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Brain Injury Lawyers in California
Get experienced legal help for your traumatic brain injury
Unity Law Group
Brain Injury Lawyers in California
◇ The California traumatic brain injury lawyers at Unity Law Group draw upon years of experience when handling cases for victims of traumatic brain injury (TBI). We have earned a strong reputation throughout California for our thorough preparation and precise attention to every detail. Our TBI attorneys take great pride in the results we have achieved for clients who have endured these life-changing injuries.
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What Is a Brain Injury?
◇ The immediate, severe damage a brain sustains during an accident is known as the primary brain injury. It is often followed by a secondary brain injury, which involves a series of cellular, chemical, tissue, or blood vessel changes that develop over hours or even days after the accident. These ongoing changes can cause additional harm to brain tissue.
◇ Brain trauma often happens when a powerful impact directly affects the head, bruising the brain and damaging its internal tissues and blood vessels. The seriousness of a head or brain injury can vary from a mild concussion to a severe condition that leads to coma or even death.
◇ In a closed head injury, there is no skull fracture, but the brain is forcefully shaken against the skull’s inner walls, tearing the internal lining, nerves, tissues, and blood vessels, which can cause bleeding, swelling, and bruising. These injuries are commonly classified as subdural hematomas, subarachnoid bleeds, and epidural bleeds. In an open or penetrating head injury, the skull is fractured.
❖ Traumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury claim may deal with a broad range of complex injuries that impact brain function.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that brain injuries are a major cause of death and long-term disability in both children and adults. Each year, over 2.4 million people suffer a severe TBI, with roughly 69,000 resulting in death and over 90,000 causing lasting disabilities.
Traumatic brain injuries happen when a sudden, external force harms the brain, such as a sudden, blunt-force impact to the head, aggressive shaking, or a penetrating wound. These injuries can damage multiple areas of the brain at once.
TBIs can impact a person’s:
- Behavior and habits
- Emotional stability
- Personality traits
- Physical coordination and movement
- Sensory functions and processing
- Thinking skills or mental development
Most individuals heal from brain trauma within weeks or months. However, others may experience lasting symptoms. More serious cases might need ongoing, lifelong rehabilitation. In the most severe situations, some people fall into comas or lose their lives due to their TBIs.
❖ Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
Serious brain injuries classified as acquired but not traumatic often result from strokes, infections, oxygen deprivation, or medical mistakes. For instance, if a newborn is deprived of oxygen during a delayed Cesarean delivery, the lack of oxygen to the brain results in anoxia or hypoxia. It can cause neurological issues or cerebral palsy. Improper use of forceps or vacuum extractors during birth is a common medical error that can also lead to brain damage in newborns.
❖ Inborn Brain Injuries
Inborn brain injuries are those that develop before birth. These injuries include genetic brain conditions, fetal alcohol syndrome, neurological harm from drug exposure, illnesses around the time of birth, and oxygen deprivation during delivery.
❖ Open Head Injury
An open brain injury, also called a penetrating brain injury, happens when an object pierces the skull. Common causes include violent assaults and gunshot wounds. Open brain injuries can also result from construction and workplace accidents involving heavy equipment and tools.
❖ Closed Head Injury
A closed brain injury happens when the brain suffers internal damage without fracturing the skull. The forceful shaking of the brain inside the skull can bruise and tear brain tissues and blood vessels. Common causes of closed brain injuries include shaken baby syndrome and motor vehicle accidents. In fact, many severe whiplash victims also experience TBIs.
❖ Primary Brain Injury
A primary brain injury happens at the moment of physical trauma, such as when the head takes a direct hit or suffers a penetrating wound. Let’s examine a few examples of primary brain injuries.
Concussion
A concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury caused by a forceful impact to the head. Symptoms often include headaches, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and ringing in the ears. Concussion symptoms frequently occur due to sports injuries in football and hockey, but they can also result from car crashes, falls, and other accidents.
Contusion
A contusion is a more serious traumatic brain injury that causes bruising in the brain. Contusions often happen when a blunt object, like a hammer or baseball bat, hits the head. Symptoms of a contusion may include headaches, nausea, vomiting, and trouble thinking or speaking clearly.
Diffuse Axonal Injury
Diffuse axonal injury is a traumatic brain injury that happens when the brain twists or shakes violently inside the skull. This type of injury often results from car crashes, falls, and similar accidents. Common symptoms include headaches, confusion, dizziness, and problems with thinking and communication.
❖ Secondary Brain Injury
A secondary brain injury develops as an indirect effect of the initial trauma when shifts in the brain’s cells, chemicals, tissues, or blood vessels cause further damage to brain tissue. Secondary brain injuries progress after the primary injury and can lead to serious, permanent, or even life-threatening harm.
Edema
Edema happens when fluid builds up in the brain, causing it to swell. The swelling can result from the original traumatic brain injury or the body’s natural reaction to the injury. Like hematomas and hemorrhages, edema can increase pressure on the brain, which may lead to more harm.
Hematoma
A hematoma forms when blood pools outside of a blood vessel. In traumatic brain injuries, hematomas can develop between the skull and the brain or inside the brain tissue. These blood clots can press against the brain, leading to further injury and complications.
Hemorrhage
A hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel bursts or when the brain tissue itself starts bleeding. Similar to hematomas, hemorrhages can create pressure inside the skull, which may cause further harm to the brain.
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus happens when cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up in the brain. Hydrocephalus can develop after a traumatic brain injury, as the body might create too much CSF in reaction to the trauma. The fluid buildup can increase pressure on the brain, causing additional harm.
Brain injury
Traumatic Brain Injury
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Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury Cases
◇ Thousands of TBIs occur on the road, leaving millions of people with lasting disabilities that impact movement, memory, speech, and more. Many people believe that TBIs only happen when someone takes a direct hit to the head and passes out, but this is a common misunderstanding that a TBI lawyer can clear up.
◇ A TBI can also happen when the brain is violently shaken in one or more directions during a collision or sudden stop. In these cases, the brain’s soft tissue gets injured when it strikes the inside of the skull. This type of trauma often occurs without the person losing consciousness. Based on the experience of our head trauma lawyers, frequent causes of TBI include:
- Car collisions
- Motorcycle and bicycle crashes
- Pedestrian injuries
- Physical assaults
- Rapid acceleration or deceleration impacts
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Sports and recreational mishaps
- Trucking crashes
- Whiplash
- Workplace and construction site incidents
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Symptoms of a Brain Injury
◇ Traumatic brain injury symptoms vary from person to person and can gradually get worse. Detecting these symptoms early is crucial to avoiding progressive harm. Sadly, these signs are often hard to recognize, and even thorough medical evaluations by professionals can overlook them. It is common for the early stages of a TBI to go unnoticed if the symptoms have not fully appeared yet. For this reason, it is especially important to carefully monitor patients for any signs of a TBI following an accident.
◇ TBI symptoms and effects may include:
- Depression or mood swings
- Frequent dizziness
- Memory difficulties
- Nausea or vomiting
- Ongoing headaches
- Seizures
- Sensitivity to light
- Shifts in behavior or personality
- Sleep disturbances
- Trouble with balance and coordination
- Vision issues
◇ Traumatic brain injuries can disrupt a person’s ability to handle everyday life and result in overwhelming medical expenses that financially strain families already in distress. Long-lasting physical and mental challenges are common, and the brain injury victim’s overall quality of life can be severely impacted. They may no longer be able to work or function as they once did. Traumatic brain injury can cause a variety of symptoms and lasting effects, including:
- Behavioral and Emotional Changes — Sudden mood shifts, irritability, nervousness, and feelings of depression
- Cognitive Problems — Coma, temporary or permanent memory loss, reduced attention span, trouble with decision-making and problem-solving, and difficulty understanding time and space
- Fatal Outcomes — Some cases can lead to death
- Functional Difficulties — Struggles with everyday tasks like bathing and dressing, along with challenges in organizing and managing routines
- Language and Communication Challenges — Trouble with speaking, writing, reading, organizing thoughts, expressing ideas, or recognizing objects
- Motor Sensory Issues — Muscle weakness, partial or complete paralysis, poor balance and coordination, muscle stiffness or spasticity, low physical stamina, shaking or tremors, swallowing difficulties, and seizures
- Perceptual and Sensory Problems — Changes or loss in sensation, altered taste, hearing loss, reduced sense of touch, impaired sense of smell, and vision difficulties
- Social and Mental Health Changes — Trouble navigating or engaging in social settings, increased irritability, low drive or motivation, feelings of depression, and heightened anxiety
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What to Do After a Head Injury in 6 Steps
◇ Acting quickly when you encounter someone with a head injury is crucial for protecting their health. In many situations, it can determine whether the person recovers fully or faces severe, lasting impairments. The sooner medical treatment begins, the better the chances of preventing brain damage. Symptoms may not appear right away after a head injury and can gradually worsen, causing significant harm to the brain.
◇ If you believe someone has sustained a brain injury, follow these steps:
- 1. Help the person sit down to keep them steady and ensure their safety.
- 2. Check for any scalp injuries, and cover them with a clean cloth. Press firmly to control the bleeding.
- 3. Hand the person something cold to gently press against the injured area.
- 4. Carefully check if the person is awake, aware, and able to respond. Watch for signs like dizziness, nausea, memory loss, headaches, and disorientation.
- 5. Get emergency assistance right away if symptoms get worse, including extreme drowsiness, severe headaches, confusion, dizziness, vomiting, blurred or double vision, difficulty speaking, or trouble walking.
- 6. Call for emergency medical attention immediately if the person becomes unresponsive, demonstrates decreasing alertness, shows uneven pupil sizes, has blood or clear fluid leaking from the nose or ears, or.
◇ If you suspect the person is paralyzed, unresponsive, or has a neck injury, do not move them, as this could make their condition worse. Contact emergency services right away in this situation.
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Traumatic Brain Injury
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Why Hire Unity Law Group as Your Brain Injury Lawyers
◇ Brain injury cases are difficult for several reasons, including the distinct possibility that the victim may not remember the accident or have the mental ability to help prepare the case for trial. Additionally, reduced thinking skills, lowered awareness, and emotional problems are subtle and harder for a jury to notice compared to more visible injuries like broken bones and huge scars.
◇ These evidence-related challenges make it especially important to have a skilled, experienced traumatic brain injury attorney on your side. At Unity Law Group, our long track record of representing injured individuals in California has given us the legal knowledge and familiarity with case law needed to successfully manage complex brain injury cases. We are committed to seeking the highest possible compensation allowed under California law.
◇ We have handled brain injury cases related to:
- Bicycle and pedestrian collisions
- Car accidents
- Falls from elevated areas
- Faulty or dangerous products
- Medical negligence
- Motorcycle crashes
- Poor security measures
- Slip and fall incidents
- Swimming and boating incidents
- Trucking collisions
- Workplace injuries
◇ The last thing you need when you or a loved one faces a traumatic brain injury is the stress of battling with insurance companies. If your symptoms appeared days after the accident, it can be tough to prove that your head injury is the cause. You do not have to face this struggle by yourself.
◇ The personal injury attorneys at Unity Law Group will:
- Assess the full scope and worth of your losses
- File your case within the statute of limitations
- Provide peace of mind that a skilled professional is managing your legal concerns, allowing you to focus on healing
- Guide you through the legal rules and deadlines that could impact your claim
- Look into what caused your TBI and find everyone who may be responsible
- Negotiate with insurance providers to secure a fair settlement
- Stand up for you in court and fight for your rights if your case goes to trial
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Fair Compensation for a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawsuit
◇ An individual who sustains a traumatic brain injury due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing may seek compensation for:
- Adjustments to your home or vehicle to accommodate permanent disabilities
- Medical costs for treatments, hospital stays, medications, and rehabilitation
- Ongoing medical care, including in-home support or long-term services
- Loss of companionship or relationship support
- Emotional distress and mental suffering
- Damage to personal property
- Future loss of earning potential
- Lost wages and benefits
- Mobility aids
- Occupational therapy
- Physical pain and suffering
- Reduced ability to enjoy daily life
- Visible scarring or disfigurement
◇ A TBI attorney at Unity Law Group will examine the details of your injury during a free consultation to identify the compensatory and punitive damages you and your family may pursue. If you choose to work with us, we will aggressively seek justice and fight to secure the highest possible compensation for you.
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Unity Law Group | Your California Brain Injury Law Firm
◇ A traumatic brain injury can affect every part of a victim’s life. You should never have to face this challenge by yourself. Unity Law Group is ready to guide you through California’s brain injury laws, help you pursue financial compensation, and explain what to expect throughout the legal journey. Most importantly, you need an experienced attorney for brain injury cases who fights for the rights of injury victims. For a free case evaluation, fill out our online form or call Unity Law Group at (844) 864-8939 today!
