

The Law Offices of J. Chrisp serves Sonoma, Napa, Lake, Mendocino and Marin counties and the San Francisco Bay Area. The firm’s offices are:

Lower Lake (main office): 9667 Highway 29, Lower Lake, CA 95457, (707) 994-0529
Santa Rosa: 3558 Round Barn Blvd, Suite 200, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
San Francisco: 1330 Bush Street, Suite 9D, San Francisco, CA 94109

Spanish-speaking staff are available.

Frequently asked questions

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

Many personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a public entity, such as a city, county or the state, may be responsible, a written claim generally must be presented within six months after the cause of action accrues (Government Code section 911.2). For a child, time under 18 is generally not counted toward the lawsuit deadline. That rule does not apply to lawsuits against a public entity or public employee that require a government claim (Code of Civil Procedure section 352). Professional negligence lawsuits against a health care provider have their own rule for minors (Code of Civil Procedure section 340.5).

What if the at-fault driver only has minimum insurance?

For policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, the minimum is $30,000 for injury to one person, and it increases for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2035 (Vehicle Code section 16056). The injured person’s own underinsured motorist coverage may add to that. It applies if the at-fault vehicle’s liability limits are lower than the uninsured motorist limits on the injured person’s vehicle. It pays only after all at-fault vehicles’ liability limits are used up by judgments or settlements. It pays at most its limit minus amounts already paid by or for those who may be liable (Insurance Code section 11580.2).

How much does a catastrophic injury lawyer cost?

The Law Offices of J. Chrisp offers a free consultation and works on a contingency fee. There are no fees and no case costs unless we win.

If you were catastrophically injured in Sonoma, Napa, Lake, Mendocino or Marin County or the Bay Area, call the Law Offices of J. Chrisp 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477). The consultation is free, and there are no fees and no case costs unless we win.

About the Law Offices of J. Chrisp

The Law Offices of J. Chrisp is a Northern California personal injury law firm founded by attorney Jesse Chrisp, who was raised in Lake County. The firm represents injured people, with offices in Lower Lake (main office), Santa Rosa and San Francisco, and serves Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties and the San Francisco Bay Area. Consultations are free, the firm works on a contingency fee with no fee and no case costs unless the firm wins, and the phone is answered 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477). The firm was named to Best Law Firms 2026 (Tier 1, Santa Rosa, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs). Jesse Chrisp has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America since 2024 and selected to Super Lawyers from 2023 to 2026.