Have you suffered a brain injury in an accident in Tarzana, CA? Even minor trauma can leave you with substantial medical bills and disrupt your life. An experienced Tarzana brain injury lawyer at JUSTICENTER Personal Injury Lawyers can help you pursue the compensation you deserve and hold the responsible party accountable. Contact us at 833-852-3600
A more serious injury can be catastrophic and change the course of the rest of your life.
Since 1980, we have represented brain injury survivors like you. We are committed to fighting on your behalf for maximum compensation for the harm you have suffered.
Contact our law office to schedule a free case review with a Tarzana personal injury attorney to discuss how we can help you.
How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You With a Brain Injury Claim in Tarzana, CA
A brain injury can affect every aspect of life. You face not only a long recovery but potentially serious long-term consequences. As you cope with the fallout of your accident, an experienced Tarzana personal injury lawyer can pursue the money you deserve. A lawyer can increase the chances of recovering the full compensation you need for your medical bills, lost earnings, and other losses.
At JUSTICENTER Personal Injury Lawyers, we have 105 years of combined experience helping brain injury victims. Since 1980, we have recovered hundreds of millions in compensation. Our lawyers have been recognized as Southern California Super Lawyers and earned the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating. We are ready to put our experience to work on your behalf.
Here is what our law firm will do to help you after your Tarzana, California, accident:
- Perform an independent investigation into your accident
- Gather evidence to prove liability and document your damages
- Work with experts to strengthen your case
- Fight insurance company tactics and protect your rights
- Negotiate on your behalf to seek maximum compensation
- Take your case to court if necessary
Contact our law firm today to schedule a free consultation with a Tarzana brain injury attorney. You can tell your story and get the help you deserve.
Overview of Brain Injuries
Brain injuries are one of the most serious injuries you can sustain, as the effects and long-term consequences may be profound. About 2.5 million people in the U.S. suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. TBIs kill 50,000 people annually and leave another 85,000 disabled.
A TBI refers to a brain injury caused by trauma, like a penetrating injury or blow to the head. Brain injuries can also be acquired due to stroke, infection, or disease, or they can be caused by birth injuries.
A primary brain injury is an injury that happens at the time of an impact or accident. Secondary brain injuries happen hours or days later due to changes in blood supply and brain chemistry. Many accident victims suffer both primary and secondary brain injuries.
What Are Common Types of Brain Injuries?
Traumatic brain injuries are classified as mild, moderate, or severe. A mild TBI is also known as a concussion. It’s the most common type of brain injury.
Other types of TBI include:
- Brain contusion (bruising)
- Hematoma – when blood collects inside the skull
- Anoxic and hypoxic brain injuries happen when the brain receives no or too little oxygen
- Coup injuries occur under the site of the impact
- Contrecoup injuries occur opposite the impact
- Coup-contrecoup brain injuries have both a coup and contrecoup injury
- Diffuse axonal injuries (DAIs) happen when the brain shifts or rotates, shearing or tearing connecting brain fibers
Any type of brain injury can be serious, especially when victims have sustained other injuries or secondary brain damage occurs. The more widespread the damage and the longer it takes to receive medical care, the more serious the injury tends to be.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Brain Injury?
Brain injury symptoms depend on the severity of the damage and the regions of the brain that are hurt.
Common symptoms of a mild brain injury include:
- Blurry vision
- Confusion or foggy thinking
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Memory loss
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Nausea or vomiting
- Ringing in the ears
With a moderate to severe brain injury, additional symptoms can include:
- Worsening headache
- Seizures
- Personality and behavioral changes
- Changes to emotions or moods
- Trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Unequal pupils
- Coma
Symptoms can take hours or days to develop after an accident. Loss of consciousness is not necessary to suffer a brain injury, particularly mild TBIs. For more serious injuries, loss of consciousness becomes more common and may last hours or even days.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences of a Brain Injury?
There is no way to predict the long-term effects of a brain injury. With a very similar injury, some people may recover fully, while others are left with permanent impairment. In general, the ability of the brain to recover and adapt reduces with age.
One in 60 people in the U.S. is living with a brain injury-related disability.
The potential long-term or permanent consequences of a brain injury may include:
- Partial paralysis, reduced mobility, balance difficulties, and impaired motor function
- Disordered sleep
- Mood and personality changes
- Trouble with emotional regulation, impulse control, and problem-solving
- Issues with visual processing
- Problems understanding speech or speaking
- Cognitive impairment
- Locked-in syndrome (LiS)
Concussions are the most common type of TBI, with symptoms that resolve within a few weeks for about 90% of victims. However, about 10% of concussion victims have persistent or lingering symptoms. This is known as post-concussion syndrome (PCS), and it may last a year or longer.
What Causes Most Brain Injuries in Tarzana, CA?
Brain injuries may be caused by an external blow or a penetrating injury. Injuries can also be internal due to rapid acceleration and deceleration that causes the brain to move violently within the skull.
The most common causes of traumatic brain injuries are:
- Car accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Falls, including falls from heights or on the same level
- Violence, such as assault or firearm violence
- Being struck by an object, which usually happens in workplace accidents
Traffic accidents are responsible for 20% of TBI-related hospitalizations, especially among children and younger adults. Falls cause 40% of TBI-related ER visits but 81% of all brain injuries in seniors.
What Is My Tarzana Brain Injury Case Worth?
Every brain injury case is unique.
To estimate how much your case may be worth, a personal injury lawyer will consider many factors, such as:
- The severity of the injury
- Total financial losses
- The impact on your daily life and independence
- Your ability to return to your career or any gainful employment
- Your age
- The circumstances of the accident
- Whether you share blame for the accident
- Any insurance coverage available
To better understand what your case may be worth, contact JUSTICENTER Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation. A Tarzana brain injury attorney can review your case and help you understand these factors and what you may be able to recover.
What Damages Are Available To Brain Injury Victims in Tarzana, California?
Injury victims have the right to pursue the at-fault party for compensatory damages. This includes economic and non-economic damages.
Financial or economic damages compensate you for the current and future expenses of your accident and brain injury. Non-economic damages compensate for the psychological and emotional harm you suffered.
Damages you may recover include the following:
- Current and future medical bills
- Therapy and rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Property damage
- Lost earnings and lost or reduced earning capacity
- Reduced enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
Very rare cases that go before a jury may be eligible for punitive damages. These damages punish the defendant for their behavior. To recover punitive damages, you must show clear, convincing evidence that the other party engaged in malice, fraud, or oppression.
Malice means willful disregard for your safety or intent to cause harm. Oppression means you were subjected to cruel, unjust hardship while disregarding your rights.
How Long Do I Have To File a Brain Injury Lawsuit in California?
Your deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is limited. In California, the statute of limitations is generally two years from the date of your injury. If your brain injury was caused by medical malpractice, you have one year from the date you knew or should have known about the injury or up to three years. You must give the healthcare provider 90 days’ notice before filing the lawsuit.
Missing this deadline means you will be barred from holding the at-fault party financially accountable. It’s critical to take steps to preserve your rights and evidence as soon as possible.
Contact Our Tarzana Brain Injury Lawyers For a Free Consultation
Have you suffered a brain injury after a serious accident? If someone else’s negligence or intentional wrongdoing caused your injury, you may be entitled to money. Our personal injury lawyers in Tarzana are here to help you.
JUSTICENTER Personal Injury Lawyers has 105 years of combined experience handling complex and catastrophic injury cases. Call our law firm today to set up a free initial consultation with a Tarzana brain injury lawyer to discuss your options and what we can do.
