Richland Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers
Strong advocacy for head trauma accident victims in Washington
Traumatic brain injuries are catastrophic. This means that the victim’s life is never the same after an accident. The question is never, Will the victim’s injuries heal? The question is, How life-changing is the damage? Head trauma victims in Richland who have a traumatic brain injury suffer emotionally and physically. Victims of a TBI also have cognitive difficulties and difficulties performing even the simplest everyday tasks. Many TBI victims require surgery. Virtually all TBI victims require long-term rehabilitative care.
At Telaré Law, our Richland TBI lawyers have years of experience helping the catastrophically injured. We have obtained numerous high-figure verdicts and settlements in personal injury cases. We achieve strong results because our team works with physicians and healthcare providers who understand the unique challenges TBI victims face – including neurosurgeons, neurologists, and many types of therapists. We also work with liability experts such as investigators and product safety professionals to help prove a driver, property owner, doctor, or manufacturer caused your traumatic brain injury.
How can we help?
- What is a traumatic brain injury?
- What tests are used to diagnose a traumatic brain injury?
- What obstacles do Richland traumatic injury victims face?
- What procedures and treatments help TBI accident victims in Richland?
- What are the causes of traumatic brain injuries in Southeast Washington?
- Do you have a traumatic brain injury lawyer near me?
What is a traumatic brain injury?
The University of Washington Medical Center defines a TBI as a head blow or a penetrating head injury that affects the ability of the brain to function. Victims may suffer a loss of consciousness for a short time or an extended length of time. Accident victims who have a TBI suffer two types of trauma:
- A primary injury. This is the initial “direct blow to the brain, skull, or other head tissue” at the time of the car accident, or after being hit by an object, or another type of forceful accident.
- A secondary injury. This injury is how the brain is affected in the hours and days after the primary injury. Examples of secondary injuries include “increased skull pressure, blood clots on or in the brain, and swelling of the brain.” Secondary injuries can “prevent the brain from getting the oxygen and nutrients required to help the brain heal and work properly.”
Johns Hopkins University classifies TBIs as either penetration brain injuries or closed brain injuries:
- Penetration brain injuries. Here, there is a break in the skull, such as when the victim is shot or when a baby’s skull is crushed by forceps.
- Closed brain injuries. This type of TBI occurs when the brain moves about the skull rapidly causing the brain to bruise and blood vessels and brain tissue to tear. Common causes of closed brain injuries include car accidents and falls.
It is critical for any traumatic brain injury victim to seek medical help as soon as possible after an accident because the symptoms may be delayed. An ER doctor should be able to assess brain damage or the possibility of brain damage at the initial examination.
TBIs are normally classified as mild, moderate, or severe, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security. A “mild” traumatic brain injury, known as a concussion, is still a significant injury. Concussion victims can suffer life-long complications that leave them unable to live their lives the way they always have.
What tests are used to diagnose a traumatic brain injury?
Most TBI victims are examined by a local emergency room doctor. They may also be examined by a neurologist. In addition to a standard oral examination, doctors may use a test called a Glasgow Scale Test. This test is generally used for victims who are in a coma. The test examines how well the accident victim responds to questions and stimuli. The test focuses on verbal responses, eye-opening responses, and motor responses. CT and MRI tests are also used.
The University of Washington states that:
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 obstacles do Richland TBI victims face?
According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), traumatic brain injury victims have different problems at different stages of their recovery and treatment process:
- Immediate problems. TBI victims may suffer seizures, blood clots, nerve damage, coma, stroke, brain infections, and narrowing of blood vessels. The possibility of seizures may continue even after the victim’s condition becomes stable.
- Long-term effects. Complications that may not fully develop for days and months (and that may be temporary or permanent) include:
- Cognitive difficulties. These injuries include difficulty reasoning, making decisions, learning, and remembering.
- Communication problems. Richland TBI accident victims may have difficulty speaking, writing, reading, and explaining their thoughts or feelings.
- Sensory disorders. Examples include double vision, ringing in the ears, tingling sensations, pain, loss of taste, or a bitter taste.
- Behavioral complications. TBI victims may have difficulty with personal relationships, self-control, depression, mood swings, and irritability.
- Physical difficulties. Physical difficulties include problems with balance, lack of coordination, spasticity, paralysis, shaking, fatigue, and difficulty swallowing.
- Degenerative Effects. The NIH states that TBIs may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
The University of Washington Medical School states that additional problems for Tri-Cities TBI victims include headaches, osteoporosis, abnormal bone growth, and neuroendocrine disorders.
What procedures and treatments help TBI accident victims in Richland?
According to the Mayo Clinic, TBI victims normally require neurosurgery that works to repair fractured skulls, remove blood clots, stop brain bleeding, and reduce skull pressure. After the healing period, Southeast TBI victims work with a rehabilitative team that includes many types of healthcare providers including:
- Physical therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Vocational therapists
- Respiratory therapists
- Neuropsychologists
- Physiatrists
- Rehabilitation nurses
- Nutritionists
- Speech counselors
- Social workers
- Case managers
The recovery process includes long-term rehab, transitional living programs, and independent living programs.
What are the causes of traumatic brain injuries in Southeast Washington?
At Telaré Law, our lawyers are skilled at showing why accidents happen and why they cause traumatic brain injuries. We represent Richland traumatic brain injury victims who are hurt in the following types of accidents:
- Car accidents
- Truck collisions
- Motorcycle crashes
- Construction accidents
- Falls
- Assaults due to negligent security
- Workplace accidents involving defective machinery or injured contractors
- Defective products, such as car parts, truck parts, motorcycle parts, machines, equipment, and tools
We file all types of personal injury claims including claims based on negligence, product liability, and breach of warranty. If your loved one’s TBI is the result of an act of medical malpractice or nursing home abuse, we can help.
Talk with our experienced Richland traumatic brain injury lawyers today.
At Telaré Law, our lawyers only represent personal injury victims. Many of our clients have catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, burn injuries, and multiple fractures. We understand what type of medical care TBI victims need for the rest of their lives and how much that medical care costs. We demand compensation for income loss, pain and suffering, and other damages. Our Richland TBI lawyers work with local hospitals and local support groups.
To assert your rights or to help a loved one, call our Richland traumatic brain injury lawyers at 509-737-8500 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We file claims on a contingency fee basis. Our lawyers represent TBI victims who live in Richland, Pasco, Walla Walla, Pullman, Othello, Moses Lake, Ritzville, and all Southeast Washington.