Brain Injury Lawyers Serving Richmond, Petersburg, Chesterfield, Mechanicsville and Surrounding Cities
A minor concussion followed by a headache or some fatigue may seem normal. When a headache continues to nag you day after day and a “sleepy day” turns into a month, you possess signs of suffering from a serious head injury. If an accident leaves you with ongoing cognitive health issues, you might be confused as to what your next step should be. You likely have unanswered questions about paying for medical bills, paying for therapy sessions, or supporting a family if you can no longer work.
Our legal team can help ease your worry. The personal injury attorneys at Tronfeld West & Durrett have extensive experience dealing with head and brain injuries. We can answer your questions and help guide you through the legal process to make sure you are compensated for any injuries resulting from a car accident, defective product, or other accident.
Click Here to Contact Our Attorneys Now
With offices conveniently located in Richmond, Petersburg, Chesterfield, and Mechanicsville we are easily accessible. Take a moment to fill out the form below or call us at 1-800-321-6741 to talk to an experienced injury lawyer.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury can result when an individual receives a violent blow or jolt to the head or body or when an object pierces the head and goes through brain tissue. A traumatic brain injury affects how the brain works and is a major cause of death and disability in the United States.
While anyone can experience a TBI, some groups are at a greater risk of a brain injury or a greater risk of having worse health outcomes following the injury. While a mild brain injury may temporarily adversely affect your brain cells, more serious TBIs—those that result in severe bruising, torn tissues, bleeding, or other physical damage to the brain—can have long-term complications or death.
While a concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, it is generally a much less severe head injury. A concussion results when the is hit or the body sustains a hit that causes the head and brain to whip violently forward, then backward. Such sudden movements can result in compression or twisting of the brain causing chemical changes that can alter the brain’s chemical balance and damage brain cells.
Concussions, unlike more severe traumatic brain injuries, are not usually life-threatening. However, the after-effects of a concussion can be very serious. Some people who have had more than one concussion can develop CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). Those who receive many hits to the head—like boxers and football players—are at a much greater risk of CTE, resulting in memory loss, dementia, aggression, depression, impaired judgment, and confusion.
Some of these symptoms are similar to those experienced by individuals who have had a more severe Traumatic Brain Injury. So, while mild concussions are not generally considered a serious TBI, those who experience multiple concussions throughout their lives are more likely to develop CTE, while a more severe concussion can result in a TBI. It can be extremely difficult to live with a TBI, as it can alter the cognitive functions of the victim and can even result in huge changes to the individual’s basic personality. Those with severe TBI may require a caretaker for months, years, or even the remainder of their lives.
Family members may have difficulty dealing with mood swings and changes in the personality of their loved ones. Traumatic brain injuries can result in a lifetime of medical interventions and rehabilitative therapy, the necessity of full-time care, an inability to return to work, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses. If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury, you need serious help, and you need it quickly. The Tronfeld West & Durrett Richmond, traumatic brain injury lawyers, are highly respected in the industry and are ready to help you through this difficult time in the best way possible.
Symptoms of a Head Injury
Because of the brain’s central role in our physical bodies, few injuries affect a person as completely as a head or brain injury. No two injuries are exactly alike, and it can be difficult to pinpoint the problem between different cases. Common symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include, but are not limited to:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Severe concussion
- Chronic fatigue
- Vision problems
- Ringing ears
- Difficulty speaking
- Vomiting
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Anxiety
- Depression
Traumatic Brain Injuries
The Brain Injury Association of America estimates that 2.4 million people in the United States suffer a traumatic brain injury every year. The two highest causes of traumatic brain injuries are falls (at 35.2%), followed by motor vehicle accidents at (17.3%). A car accident, playground fall, or similar “freak accident” can happen in a split second, but the ongoing cognitive issues of a head injury can affect your life for years. An overwhelming 3.17 million Americans currently live with disabilities related to a traumatic brain injury.
According to the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, it’s hard to accurately assess the number of traumatic brain injuries in the United States due to the fact that many TBIs are only treated in the ER, Urgent Care, or through primary care physicians, while many more go untreated altogether. This means that there are many more TBIs than we have statistics on. Males are almost two times as likely to be hospitalized and three times more likely to die from a TBI than females. If you or a loved one suffers from the repercussions of a severe head injury or severe brain injury related to an accident or product liability, you might be eligible to receive compensation to help pay for medical expenses and other losses.
What Causes Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Many different kinds of accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries. Auto accidents are one of the top causes of traumatic brain injuries. During a rear-end car accident, the head may snap forward forcefully, then back, causing the brain to slam into the hard skull with considerable force. Side-impact and head-on car accidents can also lead to traumatic brain injury. Semi-truck accidents often cause extremely serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries.
Motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents can also be the source of traumatic brain injuries, particularly among bikers and motorcyclists who do not wear helmets at the time of their accidents. Other than a helmet, this group of travelers has no protection from head injuries when hit by a vehicle. Construction accidents can lead to traumatic brain injuries, particularly when an individual falls from a height, is injured by heavy equipment, or is hit by a falling object. If you are simply walking by a construction area when you are injured, you could have a premises liability claim against the property owner.
In addition to auto and construction accidents, traumatic brain injuries can result from a slip and fall where the victim’s head hits a hard surface. Finally, when an elderly individual suffers abuse in a nursing home, a traumatic brain injury can result. All of these personal injury areas are practiced by the Tronfeld West & Durrett attorneys; we can help you get the settlement you need and deserve from the negligent party following your traumatic brain injury.
How Much Compensation Will You Get for a Traumatic Brain Injury Caused by Negligence?
It’s impossible to know exactly what your claim is worth until you speak to a Richmond traumatic brain injury lawyer from Tronfeld West & Durrett. We will first look at liability. If there is another party who clearly caused your accident, then their insurer will be liable for your injuries. Our attorneys will first fully investigate your accident to definitively prove liability. Next, we will examine your traumatic brain injury to assess its severity. Has your traumatic brain injury caused you to be off work? Will you be able to return to work? Will you need long-term medical treatments and/or a caretaker?
Once we’ve assessed your injuries, we will determine the damages. Damages fall under economic or non-economic. Economic damages include medical expenses and lost wages. Medical expenses cover ambulance costs, physician expenses, surgical costs, hospital expenses, prescription medications, and assistive devices.
Lost wages will cover any wages you have lost to this point, along with future lost wages which are determined based on your age, your job at the time of your accident, your education, and the likelihood of advancement in your job. Non-economic damages are more difficult to place an exact number on. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering—actual physical pain, emotional pain, and trauma.
Once we have calculated your damages, we will begin negotiations with the insurer. If the insurer simply will not agree to a reasonable settlement that fully covers your injuries, we will file a lawsuit on your behalf. Usually, filing a lawsuit is enough to persuade the insurer to pay what your claim is worth. If not, we will argue your case in court, and a jury will determine damages. A Richmond traumatic brain injury lawyer from Tronfeld West & Durrett has the experience, knowledge, and skills necessary to ensure you receive a full settlement that covers all your damages.
Why Should You Hire an Attorney for Your Traumatic Brain Injury?
You may wonder whether you need an attorney after your accident, which resulted in a traumatic brain injury. This is not a time when you want to leave your future to chance. You must have an experienced legal professional by your side from start to finish because the stakes are so high for your financial stability and future. A brain injury can disrupt your ability to pay even your most basic living costs if the injury prevents you from returning to work. You may already be dealing with extreme physical difficulties following your traumatic brain injury, not to mention cognitive and emotional issues.
At Tronfeld West & Durrett, we are ready to do the heavy lifting on your behalf. We will thoroughly investigate your accident using every resource, including an accident reconstructionist, police reports, video footage, medical records, eyewitness testimony, and employment logs. Even after liability has been definitively proven, it can be more complex than you expect—not to mention stressful—to negotiate with the insurance company. If your case goes to court, your experienced Richmond traumatic brain injury lawyer will effectively tell your story to a jury. The Tronfeld West & Durrett attorneys have significant knowledge regarding brain injuries and will use their skills and experience to your advantage.
How Tronfeld West & Durrett Can Help You Handle the Aftermath of a Traumatic Brain Injury
After a severe injury, your body needs to take some time to rest and recover. As you are trying to heal, the last thing your brain needs to worry about is the stress of paying medical bills and talking to insurance adjusters. An experienced Richmond traumatic brain injury lawyer from the Tronfeld West & Durrett team can answer your questions and help you determine if your case is worth pursuing. We have years of experience with head and brain injury lawsuits in Virginia.
We will walk you through the process of dealing with insurance adjusters and any other parties involved. We fight to make sure you get the monetary help and compensation you deserve to get your life back on the right track. Rest assured you will be in the best of hands with one of our local attorneys. Stop by one of our offices today, in Richmond, Petersburg, Chesterfield or Mechanicsville. Or, call 1-800-321-6741 to set up a free consultation with a skilled Richmond traumatic brain injury lawyer right now.