Brain injuries are the most devastating personal injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), life has already changed dramatically for you and your family and you are no doubt overwhelmed and terrified. Clearly, your need for excellent medical care is urgent. If your brain injury is the result of an accident for which another person was at fault, your need for consummate legal representation is equally compelling.
California law entitles you to compensation to cover your costs and extended misery, but you may have to file a personal injury lawsuit to receive it. If you are like the vast majority of people, without that compensation you and your family will not be able to manage. This is where Compass Law Group, LLP comes in. Our brain injury attorneys have outstanding credentials, first-rate legal skills, and a history of winning cases for grateful clients throughout California.
From the moment you contact us for a free consultation and we accept your case, we will fight tirelessly to obtain the substantial settlement you deserve.
Proving Liability for a Brain Injury Is Part of Our Job
In more cases than you might expect, accidents that result in a brain injury are caused by the negligence, or even malice, of another party — a motorist who was driving recklessly or impaired, a construction company that did not maintain a safe work site, a school that did not provide football helmets durable enough to protect their players or a person who committed assault. The brain injury attorneys at Compass Law Group are as thorough as they are experienced. In order to protect your rights we will:
- Investigate the accident carefully
- Pore over the police report
- Exam your medical records
- Interview witnesses
- Consult with experts as necessary (e.g. neurologists, automotive engineers)
- File all required legal documents promptly
While we may be able to negotiate an appropriate settlement with the person who caused your injury and that individual’s insurance company, if this is not possible we will take your case to court. You should note that if you have suffered a brain injury as a result of an assault, we can file a civil lawsuit against your attacker whether that person is charged or convicted of a crime or not.
Common Causes of Brain Injuries
Sadly, although the brain is well-protected by the skull, it can be seriously injured in any of the following ways:
- Car accident
- Motorcycle accident
- Truck accident
- Bicycle accident
- Pedestrian accident
- Sports injury
- Slip and fall
- Construction site accident
- Violent crime
No matter what type of event resulted in your brain injury, Compass Law Group will work long and hard to make certain your related costs are covered and your future is protected.
Types of Brain Injuries
Brain injuries are classified according to the kind of damage incurred:
- Concussion occurs when the brain hits against the skull
- Skull fracture occurs when the bone surrounding the brain actually breaks or is penetrated
- Hematoma occurs when a collection of blood vessels break and a large quantity of blood clots outside of the vessels, creating pressure
- Hemorrhage is uncontrolled bleeding within the brain tissue
- Edema is swelling of surrounding tissues
- Diffuse axonal injury occurs when there is damage directly to the brain cells
All of these kinds of brain injury can be very serious, leading to permanent brain damage or death.
Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
How severe and long-lasting the damage from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) depends on the intensity of the trauma and the particular part of the brain impacted. Mild or moderate symptoms of concussion, for instance, include:
- Headache
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness (a spinning sensation)
- Mild confusion or disorientation
- Nausea
- Temporary ringing in the ears
More severe symptoms, such as those below, indicate more serious trouble:
- Vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
- Slurred speech
- Seizures
- Sleep disturbance
- Problems with vision, hearing, taste or smell
- Cognitive difficulty
- Psychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, rage, mood swings)
- Loss of muscle control
- Leaking of clear fluid from the ear or the nose
At worst, traumatic brain injuries cause alterations in consciousness — coma, locked-in syndrome, or vegetative states. Such extreme consequences of brain injury may or may not be permanent.
Damages Compass Law Group Will Fight To Win
As our dedicated brain injury attorneys are well aware, even under the best of conditions, brain injuries are life-altering. Victims will need a tremendous amount of support — medical, emotional, and financial — to improve or recover. If they never fully (or even partially) recover, they will require a lifetime of care.
At Compass Law, we are not only determined professionals, but we are also compassionate people. We will fight aggressively to win the maximum possible award for you because we believe in your just cause and care deeply about you and those close to you. We will use every bit of our extensive knowledge and tactical skill to reimburse you for:
- Medical and surgical expenses
- Necessary therapies, including physical, psychiatric, and occupational therapy
- Lost income, present, and future
- Property damage
- Alterations to make your home accessible
- Medical transport
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
- Long-term nursing and home care
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
How many services you will need are often not known so we, as your legal advocates, will fight for you and yours in terms of the worst-case scenario. Our goal is to provide for your safety and comfort, and for the preservation of your family’s lifestyle, in the face of your ongoing challenges.
Contact us as soon as you can so that we can relieve some of the terrible stress you and your loved ones are under. While we cannot undo the damage that has been done, we can provide you with a port in this disastrous storm.