Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) change lives. TBIs are catastrophic injuries that cause physical pain, emotional distress, cognitive difficulties, and functional disorders. Most victims require surgery and long-term rehabilitative care. Head injuries often mean that victims cannot work again and cannot resume their social lives. Even with a lifetime of medical help, many TBI victims struggle on a daily basis.
At Telaré Law, we understand how much help traumatic brain injury victims just to perform daily tasks and enjoy their families. Our Kennewick traumatic brain injury lawyers work with neurosurgeons, neurologists, and TBI rehabilitative medical teams to understand every level and degree of your trauma. We work with investigators, product safety experts, and others to show what type of accident caused your injuries and who should be held liable. Our catastrophic injury attorneys have an impressive record of personal injury verdicts and settlements. Team Telaré has the skills, resources, and experience to help.
According to the University of Washington Medical Center, a traumatic brain injury is caused by a “blow or jolt to the head, or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain.” Some victims may lose consciousness temporarily or for an extended period of time. TBI injury victims suffer two types of injuries:
According to Johns Hopkins University, traumatic brain injuries are classified in two ways:
Some traumatic brain injury victims may not even know they’ve suffered a TBI until a day or a few days after the accident occurs. This is why accident victims should always be examined by local ER doctors as soon as possible.
Doctors assess TBIs by conducting an oral examination to determine what happened and how well the victim’s brain is working. If a patient is in a coma, then a stimulation response test such as the Glasgow Coma Scale test is used to evaluate the patient. The Glasgow Coma Scale test examines how well the patient responds to verbal, eye-opening, and motor response questions and stimuli.
Diagnostic imaging tests include the use of a computed tomography (CT) scan and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test, to determine if there is bleeding or bruising on the brain. Per the University of Washington:
Neurosurgeons at Harborview Medical Center have pioneered the use of transcranial dopplers, portable ultrasound technology, to quickly and accurately study vessels in the brain that have been damaged as a result of trauma. The technology allows treatment to be customized to each patient’s unique injuries and helps patients avoid anticoagulation, or blood thinning, or extra surgeries.
According to Johns Hopkins University, a traumatic brain injury can cause long-term, even permanent, changes to how the brain functions. Those repercussions can include:
The initial treatment for a severe TBI is usually neurosurgery. According to the Mayo Clinic, surgeons work to remove blood clots, repair fractured skulls, stop any brain bleeding, and relieve any pressure in the skull.
After the surgery is completed and the brain has had time to heal, traumatic brain injury victims work with a rehabilitative team that includes many different types of healthcare providers. Rehabilitative care aims to help the patient be as healthy as possible.
There are many different types and phases of rehabilitative care, including acute rehabilitation care (normally immediately after the surgery), long-term rehabilitation care, transitional living programs, and independent living programs. Victims may also need to participate in behavior management programs. Once the rehabilitation phase is complete, most TBI victims will still need extensive therapy for the rest of their lives to ensure their condition stays as stable as possible.
Some of the many doctors TBI victims meet with include:
While any significant application of force to the head can lead to brain trauma, there are some scenarios that are more likely to cause harm than others. Some of the many causes of traumatic brain injuries are:
In some cases, brain injuries are the direct result of medical negligence: an undiagnosed or untreated condition that leads to blood clots or allows for the spread of infections, surgical errors, negligence during labor and delivery, and so forth. If an act of medical malpractice caused your brain injury, you can file a lawsuit.
At Telaré Law, our Kennewick traumatic brain injury lawyers work aggressively to show how the traumatic brain injury occurred and to show why the defendants should be held accountable. We file negligence claims and product liability claims against all the responsible defendants.
You are never required to hire a personal injury lawyer – but we strongly recommend that you do if your loved one is living with a TBI.
Brain injury victims often require a lifetime of care. This is more than just hospital visits, rehab, and medication: they may need someone to provide for them forever. That could include a daily nurse or health aide or finding a residential facility which can provide the treatment your loved one needs. If the victim is young, like a child, you may need a life care planner to ensure that your loved one is looked after when you are gone.
These are incredibly complex cases, and insurance companies do not want to pay out fair and just claims. They are in the business of making and keeping money, not protecting people. Telaré Law has built a reputation across Southeast Washington as one of the toughest litigation teams in the area. We take on the types of challenging cases that other firms cannot and have secured such substantial victories that most insurance companies rush to settle confidentially, rather than admit how much they pay out when we take them to court.
TBIs can last forever. You need to be prepared, and you should be fully compensated when another person’s negligence changes the course of your future. A Kennewick traumatic brain injury attorney can help.
Telaré Law maintains an office in Kennewick at 819 South Auburn St. We also meet clients in Richland. We see TBI clients at their homes or the hospital since we understand mobility is often a problem.
At Telaré Law, we understand how devastating a traumatic brain injury is. Your life or the life of a loved one is never the same. There are constant daily struggles. Rest assured that our Kennewick TBI lawyers have the experience and resources to help families obtain justice. We work closely with your doctors and our own network of physicians to fully evaluate your medical condition, the treatments you need, and every way your traumatic injury is affecting your life.
To discuss your right to compensation, reach out to our Kennewick traumatic brain injury lawyers to schedule a free consultation. We represent TBI victims on contingency.