Riverside Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

Traumatic brain injuries can have life-altering consequences for both victims and their families. If you or your loved one has suffered traumatic brain injury through someone else’s negligence, contact Hanson & Mouri in Riverside, CA today. We can help you pursue the compensation you will need on the road to recovery.

Why Choose Us?

• We are seasoned litigators and effective advocates who will not hesitate to take your case to court if necessary. We know that bigger settlements come with being prepared to try cases.
• Our practice is dedicated exclusively to personal injury law. Our Riverside personal injury attorneys are committed to helping injured people and have more than 20 years of experience handling personal injury legal matters.
• Our founding partner is a former defense attorney with in-depth knowledge of how insurance companies think, act, and settle claims. This gives us a distinct advantage for our clients.

What Are Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a disruption in the normal function of the brain. It can be caused by a blow, bump, or jolt to the head, or by a penetrating head injury, such as a bullet wound. Older adults and children have a higher risk of sustaining traumatic brain injuries. The following are common types of TBIs: 

Concussion

Also known as a mild TBI, concussion may involve most symptoms of brain injury, including headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears, memory problems and confusion.

Coup-contrecoup Injuries

An external force causes your brain to hit the inside of your skull repeatedly, damaging multiple areas of the brain. For instance, when a severe whiplash injury occurs from a motor vehicle crash, your head is thrown violently backward into the headrest and then forward towards the steering wheel. The strength of the impact can cause the brain to move forward and hit the skull, then rebound and strike the back. 

Diffuse Axonal Injuries (DAI)

One of the most severe types of TBI, which occurs when the brain is shaken or twisted, causing the cerebral tissue to slide back and forth until connecting fibers (axons) tear. The severity of symptoms can depend upon how large the tear is. 

Intracranial Hematoma 

Collection of blood outside of blood vessels, which can be life-threatening if not treated immediately. There are three types of brain hematomas: 

• Epidural hematomas: Blood collection between the skull and brain
• Subdural hematomas: Blood collection under the thin layer of protection surrounding the brain
• Intracerebral hematoma: Collection of blood within the brain itself

In some cases, hematomas do not develop for several days or weeks following a head injury. 

Although these above common types of TBI are described individually, TBI victims are more likely to have a combination of injuries. 

What Are the Symptoms of TBI?

As stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of traumatic brain injury can last for days, weeks, or longer. TBI symptoms fall into four different categories:

• Cognitive: Difficulty concentrating and thinking clearly, difficulty remembering new information, feeling slowed down, difficulty with speech (slurred speech, inability to understand and/or articulate words).
• Physical: Headache, fuzzy or blurry vision, dizziness, nausea or vomiting early on, balance problems, sensitivity to light or noise, tiredness, lack of energy, difficulty swallowing, body numbness or paralysis, coma, loss of consciousness, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (clear or blood-tinged) appearing from the ears or nose, breathing problems, slow pulse, slow breathing with an increase in blood pressure, ringing in the ears or changes in hearing. 
• Emotional: Irritability, nervousness or anxiety, sadness, being more emotional than normal.
• Sleep: Sleeping more or less than usual, difficulty falling asleep.

Depending on the extent of damage to the brain, symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe. Mild cases may result in a brief change in mental state or consciousness. Severe cases may result in extended periods of unconsciousness, coma, or even death.

Cognitive Issues Associated With Brain Injuries

After a TBI, it is common for victims to have the following cognitive issues: 

Attention and Concentration

Difficulty or unable to focus, pay attention, or attend to more than one thing at a time. Which can result in: 

• Being easily distracted and feeling restless. 
• Difficulty working on more than one task at a time or finishing a project. 
• Problems sitting still for a long period of time or carrying on a long conversation. 

Processing and Understanding 

Problems processing and understanding information that can mean: 

• Taking longer to understand or grasp what others are saying, or follow directions.
• Trouble following movies, television shows, etc.
• Needing longer to read and understand written information. 
• Being slower to react, which can be particularly unsafe when driving and not being able to stop quickly enough at traffic lights, stop signs, etc. 
• Being slower at carrying out routine physical tasks, such as cooking or getting dressed. 

Language and Communication

Difficulty understanding and expression information, for instance: 

• Trouble expressing their thoughts or coming up with the right word
• Difficulty starting or following conversations. 
• Getting off topic easily.
• Trouble with non-verbal communication. 
• Not responding appropriately to social situations, or another person’s emotions. 
• Misunderstanding jokes or sarcasm.

Learning and Remembering Information

This involves trouble learning and remembering: 

• New information.
• Several weeks or months prior to the injury. 
• Entire events or conversations. The mind may try to “fill in the gaps” by recalling things that did not occur, or combining bits and pieces from several situations into one event. 

Planning and Organization

• Difficulty planning their schedule. 
• Trouble completing tasks that require multiple steps in a particular order, such as cooking or laundry. 

Reasoning, Problem Solving and Judgment 

• Difficulty recognizing when there is a problem. 
• Trouble with being flexible. 
• Trouble deciding the best solution to a problem, or unwilling to consider better options. 
• Make quick decisions without using their best judgment. 

Inappropriate, Embarrassing, or Impulsive Behavior

Brain injury victims may lack self-awareness and self-control, which may result in inappropriate or impulsive behavior, such as: 

• Saying hurtful or insensitive things. 
• Cross social boundaries by being too personal with people they don’t know, not realizing when they make someone uncomfortable. 

How much a person will improve cognitively following a brain injury isn’t easy to predict, since there are various factors that can impact their recovery. 

What Are the Most Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries?

According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries include:

• Falls: This is the leading cause of TBI overall, and particularly among older adults and children. CDC states that falls accounted for 48% of all TBI-related emergency room visits in a recent year.
• Motor vehicle collisions: Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents are all leading causes of traumatic brain injury.
• Violence: Domestic violence, gunshot wounds, assaults, and other acts of violence are a common cause of TBI.
• Sports injuries: Traumatic brain injuries are not uncommon, particularly among youth, in high-impact or extreme sports, including football, soccer, boxing, baseball, hockey, skateboarding, and lacrosse.
• Explosive blasts and combat injuries: Active-duty military personnel can sustain traumatic brain injuries from explosive blasts, penetrating wounds, slip and fall accidents, blows to the head with shrapnel or debris, or bodily collisions with objects following a blast.

The Long Lasting Effects of a Brain Injury

A brain injury can have the following devastating long lasting effects: 

Physical Disabilities 

Brain injuries can make it difficult to accomplish routine daily activities. Victims may suffer long-term physical effects, such as headaches, seizures, cranial nerve damage, loss of balance, speech problems, difficulty swallowing, paralysis, and more. Some of these effects can disappear after several years, but they can prevent victims from having a normal lifestyle. 

Sensory Problems

The brain and the spinal cord form the central nervous system. Therefore, any brain damage can result in sensory problems that will vary based upon the part of the brain that is impacted. A stroke is one example of a common sensory disorder. 

Behavioral Challenges

The behavioral challenges associated with a brain injury can impact a victim’s social life, as a result of increased agitation, combativeness, irritability, stress disorders, impulsivity, and severe mood changes. 

Cognitive Challenges

As previously discussed, cognitive challenges can lead to long-term issues with memory, paying attention and carrying out everyday tasks, planning, goal setting, organizing, making rational decisions, etc. As a result, victims often require the frequent assistance of other people. 

Why You Need a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer

Severe traumatic brain injuries may require extensive medical treatment and time away from work. They can also cause anxiety and emotional distress for victims and their families. As a result, the lives of victims and their loved ones are altered by the injury for either an extended period of time or permanently. Seeking proper compensation is vital.  

If the negligence of another has caused you or your loved one to suffer severe TBI, you need an experienced personal injury attorney in your corner. Without one, you run the risk of settling for far less than is necessary to ensure financial stability and overall lifelong security. Our dedicated brain injury and Riverside car accident attorneys have the knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively pursue the compensation you and your family deserve.

How Much is Your Brain Injury Case Worth?

There is no exact answer for determining how much a brain injury case is worth, as each case is unique. Even if two cases seem identical on the surface, they can be settled for totally different amounts. If your injury is permanent, or if you are unable to resume a similar lifestyle to the one you lead prior to the accident, your case could be worth hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. The value of your case, specifically, can be determined with the assistance of a skilled attorney. There are a number of factors they will take into account, such as: 

• Injury Severity: The intensity of the brain injury and the extent to which it has impacted the victim’s physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral well-being.
• Plaintiff’s characteristics: age, occupation, past medical history, etc.
• Special damages: the amount of current and future medical expenses, loss of income and impaired future earning capacity, as well as total or partial disability as a result of the brain injury. 
• General damages: pain and suffering, both physically and emotionally, humiliation, loss of reputation, etc.
• Defendant’s liability: strength of evidence against the defendant, which can lead to a higher settlement value.
• Plaintiff’s liability: if any, on the part of the victim, which can reduce the total amount of compensation awarded. 
• Insurance policy limits: for both the victim and the liable party.

Careful documentation is necessary to pursue a successful settlement offer. For example, injured victims should always keep a diary or notes about their pain, symptoms, and recovery. 

What Damages Can You Claim After a Traumatic Brain Injury?

The following damages can be pursued in a traumatic brain injury claim: 

Medical Expenses

Including any initial emergency room or hospital stays, prescription medications, lab work, imaging tests or any other medical expenses directly related to your injury.

Lost Income 

You can claim any income you lost from being unable to work while recovering.

Lost Earning Capacity 

If the TBI left you or a loved one unable to return to work or forced to take a lower-paying job, compensation may be available for this loss. An economic expert may estimate the likely lost income over the victim’s lifetime, and your attorney can include this information in a demand for compensation.

Lifetime Care Costs

Brain injury symptoms may last for years or the rest of your life. Future anticipated medical costs can be considered when estimating medical expenses, as well as a caregiver if you need one. 

Pain and Suffering

Compensation for the pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other negative impacts the injury had on your life.

Other Expenses

Any other injury-related expenses incurred, such as transportation to medical appointments, property damage, etc. 

Contact Us Today

After severe traumatic brain injuries caused by someone else’s negligence, it is critical to get a tough legal advocate on your side. Call Hanson & Mouri in Riverside today for compassionate, experienced legal representation.