If you suffered a blow to your head during a car crash or fell and hit your head, you may have sustained a traumatic brain injury. Falls and car accidents are the leading causes of severe head injuries. If you hit your head against a windshield or struck your head on a floor, you may have suffered a traumatic brain injury, even though there was no visible wound.

Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney in St. Louis

You should have an experienced injury lawyer fighting for your interests if you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury caused by another’s negligence. You may be entitled to compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company. But insurers will try to take advantage of your lack of understanding of the claims process if you do not have an attorney standing up for you.

Our committed attorneys have represented numerous individuals with brain injuries in Missouri and Illinois. We understand the complex issues a brain injury case presents from both a medical and a legal standpoint. We fight for individuals and families in Missouri and Illinois. We do not represent insurance companies or large corporations. As our case results illustrate, our attorneys have secured numerous significant six-figure and multi-million dollar settlements for clients who were in very challenging situations like yours. Contact Sansone & Lauber for a free consultation about how we can help.

What Is a TBI?

A traumatic brain injury is caused by a blow or jolt to the head that causes the brain to move inside the skull, altering brain function. Brain injuries range from mild concussions to severe injuries that cause extended loss of consciousness and loss of memory.

A person who suffers a concussion may stay conscious or have only a brief loss of consciousness. Doctors rate concussions as mild, moderate, or severe depending on the symptoms such as slurred speech, blurred vision, confusion, loss of balance, and loss of consciousness.

Young children and older adults are particularly prone to suffering brain injuries in falls. Head injuries related to sports and recreation are more common among teens and young adults.

Some brain injuries result in paralysis or permanently disabling injuries that leave the victim unable to work again or limit the type of work a person can do.

If you have suffered any kind of blow to the head, you should have a medical evaluation by a doctor. It is very important to seek prompt medical attention if you lost consciousness, experienced confusion or disorientation, developed a persistent headache, and had balance problems.

Leading Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

The causes of brain injuries include falls, car accidents, motorcycle crashesbicycle accidents, sports injuries, skateboarding, explosions, and violent assaults.

Falls are the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries. Slipping on a wet floor, tumbling downstairs, falling from a ladder, or tripping on a loose carpet many causes a head injury. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to brain injuries caused by falls.

Crashes involving cars, trucks, or motorcycles also are common causes of traumatic brain injury. Motorcyclists are particularly susceptible to severe traumatic brain injuries because of the lack of restraints that motorcycles have to shield the rider from injury. Pedestrians who are struck by a vehicle, bicyclists, and electric scooters are vulnerable to injuries from their heads striking the hard surface of the vehicle or the pavement. A high-speed collision may cause a bone fracture in which the skull fragments damage brain tissue.

Violent assaults may lead to penetrating head injuries in which an object such as a bullet enters the brain and causes damage. A baby who experiences shaken baby syndrome may suffer a traumatic brain injury caused by the rupturing of blood vessels and bleeding in the baby’s developing brain. The tearing of brain tissue can cause temporary or permanent brain damage.

Explosions are a common cause of brain injury among combat veterans. Blast injuries are caused by the pressure wave generated by explosive devices such as grenades, bombs, and artillery shells.

Common Symptoms of a TBI

Open brain injuries are obvious because of a visible wound to the head or face. But closed-head brain injuries are often difficult to diagnose. A person who has a concussion may develop post-concussion syndrome, experiencing symptoms such as headaches, irritableness, and difficulty thinking and concentrating, and memory problems. The symptoms of a traumatic brain injury or post-concussion syndrome may be subtle at first.

Many people do not realize they have sustained a brain injury until several weeks or months after an accident. Even minor brain injury may cause changes in an individual’s personality that also affect the loved ones that he or she interacts with on a regular basis.

  1. Sensory changes: Changes in hearing, vision, taste, smell, and touch.

  2. Speech and language difficulties: Difficulty in understanding what is said and articulating thoughts.

  3. Cognitive Ability: Difficulty with thinking, concentration, and problem-solving.

  4. Short or Long-term Memory Loss: Problems storing and retrieving information.

  5. Personality Changes: Changes in mood, outbursts of anger, depression, and low self-esteem.

Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment

Treating Head Trauma Injury Victim in St Louis MO

The treatment of a moderate to severe head injury usually begins in an emergency room. Doctors will attempt to assess the severity of brain injury. Doctors will try to make sure the brain has adequate oxygen and blood supply to prevent further damage due to swelling, bleeding, or reduced oxygen.

Doctors perform imaging tests such as a CT scan to determine whether the patient should have surgery to repair skull fractures, remove blood clots, relieve pressure on the brain caused by swelling, or remove pieces of the skull or a foreign object if the injury involves a penetrating head wound. A probe may be inserted through the patient’s skull to monitor brain tissue swelling and pressure.

To prevent secondary brain damage caused by inflammation, doctors may use drugs such as diuretics to reduce swelling and put a brain injury patient into a temporary coma. A comatose brain requires less oxygen.

After doctors treat the physical damage to the brain, the patient will require rehabilitation. The type of rehabilitation depends on the severity of the brain injury. A patient with a moderate to severe brain injury will need therapy to relearn basic skills such as walking and talking. Speech therapy is common.

The brain injury patient may be directed to follow up with a family doctor or with a neurologist. A neurologist is a medical specialist who treats disorders and injuries to the central nervous system including the brain.

A brain injury patient should be evaluated by a neuropsychologist. A neuropsychologist focuses on diagnosing the effects a brain injury may have on cognitive, behavioral, linguistic, motor or executive functioning. The neuropsychological evaluation is a good tool for evaluating the problems caused by a head injury. Since most head injuries are not diagnosed through an MRI or CT scan, a neuropsychological assessment is a critical tool for assessing the extent of a head injury.

How a St. Louis Brain Injury Lawyer Can Help You

Recovery from a moderate to severe brain injury is a lengthy process. You and your family will need all the financial resources available to help you to overcome a serious injury. If the brain injury was caused by the carelessness or negligence of another, a brain injury lawsuit may be appropriate to seek compensation. You should meet with an experienced brain injury lawyer to understand your legal options.

The initial consultation with an injury attorney at Sansone and Lauber is free. If we represent you, we will do so on a contingency fee basis. You will not owe any upfront costs and will not pay any legal fee or expenses unless we obtain compensation for you through a negotiated settlement or a jury award.

Our St. Louis injury lawyers will collect your medical records and estimate your future medical costs and other expenses related to your brain injury. We will calculate your lost wages caused by the accident and develop an estimate of your future lost wages if your injury is likely to keep you from going back to work.

If you need additional medical care, we will assist you in getting the proper medical care for your injuries.

Our attorneys will identify all the potentially liable parties and all the applicable insurance policies and the coverage limits. We will analyze whether the insurance coverage can be stacked to increase the compensation available to you.

We will submit a brain injury claim to the insurance company representing the party or parties responsible for your brain injury. We will negotiate for a full settlement that reflects the extent of your losses. We will keep you informed of our progress on your behalf. We will consult with you about any settlement offer that we receive. We will offer our professional opinion about whether the settlement offer represents a reasonable value based on the specific facts of your case.

We are successful in settling most injury claims out of court. But if the insurance company refuses to act reasonably and offer a just settlement, we will be prepared to move forward with a personal injury lawsuit. We are experienced trial lawyers and are confident of our litigation skills when cases go to court.

What Is My Traumatic Brain Injury Case Worth?

Determining how much compensation you should seek after a brain injury is a complicated task. The value of a TBI claim depends on a number of variables including the severity of your brain injury, whether you contributed to your own injury, and the insurance policies available to provide compensation.

An experienced personal injury lawyer will have a sense of the reasonable value of a claim based on an analysis of the accident and from having handled similar cases. However, you should avoid any attorney who promises that he can obtain you a certain amount of money.

Among the factors our attorneys at Sansone & Lauber take into account in estimating the value of your case are:

  • Your medical bills
  • Future medical and rehabilitation expenses resulting from the injury
  • Lost wages as a result of injuries
  • Loss of future earning capacity.

The above items are all financial losses that can be quantified.

The second component of personal injury cases is known as pain and suffering and is harder to measure. The damages awarded for pain and suffering depend on a jury’s determination of what is reasonable compensation based on the facts of a specific case. A jury may weigh the severity of the brain injury, whether an injury is temporary or permanent, and how it affects the quality of your life.

Contact a Brain Injury Lawyer in St. Louis

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury caused by another in St. Louis, we understand that your family is going through a very trying time. You will need all the financial resources at your disposal during recovery.

Having trusted legal advice can make your journey go more smoothly. Our attorney can review your accident and discuss whether brain injury litigation is appropriate. Contact the knowledgeable St. Louis brain injury attorneys at Sansone & Lauber to schedule a free consultation. We handle the insurance companies and legal issues so that you can focus on your health and recovery.