Brain Injury Attorneys California

Brain Injury Attorneys in California

Perhaps the most devastating and traumatic injuries possible are brain injuries. They have the potential to affect the entire life of the victim, including finances, living standards, and relationships.

Brain injuries contribute to about 30% of all injury-related deaths in the United States. In fact, brain injuries result in approximately 50,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Approximately 2.5 million additional Americans each year experience some kind of new traumatic brain injury (TBI), ranging from concussions to severe brain trauma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It is important for injured parties to have an attorney experienced in having brain injuries diagnosed and treated early in the process and seeking compensation for all injuries, including brain injuries. A remarkably high percentage of brain injuries go undiagnosed and cases are settled too often without seeking compensation for the undiagnosed or untreated brain injuries.

Brain injuries can affect movement, feeling, thinking, memory, and emotional function for a couple of days to many years. These serious injuries have a significant emotional and financial impact on victims and their families, and those causing traumatic brain injuries should be held accountable for their negligence.

If you or a loved one were in an accident or situation that caused a brain injury, call Potter Handy, LLP today. Our team of experienced brain injury attorneys in California will be ready to help you get the compensation you deserve.

Brain Injury Attorneys in California | Call (415) 534-1911 or email us to schedule a free, confidential consultation.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury occurs when an external force damages the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic. TBIs can generally be divided into two categories:

Closed brain injuries, which are caused by brain movement within the skull and tend to result from a blow to the head or severe whiplash.
Penetrating brain injuries, which are caused by a foreign object that penetrates the skull.

Depending on several factors, the severity of brain injuries varies widely:

Mild traumatic brain injuries, which can still be extremely dangerous, can lead to brief, unconsciousness mood swings and other brain dysfunction. A concussion is the most common form of mild traumatic brain injury. Concussions are most commonly caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. Every year in the U.S. there are more than 300,000 concussions among athletes alone — not to mention the vast number that takes place outside of sports.
Severe traumatic brain injuries, which can lead to prolonged amnesia, unconsciousness, lifelong cognitive deficits, and possible death. For at least one year after the incident, more than 40 percent of those hospitalized for severe traumatic brain injury continue to experience some kind of related disability.

The effects of a traumatic brain injury can be temporary or permanent, and they can include (and are not necessarily exclusive to):

Reduced cognitive function, such as diminished attention span and impairment of memory.
Impairment, including difficulty hearing, seeing, perceiving, or touching, and partial or complete paralysis.
Impaired motor function, such as impaired balance, reduced coordination, and weakness in the extremities.
Altered emotions, including depression, increased anxiety, increased aggression, difficulties controlling impulses, mood swings, and changes in personality.

What Causes Traumatic Brain Injury?

According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common causes of TBI are:

Falls, including falling from an unsafe ladder or other equipment during a construction accident, and slip-and-fall accidents.
Accidents involving motor vehicles, including bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents.
Violence, including violent attacks, muggings, and even nursing home abuse by nursing staff.
Sports injuries, especially those caused by contact sports such as football.
Explosive blasts, including failures in construction or demolition and injuries in combat.

Brain Injury Lawsuits: How Much Is Your Case Worth?

It’s important to understand your right to compensation and the process of a personal injury lawsuit after a serious accident causes a brain injury. You might be eligible for a wide range of damages.

While compensation from a TBI may never reverse the severe effects and losses resulting from these injuries, it may be essential to provide survivors of brain injury and families with the financial support they need to seek treatment and rebuild their lives.

There are two categories of monetary awards for TBI cases: compensatory damages and punitive damages.

Compensatory Damages for Traumatic Brain Injury Lawsuits

Compensatory damages are awarded to compensate the injured as a result of negligence by the defendant for the monetary and emotional costs suffered. Compensatory damages for a TBI case may therefore include:

All medical expenses related to treating the injury – This may include expenses for outpatient care and emergency medical treatment, as well as future long-term care, rehabilitation, hospitalization, surgery, medication, and more.
Lost wages in the past
Reduced earning potential in the future
Pain and struggling to recover
Loss of life enjoyment
Loss of consortium
Property damage (if the event causing the TBI also caused damage to the property of the injured person, as in the case of an auto crash).

Punitive Damages for Traumatic Brain Injury Lawsuits

Punitive damage is limited to particular cases of egregious behavior. For example, if the defendant intentionally caused your injury or the conduct leading up to the accident was extremely negligent or intolerable, punitive damages may be awarded.

The purpose of these damages is to punish the defendant for inappropriate behavior and discourage people from the same behavior in the future. For each TBI case, punitive damage is not necessarily available.

How Our Attorneys Help Brain Injury Victims Recover

The highest level of dedication is required in personal injury cases involving traumatic brain injuries. This is particularly true if a client is no longer able to speak or think for themselves, in which case it becomes the duty of the lawyer to speak on behalf of the client. When this happens, an attorney will have to communicate and describe who this person was before this traumatic injury happened.

Potter Handy law firm is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of seriously injured people and their families. We work diligently to obtain the financial resources to cover needed medical care and rehabilitation services, as well as compensation for other losses.

Contact Experienced Brain Injury Attorneys in California

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury due to negligence from someone else, please contact Potter Handy, LLP.

Our lawyers are committed to speaking on behalf of those whose lives have been disturbed by negligence and traumatic brain injury, and we are committed to fully investigate and pursue your claim for personal injury.

Call (415) 534-1911 or email us to schedule a free, confidential consultation.