Catastrophic · 07 Editorial guide
Catastrophic injury & wrongful death
This route is for severe injury, permanent disability and death cases where care, causation, claimant authority and long-term loss must be coordinated. It is an issue map, not medical advice or a damages quotation.
First job Stabilise medical evidence, claimant/dependent status and limitation deadlines.
Start here
Key considerations
The first questions are about urgency, governance and preservation — before collection expands or interviews begin.
- Is urgent care and a safe representative arrangement in place?
- Who is injured or deceased, and who may speak or claim?
- What incident, medical, insurance and deadline records already exist?
Direct answer
What this page decides
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Under the Civil Code and the Supreme People's Court's personal-injury compensation interpretation, a serious injury or death file turns on proof of the event, causation, treatment or death, disability and loss, together with the claimant's authority and any dependency relationship. The legal categories for treatment, care, lost income, assistive devices, disability, funeral and death compensation are not a substitute for a case-specific calculation. A death may also create separate questions about near relatives, people who paid reasonable rescue or funeral expenses, estate or representative authority, insurance, criminal or administrative proceedings and other liability regimes. Preserve the records and deadlines before attempting settlement or a final damages figure.
At a glance
Which fact changes the next route
Use the fact that changes ownership or urgency to decide the next move.
| Question | Why it matters | Next route |
|---|---|---|
Scope
What this page owns — and what it does not
Practical workflow
Action, evidence, legal gate, output
| Action | Documents / evidence | Legal gate | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm care, safe communication, identity and the person authorized to coordinate the file. | Initial contact and authority record | ||
| Preserve scene, device, employer, premises, police, hospital and witness material with dates. | Chronology and preservation list | ||
| Organize diagnoses, treatment, prognosis, disability, rehabilitation and death records. | Medical and loss evidence index | ||
| Record family status, dependants, income, care, expenses and future needs without double counting. | Claimant and damages matrix | ||
| Match liability and insurance tracks, notice requirements, limitation dates and specialist hubs. | Decision log and next-action calendar |
Common failure points
Where files usually break
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Decision map
Keep the question bounded.
- Stabilize care and authorityPrioritize emergency care, preserve admission and treatment records, identify the injured person or deceased person, and confirm a lawful family member, guardian, estate or other representative can coordinate information.
- Preserve liability and medical proofBuild a dated incident file with photographs, witnesses, police or authority records, employment or premises records, medical causation, prognosis, disability or death documentation, and an evidence-preservation request where records may change.
- Map claimants, dependency and damagesSeparate treatment and rehabilitation costs from future care, assistance, lost earning capacity, disability, funeral and death-related losses. Record family status, dependants, income, care roles and who paid expenses without assuming every relative has the same standing.
- Coordinate parallel tracks and deadlinesCheck civil liability, insurance, work-injury, traffic, medical, product, administrative or criminal tracks together. Preserve limitation and notice dates, avoid inconsistent statements, and route specialized merits questions to the relevant hub.
Curated resources
Open the asset that matches this job.
Helpful to prepare
Facts that make the next conversation clearer.
These items are orientation aids, not a legal requirement list.
Evidence file
Preserve the record before the forum is chosen.
This is a preparation prompt, not a finding that any item is admissible or required.
- Hospital, treatment, prognosis, disability or death records
- Police, incident, employer, premises or authority records
- Photos, video, witness contacts and a dated chronology
- Family status, guardianship, estate or representative documents
- Income, care, dependency, expense and insurer records
Counsel hand-off
What to bring when you instruct
This topic route organises the national legal question. It does not decide rights, strategy, liability, approval outcome or procedural result on the facts. Use qualified PRC counsel where fact-specific advice or representation is required.
Local context
Add the city when police or hospital practice changes.
Add city or province context only when the responsible authority, court, registration practice, permit process or local implementation changes after the national route is identified.
Open city and province guidesCounsel hand-off
Need injury counsel?
This hub organises safety, incident type and the evidence pack. It does not treat injuries, admit liability or settle a claim on your facts.
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Who reviewed this guide
Subject to editorial/legal review. No reviewer is assigned to this route.
Need qualified counsel?
Move carefully. Move with a record.
Use the portal to identify counsel for this practice and related China-side issues.