If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Everett, you are painfully aware of the life-altering impact such an injury can have. Many victims of TBIs seek legal recourse to obtain deserved compensation. An experienced Everett personal injury attorney from Wells Trumbull can significantly bolster your chance to secure a favorable outcome by helping you navigate the intricate legal processes and advocating passionately on your behalf. Contact us at (360) 435-1663 today for a free consultation.
Why Choose Wells Trumbull for Your Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys in Everett?
Attorneys Ben Wells and Joshua Trumbull have long devoted their careers to dedicated client advocacy, representing injury victims in Everett and the surrounding area for decades with notable wins and the respect of their peers in the legal arena. By choosing Wells Trumbull, you’ll find the following benefits in your brain injury claim:
- A free case consultation and no fees until we secure your settlement or win your case
- An attorney who takes the time to get to know each injured client and their families to better convey to insurers and juries the impact of the injury on the victim’s life
- The combined efforts of a legal team devoted to the practice of personal injury law in Washington
- The individual attention of a lawyer who personalizes a strategy for your unique case for the best possible outcome
- Strong negotiators and skilled litigators to take your case to a settlement or jury award for full compensation
At Wells Trumbull, we use our favorable local reputation to put a strong voice for justice behind your case. Our track record of success includes a recent $1.9 million settlement in a brain injury case after a falling icicle caused a brain injury to a Washington woman. Our team’s use of the latest brain imaging science combined with classic client advocacy methods resulted in a successful claim.
Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries and Their Impact
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are complex injuries that can range from mild concussions to severe brain damage. They often arise when an external force, such as a forceful blow, bump, or jolt to the head or body, or an object piercing the skull, injures the brain. The consequences of a TBI can be physical, affecting memory, cognition, and motor skills; and emotional, leading to depression or behavioral changes, impacting the victim’s quality of life significantly. Preventing traumatic brain injuries is feasible and extremely important.
What’s the Difference Between a Mild TBI and a Severe TBI?
Doctors categorize traumatic brain injuries as mild, moderate, and severe. As many as 70 percent of diagnosed TBIs are mild or an estimated 90 percent of total brain injuries since many go undiagnosed. A mild TBI typically presents temporary symptoms that resolve in a few days or up to several weeks. An individual with a mild brain injury may experience a temporary loss of consciousness lasting from a few seconds to several minutes. They may have no loss of consciousness but confusion, disorientation, or loss of memory of the moments leading up to the injury.
A moderate to severe brain injury often causes loss of consciousness that may last for one or more hours. The symptoms include more serious memory loss and confusion, as well as possible seizures and coma. A severe TBI may cause speech problems, cognitive dysfunction, loss of fine motor skills, and personality changes.
Moderate to severe TBIs have more lasting impacts that are often permanent. The degree of recovery depends on the severity of the trauma, the region of the brain impacted, and the extent of rehabilitation the patient undergoes.
How Do Concussions Usually Occur?
A concussion occurs when the head sustains a serious blow, causing the brain to bump and twist inside the skull. The bump or twist causes delicate brain tissue to tear, bleed, and/or become inflamed. This triggers a cascade of effects that impede the brain’s normal functioning. The most common causes of concussions include the following:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Falls
- Contact sports injuries
- Workplace injuries
- Recreational activities like skateboarding, rollerblading, snowboarding, and skiing
- Playground injuries
- Violent criminal assaults
- Explosions (mostly associated with the military)
Although a single mild concussion typically does not have lasting effects, one concussion makes the victim more likely to suffer further concussions. Repeated concussions can cause long-term effects including a degenerative brain disease later in life with impacts similar to Alzheimer’s disease.
Symptoms of Concussions
When a person experiences a blow to the head or a violent shake, jolt, or jarring motion, they may develop a concussion. Common symptoms of concussions include:
- Brief loss of consciousness
- Confusion and disorientation upon regaining consciousness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Dizziness, balance problems
- Problems with memory, focus, and concentration
- Mood changes
- Vision problems
- Ringing in the ears
- Sleep disturbances
A person who suffers a head injury should always seek emergency medical treatment. The impacts of a concussion should be monitored and treated to minimize the swelling the brain experiences to prevent further damage.
If you’ve suffered a brain injury, you may be unconscious or confused and unable to do anything except wait for help and emergency medical care. But if you are with a loved one who experiences a severe blow to the head, knowing what to do helps protect their physical and financial future. After a head injury, do the following:
- Call 911 or make arrangments for transportation to a hospital
- Stabilize the injury victim’s head and neck in case they’ve also suffered a neck injury
- Take photos of anything relevant to the cause of the accident such as the damaged vehicles in a car accident, or a broken stair rail in a fall case
- Add the contact information of anyone involved and eyewitnesses
- Go to a hospital directly from the scene of the injury
- Undergo an evaluation and carefully follow the doctor’s instructions
- Get plenty of rest while healing. The brain needs rest in order to focus on healing
- Avoid sports and vigorous activities until cleared by a doctor
- Attend all followups and evaluations to ensure a return to full function and health
- Call the Everett traumatic brain injury lawyers before speaking to the insurance company of the party at fault for the injury
If the brain injury resulted from a motor vehicle accident or a violent assault, ask for a copy of the police report before making a claim to recover compensation.
Washington State Law & Traumatic Brain Injuries
TBIs are often the result of incidents such as Everett car accidents, slips and fall accidents, acts of violence, and other traumatic events that may form the basis of a personal injury claim. In these cases, the injured party and their attorney seek to hold the other party and their insurance company liable for damages related to the injury, including, but not limited to, the victim’s medical expenses, loss of earnings, and pain and suffering.
To succeed in a TBI claim, it is essential to establish the negligence of the other party. This involves demonstrating that the defendant owed a duty of care, breached this duty, and the breach directly resulted in the injury. Given the intricate nature of TBIs, proving causation can be challenging, necessitating the meticulous collection and presentation of medical evidence to support the claim.
The Role of an Everett Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney
The serious nature of these injuries and the potentially devastating impact they can have on the victim’s life underscore the need for TBI victims to be represented by an experienced traumatic brain injury attorney in Everett when seeking compensation.
An experienced traumatic brain injury lawyer in Everett can aid in gathering evidence, liaising with medical professionals, and interpreting medical records to build a compelling case. In addition, the attorney can scrutinize accident reports, witness statements, and medical evaluations to establish the defendant’s negligence.
Furthermore, a local traumatic brain injury attorney in Everett will be acquainted with Everett’s legal environment and can efficiently navigate local court procedures and negotiate with insurance companies to ensure you obtain the rightful compensation. Then, if a settlement that reflects the true impact of the injury on your life cannot be reached, your Everett traumatic brain injury lawyer will represent your best interests in court, fighting passionately for your rights.
What Damages Can I Recover Compensation For After a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A severe brain injury may mean years of rehabilitation, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and sometimes home health aides or assisted living. It may mean disability that prevents a return to work in the previous capacity or at all. Even mild brain injuries like concussions can cause a missed paycheck and a large medical bill. If the injury was preventable if only another party had taken reasonable measures, a successful personal injury claim can help the victim recover compensation for their economic and non-economic losses—or “damages.” Common damages cited in traumatic brain injury claims include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical costs
- Loss of income
- Diminished future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Compensation for non-economic damages such as emotional anguish, PTSD, and loss of enjoyment of life
Your Everett traumatic brain injury attorney from Wells Trumbull will carefully calculate your economic and non-economic damages to maximize the amount of compensation available to you in your brain injury claim.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney at Wells Trumbull for Help with a Traumatic Brain Injury Claim in Everett
Facing a TBI is challenging enough without the added stress of navigating the legal system. TBI claims necessitate the guidance of an expert. An experienced Everett traumatic brain injury attorney from our Wells Trumbull can provide invaluable support, offering both legal expertise and compassionate understanding.
If you find yourself or a loved one grappling with the aftermath of a TBI in Everett that was caused by someone else’s wrongdoing, do not go it alone. Reach out to Wells Trumbull for a free case evaluation. You deserve the best shot at justice and compensation.