A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury most often caused by blunt force to a person’s skull. People who suffer brain injuries often experience extreme changes to their lives because these injuries impact virtually every aspect of how a person functions.
A significant challenge for TBI victims is that their injuries are effectively invisible, so the average person usually has no idea why the victim may be struggling to speak, remember, or take certain actions. People who have suffered brain injuries are often unable to return to their positions of employment they once held, and, in particularly severe cases, may be completely unable to perform any kind of work.
If you or your loved one suffered a brain injury in an accident caused by another party’s negligence in Southeast Texas, seek legal counsel as soon as possible. An experienced Beaumont brain injury attorney will know how to investigate your case, prove another party’s negligence, and help you recover the compensation you need and deserve.
Portner Bond, PLLC understands the real challenges that TBI victims and their families face in dealing with brain injuries. Call (409) 838-4444 or contact us online to let us discuss your case during a free consultation.
Do I Need A Brain Injuries Lawyer?
While brain injuries can cause a significant number of problems for a victim, insurance companies will try to downplay the severity and underpay claims. Because TBIs typically do not involve visible indications of an injury – such as casts people receive for broken bones – the effects are largely invisible to insurers.
An attorney provides immediate help by understanding the nature of the injury and all of the consequences it has for a person. The insurance company for the negligent party in your case may promise to take care of you and say that you do not need a lawyer. You should take these kinds of promises with a grain of salt because the lump sum settlement you are likely to be offered will most definitely be much less than what you are actually entitled to. If you accept such an offer, you are powerless to obtain any additional compensation when the settlement is exhausted (which will likely happen much faster than you expect).
An insurance company may also argue that it is not liable because you were at fault for your accident. You want a lawyer precisely for these types of situations. Your legal counsel will fight to protect your rights and negotiate the most favorable possible settlement.
Why Choose Portner Bond, PLLC To Handle My Case?
Chris Portner is one of the fewer than 1% of attorneys in the United States who is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice, Jefferson County Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association.
Trent Bond is one of only about 10% of lawyers in Texas to be Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a former director and current vice president of the Jefferson County Bar Association.
Our firm’s goal is to help you achieve a just settlement to your case that covers every bill you have received or will receive. We can also file a lawsuit when we feel that settlement negotiations are not going to result in an acceptable offer.
Portner Bond, PLLC handles brain injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You only pay legal fees when you obtain a monetary award.
Types of Brain Injury Cases We Handle
TBIs are essentially divided into five different types, which include:
- Concussion — The most common kind of TBI caused by a direct blow to the head, a whiplash injury, or violent shaking of the head. Some concussions may cause diffuse axonal type injuries leading to temporary or permanent damage, and concussions do not always appear in diagnostic imaging tests.
- Contusion — Brain bruise causing bleeding usually due to direct impact to the head.
- Coup-Contrecoup — Contusions on both sides of the brain, both at the point of impact and the opposite side.
- Diffuse Axonal — Tearing of nerve tissue.
- Penetration — External object entering the brain.
Brain injuries are complex because the symptoms a person experiences are not always visible to others. While some symptoms can be physical, many others are mental and go unnoticed.
Physical symptoms of a TBI may include:
- Migraine headaches
- Repeated vomiting or nausea
- Seizures
- Fluids draining from the nose or ears
- Convulsions
- Weakness or numbness in fingers and toes
- Dizziness
- Loss of consciousness
- Loss of coordination
- Blurred vision
Mental or cognitive symptoms may include:
- Short-term memory loss
- Changes in appetite
- Depression
- Slurred speech
- Profound confusion
- Agitation
- Disorientation
- Amnesia
- Irritability
The causes of brain injuries are usually accidents in which victims have their heads struck by another object. Some of the most common accidents resulting in TBIs include, but are not limited to:
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Workplace Accidents
- Industrial Accidents
- Construction Accidents
- Refinery Accidents
- Oil and Gas Accidents
- Third-Party Negligence
- Medical Malpractice
- Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
- Amusement Park Accidents
- Day Care Accidents and Negligent Supervision
- Product Liability
The lack of obvious physical limitations after a TBI frequently means that insurance companies are inclined to try and settle cases for far less than victims need and deserve. You want to have an experienced Texas brain injury lawyer who can prove all of the difficulties that your injury has caused.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Brain Injuries
Brain injuries and their effects on the body are complex. In explaining the different types of TBIs and the associated symptoms, we have introduced a lot of medical terminologies, which may seem a bit overwhelming. Hopefully, the following common questions and answers will provide you with a greater understanding of these serious injuries. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact one of our experienced Beaumont brain injury attorneys at Portner Bond, PLLC. We offer free initial consultations and are here to help in any way we can.
What is the difference between a contusion and a concussion?
A concussion is a generalized lesion on the brain that is more widespread than a contusion, which is a localized bruise. Either injury is usually the result of an impact to the head. A contusion can occur without a concussion and a concussion can occur without a contusion, but many brain injuries involve both.
What is the difference between an acquired brain injury and a traumatic brain injury?
While a TBI stems from some kind of external force to a person’s skull, an acquired brain injury is the result of damage that occurred after birth. The most common causes of acquired brain injuries are events like near-drownings, strokes, heart attacks, tumors, or medical conditions affecting the brain.
What is the Glasgow Coma Scale?
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is the neurological scale that assesses the impairment of the conscious state of a brain injury victim. The three measures used to score responses are eye-opening, best motor response, and best verbal response. Eye-opening has four grades, the verbal response has five, and the motor response has six. A total patient score of 14 (on the original scale) or 15 (on the modified schedule) signifies a healthy individual, while a total patient score of 3 indicates deep unconsciousness.
Brain Injury Statistics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that TBIs resulted in approximately 2.5 million emergency department visits and 282,000 hospitalizations in the United States in 2013. Nearly 50,000 people died from TBIs in 2013.
According to the CDC, the leading cause of TBIs in 2013 fell with 47% of emergency department visits. The next most common cause was being struck by or against objects with 15% and then motor vehicle accidents with 14%.
The Texas Brain Injury Alliance reported that 144,000 Texans suffer TBIs every year, which translates to a brain injury every four minutes. Over 381,000 Texans live with a disability due to a TBI and more than 5,700 Texas residents are permanently disabled by TBI each year.
According to the Texas Brain Injury Alliance, 1.7 million people in the United States sustain a brain injury every year, 52,000 people die from brain injuries, and another 275,000 are hospitalized. While 1.365 million (or almost 80%) of brain injury victims are treated and released from emergency departments, 5.3 million Americans are currently living with disabilities that resulted from brain injuries.
The Texas Brain Injury Alliance reported that an infant, child, teenager, or adult in the United States suffers a TBI every 21 seconds, which translates to 4,100 people a day. TBI is the fourth-leading cause of death overall, and falls are the leading cause of TBI for persons 65 years of age and older.
The Texas Brain Injury Advisory Council 2018 Report stated that from January 2000 to March 2018, the U.S. military had 383,947 TBIs, 82.3% of which were mild, 9.7% of which were moderate, and 1.1% of which were severe. Another 1.4% were classified as penetrating and 5.6% were not classified.
University Interscholastic League, a Texas-based nonprofit, and UT Southwestern Medical Center partnered to establish a registry that collects data on athletic concussions in Texas. From 2017 to June 2018, 3,058 concussions were reported.
Contact a Beaumont Brain Injury Attorney Today
If you or your loved one sustained a TBI as the result of an accident caused by another party’s negligence in the Beaumont area, the attorneys of Portner Bond, PLLC will fight to get you the financial compensation that you will likely need for recovery, long-term support, and other essential needs after the accident.
Portner Bond, PLLC understands the complexity of brain injuries and knows how to demonstrate to a jury all of the ways these injuries affect the lives of victims. You can have our attorneys assess all of your legal options as soon as you call (409) 838-4444 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.