Traumatic Brain Injury
Lawyer

Why Choose Us for Your TBI Case?

Attorney James Helm founded TopDog Law to give people harmed by the negligent acts of others a chance to fight back and recover much-needed compensation for their accident-related losses. With a nationwide network of TBI attorneys, TopDog Law has lawyers standing by to discuss your TBI case.

When you hire an attorney from TopDog Law’s legal network, you get a lawyer you can trust, someone who isn’t afraid to go head-to-head against negligent parties or their insurance companies and fight for the fair compensation you deserve. Contact TopDog Law today and let us help you find a local attorney who can determine what your TBI case is worth and guide you throughout the process.

What Compensation Can You Recover in a TBI Claim?

A person who suffers a traumatic brain injury caused by the negligence of another person or party may recover compensation for: 

• Medical expenses, including any treatments, hospitalization, medication, and rehabilitation
• Future medical expenses, including home healthcare or supportive services 
• Mobility equipment or prosthetics
• Modifications to your home or vehicle due to a permanent disability
• Property damage
• Lost income and benefits
• Loss of future earnings 
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Humiliation
• Disfigurement or scarring
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of companionship

The attorneys in TopDog Law’s network can review the circumstances of your TBI in a free consultation to determine what damages you and your family may claim. If you hire them, they will fight for justice and maximum compensation on your behalf. 

How Can a TBI Lawyer Help Me?

The last thing you need when you or a family member suffers from a traumatic brain injury is the hassle of dealing with insurance companies. If your symptoms didn’t present until days after your accident, you have a hard time convincing other parties that your head injury caused them. You don’t have to fight alone.

The personal injury lawyers in TopDog Law’s network can:  

• Investigate the cause of your TBI and identify all liable parties.
• Determine the full extent and value of your damages. 
• Advise you on laws and timelines that may affect your claim.
• Negotiate with insurance companies to reach a fair financial settlement. 
• File your case within the statute of limitations.
• Represent you in court and advocate on your behalf if your case becomes a lawsuit.
• Offer you peace of mind that a professional is properly handling your legal matters so you can focus on your recovery. 

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A TBI refers to a wide range of complex injuries that affect how the brain works.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, brain injuries are a leading cause of death and disability among children and adults. Approximately 2.5 million people have a TBI each year, of which about 50,000 are fatal, and more than 80,000 result in permanent disability. 

They occur when a sudden, external, physical assault damages the brain, such as a blow to the head, violent shaking, or a penetrating injury. The damage these injuries cause may affect more than one area of the brain. 

TBIs may affect a person’s: 

• Cognitive development or abilities
• Behavioral patterns
• Motor skills
• Personality
• Mood
• Sensory processing

Some people recover from brain trauma over weeks or months. However, some people may deal with long-term symptoms. More severe cases may require lifelong rehabilitation. Others go into comas or die from their TBIs.

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury can occur due to:

• Car accidents
• Rideshare accidents
• Drunk driving accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Truck accidents
• Work-related accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Slip and fall incidents
• Dog bites
• Nursing home accidents
• Birth injuries

Falls and TBIs

According to the CDC, falls cause a surprising number of brain injuries, accounting for nearly half of all TBI-related hospitalizations in the U.S.

Falls don’t have to involve heights to result in serious brain injuries. For example, a head injury can happen if someone slips, falls, and bumps their head on uneven flooring at a restaurant. Falls are also a common cause of nursing home injuries, often due to neglect or abuse. Medical malpractice may also cause a TBI. For example, a medication error can cause someone to fall, resulting in head trauma. 

If another person or party’s negligence caused you or your loved one to suffer a brain injury, they should pay. The lawyers in TopDog Law’s network can help you recover the compensation you deserve. 

When Should I See a Doctor?

A medical professional should check any injury that changes brain function, including a concussion. Even if the injured person appears fine, some concussion or other brain injury symptoms are hard to notice, and some head injuries can grow severe or even fatal without treatment.

Call 911 immediately if the injured person experiences:

• Changes in consciousness or alertness
• Persistent unconsciousness
• Seizures
• Muscle weakness on one or both sides
• Confusion
• Repeated vomiting
• Unequal-sized pupils
• Unusual eye movements
• Walking problems

Unidentified TBI and Old Head Injuries

Some TBI or concussion symptoms may appear right away, while others may not show up until hours or even days after an accident.

When symptoms don’t appear immediately after a blow to the head, people may not connect them to the accident that injured them. In fact, medical experts have found that many people who experience symptoms such as poor memory, learning difficulties, and behavioral issues don’t realize they stem from an unidentified traumatic brain injury from a past trauma for which they never sought medical treatment. This is one reason why you must seek medical attention after an accident.

Closed vs. Open Brain Injuries

Doctors generally classify brain injuries as closed or open injuries. 

Closed Brain Injury

A closed brain injury occurs when the brain sustains a nonpenetrating injury with no break or fracture in the skull. Shaking the brain inside the skull can bruise and tear the tissues and blood vessels in the brain. Common causes of closed brain injuries include shaken baby syndrome and motor vehicle accidents. In fact, victims of whiplash often suffer from TBIs as well.

Open Brain Injury

Sometimes referred to as a penetrating brain injury, an open brain injury occurs when an object breaks the skull. Some common causes of open brain injury include violent attacks and gunshot wounds. Construction or workplace accidents involving heavy machinery or tools may also cause open brain injuries. 

Primary vs. Secondary Brain Injuries

TBIs are classified as primary or secondary. 

Primary Brain Injury

A primary brain injury occurs during trauma, such as when the head sustains a blow or a penetrating injury.

Primary brain injuries include:

• Concussion: A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that typically occurs after a blow to the head. Symptoms of a concussion can include headache, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and ringing in the ears. Concussions are common in contact sports like football and hockey, but they can also occur in car accidents, falls, and other accidents.
• Contusion: A contusion is a more severe traumatic brain injury that bruises the brain. Contusions can occur when a blunt object, such as a baseball bat or a hammer, strikes the head. Contusion symptoms can include headache, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty thinking or speaking.
• Diffuse axonal injury: Diffuse axonal injury is a traumatic brain injury that occurs when the brain shakes or rotates inside the skull. This injury can occur in car accidents, falls, and other accidents. Diffuse axonal injury symptoms can include headache, confusion, dizziness, and difficulty thinking or speaking.

Secondary Brain Injury

A secondary injury is an indirect result of the primary trauma that occurs when changes to the cellular, chemical, tissue, or blood vessels in the brain contribute to further destruction of brain tissue. Secondary brain injuries evolve after the primary injury. These injuries can inflict substantial, irreversible, and even fatal damage.

Secondary brain injuries include: 

• Hematoma: A hematoma is a collection of blood outside of a blood vessel. In a traumatic brain injury, a hematoma can form between the skull and the brain, or within the brain itself. Hematomas can put pressure on the brain, which can cause additional damage.
• Hemorrhage: A hemorrhage is bleeding from a ruptured blood vessel or damage to the brain tissue itself. Like hematomas, hemorrhages can put pressure on the brain, leading to additional damage.
• Edema: Edema is swelling from an accumulation of fluid in the brain. The initial traumatic brain injury or the body’s response to the injury can cause edema. Edema can also put pressure on the brain, leading to additional damage.
• Hydrocephalus: Hydrocephalus is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain. This can occur after a traumatic brain injury, as the body may produce excess CSF in response to the injury. Hydrocephalus can put pressure on the brain, leading to additional damage.

How Traumatic Brain Injuries Affect Patients

A TBI can significantly affect a person’s physical, mental, and financial health.

Physical Health

Because the brain coordinates the functions of every limb and organ in the body, a brain injury can cause health problems, including: 

• Mobility problems
• Tremors or ataxia
• Spasticity
• Sensory impairment
• Paralysis
• Fatigue and muscle weakness
• Speech difficulties
• Epilepsy

Mental Health

A TBI can affect hormonal production which can profoundly affect a person’s mental health, including changes in emotions, behaviors, and cognitive capabilities.

Some of the effects of TBIs on mental health include:

• Temporary or permanent memory loss
• Short-term memory loss
• Limited ability to process information 
• Shorter attention span
• Lack of empathy
• Aphasia
• Lack of motivation
• Loss of inhibitions 
• Impulsiveness
• Obsessive behavior
• Irritability and aggressiveness
• Depression
• Anxiety 

Finances

A traumatic brain injury can severely affect a family’s financial security. First, a traumatic brain injury’s physical and mental effects may render the victim unable to work or return to their job in the same capacity. Not only can they not bring in the income they did before the accident, but they will lose future earnings as well.

Then they face the ongoing expense of medical treatment, speech and occupational therapy, and rehabilitation. They may need to pay for specialized equipment to aid mobility or modifications to the injured person’s home or vehicle. If they cannot care for themselves, they may require home health services or full-time skilled nursing care. 

Health insurance may not cover all these expenses. These costs add up quickly and become nearly impossible to manage even with a steady income.

TBI victims and their families may recover compensation to cover these costs. Talk with a traumatic brain injury lawyer in TopDog Law’s network today to discuss your case and your options.

Contact Our TopDog Law TBI Lawyers Today

If you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury, you don’t have to suffer alone. With offices nationwide and access to attorneys across the country, TopDog Law can help you find local legal representation to get the compensation you need and deserve. Reach out to a national personal injury lawyer.

Contact us today for a free consultation. If you hire an attorney in our network, you pay no money unless they obtain compensation on your behalf. Visit us online or call us at (888) 778-1197 and tell us your story today.