Catastrophic Injuries

Catastrophic injuries are completely life changing injuries caused by another person or business. John Elliott Leighton has obtained many verdicts and settlements on behalf of catastrophically injured clients for over 24 years. Mr. Leighton has recently been re-elected as Chairman of The Academy of Trial Advocacy, a national invitation-only association of the nation’s leading catastrophic injury trial lawyers. The Academy’s purpose is to bring together the top, most ethical trial lawyers to share ideas, cutting edge strategies, and improve their skills as representatives of the most seriously injured people. He has also been invited into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), another invitation only board which is comprised of accomplished trial lawyers from both the plaintiff and defense bars.

We have been extremely successful in obtaining some of the nation’s most significant results in catastrophic injury cases such as traumatic brain injuries, severe birth trauma, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries (paralysis, paraplegia, and quadriplegia), back and neck injuries, amputations and burn injuries. Mr. Leighton has won multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for clients in lawsuits involving birth injuries, car and truck crashes, product liability cases, violent crime/inadequate security, cruise ship and boating accidents and aviation disasters.

In a recent case, Mr. Leighton set a record by obtaining a $24.1 million jury verdict in Seminole County, Florida, on behalf of a young girl who suffered cerebral palsy due to medical malpractice during her birth. Mr. Leighton has also obtained substantial settlements and verdicts on behalf of clients who have suffered paraplegia, quadriplegia, severe burns,  neurologic injuries, gunshot wounds (including one client shot in the face), brain injuries and sexual assaults.

If you or someone you know has suffered a catastrophic injury as a result of negligence, Mr. Leighton and his team of professionals will aggressively work to ensure that the medical expenses, future care, lost earnings and pain and suffering damages are maximized. This often involves using our team of investigators, health care experts, life-care planning consultants, vocational rehabilitation specialists and economists. Mr. Leighton’s experience in catastrophic injury litigation goes beyond the courtroom. He lectures extensively around the country on this subject, teaching other lawyers the best ways to maximize the damages for clients who have suffered life-altering injuries. He has authored published articles and has even published “Medical Experts: Coordination of Witnesses” in the multi volume book Litigating Spinal Cord Injuries: Law, Medicine, and Economics, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1995). Additionally, Mr. Leighton has been served as chairman and moderator of Litigating Catastrophically Injured Infant Cases, a regular two-day seminar for the National College of Advocacy.