Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer You Can Count On
We can help you with your head injury claim after your car accident
One of the most serious car accident injuries people can sustain is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). In an instant, you or a loved one can have a head injury that results in serious or permanent brain damage. Knowing what to do in such situations can be confusing. Even knowing what your options are might not be clear.
Attorney Stephen A. Longo and his talented legal team at The Longo Firm, LLC, in Colorado Springs can help you every step of the way. We have years of experience handling serious car accident claims involving TBIs. As a result, we know how to thoroughly investigate such accidents. We know what evidence to look for and how to build a strong legal case.
Most importantly, we believe your best interests should always come first. You have enough to worry about after a serous TBI. That’s why we’re accessible on your terms. If you have a question at any time about your accident, you can simply contact attorney Longo directly on his personal phone. We do things different at The Long Firm, LLC.
What is a traumatic brain injury?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a medical term used to describe certain types of head injuries. In general, a TBI involves an injury or trauma to the brain. In the case of car accidents, a TBI often occurs due to a blow to the head (such as someone’s head striking the dashboard or windshield) or a violent jolt to the head (something that often occurs in rear-end accidents and head-on collisions).
A traumatic brain injury can often have serious and life-long consequences. Depending on the location and the severity of the injury, a person’s cognitive skills and ability to think can be affected due to bruising or tissue damage to the brain. In certain extreme circumstances, permanent brain damage or death may occur.
What are different types of TBIs?
Traumatic brain injuries can cover a wide range, from serious to mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs). Brain injuries are also often divided into two main categories – penetrating brain injuries and closed brain injuries.
Penetrating brain injuries involve an object piercing the skull and injuring the brain. The most common penetrating brain injury is a skull fracture, in which the skull bone is broken or fractured.
Closed brain injuries involve injuries to the brain in which there was no break in the skull. Such injuries include:
- Concussions, which can range from a mild to a severe concussion. One of the most common types of TBIs, a concussion involves bruising of brain tissue.
- Internal bleeding in the brain, known as a brain hemorrhage.
- Bruising of the brain tissue, known as a contusion.
- Diffuse axonal injury (DAI), which involves the tearing of the brain’s axons (nerve fibers) often due to a sudden rotation of the brain and skull, a common car accident TBI.
- Blood clot in the brain, known as a brain hematoma. There are two common types of brain hematomas:
- Blood clot between the brain and the dura, the outmost layer between the brain and the skull. This type of blood clot is called a subdural hematoma.
- Blood clot under the skull outside the brain and the dura. This type of blood clot is called an epidural hematoma.
Brain injuries caused by car accidents can cover a wide range. Whatever type of injury you or a loved one sustained in an accident, make sure you get immediate medical attention. Then talk to an attorney right away who knows how to handle such complex legal cases.
What are common symptoms of a brain injury?
There are often many warning signs that you may have sustained a TBI in a car accident. Such symptoms include:
- Frequent, severe headaches.
- Dizziness or loss of balance.
- Unexplained memory loss.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Ringing noise in the ear.
- Trouble staying awake.
If something doesn’t seem right, trust your instincts. Seek immediate medical attention. Without the proper treatment, an untreated TBI can have serious and permanent consequences.
How do I know if I have a brain injury?
The only way to know if you have a TBI is to have a medical professional examine you. Don’t try to diagnose yourself. It’s important for a doctor or emergency medical technical to examine you and run the necessary diagnostic tests to determine whether you have a TBI and the severity of your injury. Such medical tests often include:
- Brain X-Rays.
- Computed tomography (CT scan).
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
Even if a doctor conducts tests, there’s a chance that such tests might not reveal your brain injury. This is especially true with some TBIs, which take several days or longer to develop. The bottom line is you need to be in regular contact with a doctor who has experience diagnosing and treating severe brain injuries.
What should I do if I have a brain injury?
If you suspect you have a brain injury after a serious car accident, make sure you take the following steps right away:
- Seek immediate medical attention, including at an emergency room if necessary. Certain brain injuries can be fatal if they are not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.
- Schedule a follow up appointment with a doctor several days after your accident. Many TBIs take several days to develop after an accident.
- Follow your doctor’s advice. In many cases, your doctor will advise you to rest for several days. Take their advice. If you try to do too much activity after a brain injury, your symptoms can get worse and you could potentially develop lifelong medical problems.
- Don’t talk to the at-fault driver’s insurance company if they contact you after your accident. Anything you say to them or provide in writing could be used as evidence to deny your injury claim.
- Talk to a lawyer as soon as you’re able to do so.
The sooner you have an attorney on your side, the stronger your legal case will likely be.
How can a lawyer help me?
You might think you don’t need a lawyer if another driver clearly caused your accident. Many TBI claims often turn out to be complicated legal cases. That’s because there’s often so much money at stake.
Depending on the severity of your injury and the length of your recovery, your accident claim could be worth thousands of dollars or significantly more. Insurance companies know this. That’s why they often do everything they can to reduce or deny your claim.
Having an experienced attorney on your side can level the playing field. Your lawyer can investigate your accident and negotiate a settlement offer with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If they refuse to negotiate in good faith, your lawyer can take legal action on your behalf, including filing a lawsuit and taking your case to court.
Put your trust in a law firm that puts your needs first. Contact us.
Case results matter when it comes to TBI claims involving serious car accidents. That’s why many people choose our law firm. In case after case, we consistently obtain sizable settlements and verdicts for injury victims.
It’s not just about the money, though. Many people choose our firm because we always put our clients’ interests first. Don’t just take our word for it. Read our testimonials. We’re the law firm people choose when it matters most. Discover what we can do for you. Contact us and schedule your free case evaluation today.