Atlanta Brain Injury Lawyers
At Weatherby Law Firm, P.C., we are experienced brain injury lawyers. We have recovered millions of dollars for people with a brain injury after a car accident. We have the experience you need to win your brain injury case.
How Do We Handle Brain Injury Cases After an Accident?
We work to understand all the facts of how the accident occurred.
We have a team of experts to assist us in cases. This includes neurologists to diagnose the injury. It also includes an economist, if necessary, to identify the future damages and expenses that will be incurred. Because we have worked on a number of traumatic brain injury cases, we can quickly spot the issues and point our clients in the right direction.
The key with a traumatic brain injury case is understanding how serious the impairments are and how the injured person will be affected. We have worked on traumatic brain injury cases involving only a mild concussion, which were resolved in a matter of weeks.
We have also assisted a traumatic brain-injured child, with lifelong cognitive, speech, and motor skill deficits, obtain the maximum recovery possible in their position. In both cases, understanding the extent of the injury was key.
“compassion and dedication”
“Alex and his entire Atlanta team are capable and dedicated attorneys who handle the most serious cases with compassion and dedication. I recommend them to anyone who needs representation related to serious injuries.”
CHAD
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
The CDC defines a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as “a disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or a penetrating head injury.” In general, the blow will need to be violent for a traumatic brain injury to occur.
Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injuries can range from mild to severe, with symptoms associated with each change. The symptoms of a TBI can be broken down into physical symptoms and mental symptoms. The more severe the brain injury, the more severe the symptoms will be.
Mild TBI Symptoms
According to the Mayo Clinic, a mild TBI may result in the following symptoms:
- Loss of consciousness
- Dazed, confused, or disoriented
- Headache
- Nausea/vomiting
- Fatigue/drowsiness
- Difficulty speaking
- Difficulty sleeping
- Sleeping too much
- Loss of balance/dizziness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mood changes
Severe TBI Symptoms
A severe traumatic brain injury may include the following symptoms:
- Loss of consciousness
- Persistent/Strong headaches
- Repeated nausea/vomiting
- Seizures/Convulsions
- Fluids coming from nose/ears
- Inability to waken from sleeping
- Weakness in extremities/Paralysis
- Loss of coordination
- Profound confusion
- Coma
- Slurred speech
- Agitation
For a child, some of these symptoms may be difficult to recognize. Therefore, you should look for an (a) change in eating habits, (b) change in sleep, (c) seizures, (d) sad or depressed mood, loss of interest in toys and activities.
What are the Classifications of Brain Injuries?
In general, there are two main classifications of brain injuries: closed-head injuries and open-head injuries. A closed head injury is when the head is impacted causing trauma to the brain, but the skull and dura (the tough fiber covering the brain) remain intact. In a closed head injury, the brain suffers trauma but the skull does not break. This is similar, in a rudimentary sense, to a bruise.
Closed head injuries
Closed head injuries can range from mild to severe.
The types of closed head injuries include:
- Concussion (head injury with resulting temporary brain dysfunction),
- Intracranial hematoma (blood vessel in the brain ruptures causing blood to pool),
- Cerebral contusion (a bruise to brain tissue), and
- Diffuse axonal injury (a potentially devastating brain injury in which lesions form).
Open head injuries
Open head injuries occur when the skull is broken by an object that makes contact with the brain.
A skull fracture, in which the skull is broken, is a result of an open head injury. Often, these types of injuries occur when something penetrates the head. This can be a bullet (in the case of a shooting) or any other object.
What are the Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries?
A traumatic brain injury can be caused by any significant blow to the head. The most common type of accident leading to a TBI is a fall. The second most common is a motor vehicle accident. This can be an auto accident involving standard cars or involving a tractor-trailer or other commercial vehicle.
Other common causes of TBI include a person being struck by or striking an object.
How are Traumatic Brain Injuries Diagnosed?
Traumatic brain injuries are typically diagnosed through physical assessment and imaging tests.
When the person arrives at the doctor, the doctor will perform a physical assessment checking to see if the person can follow certain directions. A good example of this occurs in football when doctors perform assessments of the players to determine if they have suffered a concussion.
More definitive tests include a CT Scan and MRI scan. These scans may show issues with the skull and the soft tissue.
How Much are Brain Injury Cases Worth in Georgia?
We have valued hundreds of personal injury cases, and we can help you. In order to determine the value of your case, we need to have a free consultation with you. This is because the value of brain injury claims can vary significantly. Our Atlanta brain injury attorneys can help you determine your expected case value.
Contact an Atlanta Brain Injury Lawyer
We will fight to pursue the maximum compensation available under the law for our clients.