Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer in Shreveport / Bossier

The Law Offices of Michael J. Vergis have over 20 years providing top-notch legal services to clients throughout Louisiana. Contact our office at (318) 698-3724 for a free consultation with a Bossier City personal injury attorney if you or a loved one has suffered brain damage in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

What is a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)?

A forceful hit or jolt to the head or body has the potential to cause a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. A traumatic brain injury can also be caused by an object that penetrates the brain tissue, such as a gunshot or a fractured piece of skull.

A mild traumatic brain injury can cause temporary damage to your brain cells. However, bruising, torn tissues, hemorrhage, and other physical damage to the brain can occur with more severe traumatic brain injury. It is possible for these catastrophic injuries to result in long-term problems or death.

Car accidents are another common cause of brain injury. In addition to compromising physical abilities and cognitive performance, a TBI can have a serious impact on the victim’s personality and identity. The costs of living with and treating a brain injury over the course of a person’s life may easily surpass millions of dollars.

Brain Injury Causes

A blow to the head or other blunt force trauma injury to the body is the most common cause of a TBI. The severity of the damage is determined by a number of factors, including the type of injury and the force of impact. Falls, particularly with the elderly and children, vehicle collisions, sports injuries, and explosive blasts are common incidents that result in brain injury. Violence such as gunshot wounds, domestic abuse, and child abuse (including shaken baby syndrome) are also causes of TBI.

According to some estimates, auto accidents are thought to account for 50 to 70% of all traumatic brain injuries. Passengers may hit their heads on the steering wheel, dashboard, side door, or window during an accident. In a rollover accident followed by a roof smash, a major brain or spinal injury is very likely, and usually fatal. Even if there isn’t direct contact to the head in a crash, brain damage can occur. A whiplash injury can result in a TBI and spinal damage, even in a low-speed rear-end collision.

Individuals can also be knocked over and possibly suffer a concussion as a result of the shockwaves from an explosion. Oilfield workers are also at risk of being harmed by swinging or flying debris while on the job. After falls, being struck by an object is the second leading cause of TBI visits to the emergency room, according to the CDC.

Signs of TBI

For the best care, brain injuries must be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. A TBI may not be identified until days after the accident, when family members and others notice changes in the injury victim, such as forgetfulness, mood or personality changes, difficulty concentrating, and so on. A brain injury that goes untreated can be very dangerous and even fatal. Seek medical care after a car accident or other trauma involving a blow to the head or whiplash.

Most brain injuries, no matter how severe, can be traced back to a blow to the head or a quick shock. Minor brain injuries, such as concussions, can heal fast with little or no medical intervention. On the other hand, severe brain injuries dramatically alter people’s lives. They require constant monitoring and touch almost every part of a person’s life.

Brain Injury Patients May Require a Wide Range of Treatment and Care

Methods used to treat a TBI include surgery and intensive care in the hospital, as well as a long period of rehabilitation in a skilled nursing facility or as an outpatient at a clinic or at home. Those with TBI can be helped with occupational therapy, physical therapy, and vocational rehabilitation, as well as psychiatric counseling and emotional support.

With the correct treatment, people who have had a TBI can regain lost abilities and function. A brain injury lawyer seeks to get their clients the money they need to pay for the best possible care and to deal with the changes and hardships that a brain injury can bring. 

What Damages Can You Recover For a Brain Injury?

Current and Future Medical Expenses: Any medical treatment you received as a result of the injury, including emergency services, ER fees, surgery and procedure costs, medical equipment, and more will be calculated and included in your settlement amount.

Loss of Earning Capacity: In a TBI claim, the first loss that is considered is loss of earning capacity. Brain injury typically causes difficulty focusing, regulating anger, memory issues, and exhaustion, all of which severely affect one’s capacity to work. Persons with brain injuries often retire 10 to 15 years earlier than they would otherwise, so this must be considered as well.

Life Care Costs: Physical therapy, drugs, and possibly assistance with everyday activities will often be required. An assessment is conducted to determine how much this lifetime care would cost the patient. If the victim receives care from an unpaid family member, the cost of those services to the patient in other circumstances will be calculated. This assessment is performed to assist the family caregiver as well as to anticipate the need for a future paid caregiver.

Pain and Suffering/Loss of Enjoyment of Life: That your quality of life has been diminished by a particular percentage will be demonstrated. This figure could be as high as the reduction in earning potential.

How Much is a Brain Injury Settlement Worth?

A traumatic brain injury’s case value is determined by a variety of criteria. A normal brain injury case will typically result in damages in excess of $100,000. Claims in the millions of dollars are not uncommon. 

Shreveport/Bossier City personal injury attorney Michael J. Vergis handles his personal injury cases on a contingency basis. This means he does not charge clients fees until financial compensation is successfully awarded to the client. A brain injury attorney who works on a contingency fee basis will pay for medical experts and other costs out of his or her own pocket. A traumatic brain injury lawsuit requires a lot of preparation, therefore lawyers that work on a contingency fee will only consider cases that they believe have a good chance of succeeding.

Why Hire a Lawyer After an Accidental Brain Injury?

There are various signs that it’s time to seek a brain injury lawyer. The most obvious reason is if you’ve just been injured in an accident caused by someone else. Also, when medical costs begin to build up, you should seek legal help.

This is especially true if the accident has left you with long-term or permanent injuries. To calculate the amount of compensation you should receive, you’ll need the help of an experienced brain injury attorney. 

If there were other parties involved in the accident, you will also require an accident lawyer. It can be difficult to determine fault without the assistance of an attorney fighting on your side. These cross-claims will be used by insurance companies to justify paying you less than you deserve. 

If you try to make a claim without a lawyer and the other party’s insurer offers you a low settlement, refuses to pay you, or tries to deny fault, you should hire an accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Also keep in mind that personal injury claims in our state are subject to Louisiana’s statute of limitations. This means you must file within one year of the accident’s occurrence, according to the law. 

Contact a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer in Shreveport and Bossier City ASAP!

Because of the complexities and high cost of brain injury claims, it is critical that you hire a brain injury attorney who is well-versed in this area as soon as possible.  If you’ve received injuries in the Shreveport or Bossier areas, call the office of Michael J. Vergis today at 318-698-3724. Your financial future may be at stake.