Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer in WA

Kennewick Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers

Protecting WA accident victims who suffer head trauma

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 lawyers have an impressive record of personal injury verdicts and settlements. You don’t have leave Southeast Washington to get the help you need. Team Telaré has the skills, resources, and experience to help.

What is a traumatic brain injury?

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:

  • The primary injury is the initial direct blow to the skull and/or brain. Bring struck by an object, hitting one’s head on a dashboard in a car accident, or suffering an open head wound are all examples of a primary injury.
  • The secondary injury is what happens to the brain in the hours and days after the direct blow. Secondary injuries can include increased skull pressure, blood clots, and swelling of the brain. These secondary injuries can prevent the brain from getting the oxygen and nutrients required to help the brain heal.

According to Johns Hopkins University, traumatic brain injuries are classified in two ways:

  • Closed brain injuries. This type of TBI is due to rapid movement and shaking of the brain that causes bruising and tearing of brain tissue and blood vessels. There is no penetrating injury. Car accidents and falls are common causes of closed brain injuries.
  • Open brain injuries. These are injuries that occur when there is a break in the skull, and an outside object penetrates the brain. Acts of assault and dog bites can lead to penetrating injuries, as can motorcycle and truck accidents.

How is a traumatic brain injury diagnosed?

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.

What challenges do TBI victims face?

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:

  • Cognitive difficulties. Victims may be confused, have a short attention span or difficulty solving problems, exhibit poor judgment, or experience a loss of time and space.
  • Motor difficulties. Brain injury victims may suffer paralysis, spasticity, difficulty with balance, a lack of endurance, tremors, difficulty swallowing, and poor coordination.
  • Sensory deficits. All five senses may be affected. Victims may not understand where their limbs are in relation to their body. Vision difficulties include double vision, limited visual acuity, and limited range of vision.
  • Communication difficulties. Victims may have trouble speaking and understanding speech, selecting the correct words, difficulty reading and writing, loss of vocabulary, and problems making complete sentences.
  • Functional deficits. TBI victims may have difficulty dressing, eating, bathing, paying bills, shopping, driving, or using machinery. Victims may also have problems with fatigue, sleep, and going to the bathroom.
  • Social difficulties. Interpersonal relationships may be affected. Victims may find it hard to make and keep friends.
  • Personality changes. Some victims may become apathetic, unmotivated, irritable, anxious, depressed, or aggressive.

What are the treatments for TBI accident victims?

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, Kennewick 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:

  • Physical, occupational, vocational therapists
  • Respiratory therapists
  • Physiatrists
  • Neuropsychologists
  • Social workers
  • Speech counselors
  • Rehabilitation nurses
  • Dieticians
  • Case managers

What are the causes of traumatic brain injuries in Kennewick?

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:

  • Car accidents
  • Truck accidents
  • Motorcycle accidents
  • Falls
  • Assaults
  • Falling objects
  • Construction site accidents
  • Defective products

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 personal 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.

Should I hire a Kennewick TBI lawyer?

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. Team Telaré can help.

Do you have a traumatic brain injury lawyer near me?

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.

Speak with a seasoned Kennewick traumatic brain injury lawyer today

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, call our Kennewick traumatic brain injury lawyers at 509-737-8500 or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We represent TBI victims on contingency. Our lawyers represent personal injury victims who live in Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, Walla Walla, Pullman, Othello, Moses Lake, Ritzville, and all Southeast Washington.

Telaré Law PLLC in Washington