Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney in
Santa Barbara County, California
In a recent trial, Andrade Law Offices won
$4.317 Million Dollars
for our client with mild traumatic brain injury. Defense counsel may try to downplay a brain injury because a doctor deems the injury as mild. However, to a client, any brain injury negatively alters their life. They are not the same person they were before the injury, and they deserve significant compensation for the damage they have suffered and may continue to suffer the rest of their lives.
A traumatic brain injury occurs when the head receives a blow, or when an object penetrates the skull, causing brain damage. The symptoms of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, may be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the brain damage. A car accident, a fall, or being struck in the head by an object can cause a traumatic brain injury. Falls and car accidents are the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries.
Some closed head injuries and traumatic brain injuries require surgery to repair ruptured blood vessels as well as extensive physical therapy. In many cases, the victim of a traumatic injury accident may be entitled to receive compensation to cover the costs of medical care, therapy, and ongoing treatment for the years ahead.
If you or a loved one has sustained a traumatic brain injury in Southern California caused by another's fault or disregard for safety, turn to a Santa Barbara injury attorney at Andrade Law Offices for guidance. We have assisted thousands of clients. The legal team at Andrade Law Offices will work with financial planners to determine the full costs of your brain injury and prepare a claim that reflects those costs.
Call us today and let a knowledgeable injury lawyer assist you and explain your legal options for seeking compensation.
Who Is at Risk of Traumatic Brain Injury?
Anyone may sustain a traumatic brain injury, but people of certain ages are more susceptible than others.
Those most at risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury include:
Children, especially newborns to 4-year-olds who are learning to balance and walk.
Young adults between 15 and 24, who commonly sustain sports-related injuries and injuries in vehicle accidents.
Seniors aged 75 years and older, who are more susceptible to falling and hitting their heads.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the leading causes of TBI are:
Falls: 40.5 percent
Struck by or against objects: 15.5 percent
Motor vehicle accidents: 14.3 percent
Assaults/violence: 10.7 percent
Cause unknown: 19 percent
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When Should I Go to The Doctor?
After any collision or a fall in which you hit your head, you should go to the doctor for a thorough examination. Inform the doctor that you have been in a car accident or had a fall.
Your head may show no outward signs of bleeding or injury, yet your brain may be bruised, shaken, or injured. You may have a concussion, which is one form of brain injury. It is critically important to have a trained medical professional evaluate your injury immediately.
Concussions & Mild TBI
The most common type of closed head injury is a concussion. A jolt or blow to the head may cause the brain, which is very fragile, to bounce back and forth inside the skull, causing chemical changes in the brain cells. The force of a car collision in which a person's head moves with force backward and then forward, causing whiplash, may also cause a concussion.
Doctors describe a concussion as a mild type of traumatic brain injury because concussions are typically not life-threatening, but any injury to the brain is potentially serious.
Some symptoms of concussion or other mild traumatic brain injuries may include:
Headache
Nausea
Sleep disturbance
Fatigue
Sensitivity to noise
Difficulty paying attention
Memory problems
Loss of balance
Mood swings
Depression
A person with a concussion may lose consciousness briefly or remain conscious but feel dazed. A CAT scan may or may not detect a concussion. It is important after a mild brain injury to get plenty of sleep and to avoid doing any activity that could cause another head injury. It may take months for a concussion to heal.
A person who has a concussion may develop post-concussion syndrome, involving symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, irritability, memory problems, and difficulty thinking or paying attention. The Mayo Clinic states that the risk of developing post-concussion syndrome increases as you get older, and women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.
Other Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries
The following are other types of traumatic brain injuries:
Shaken Baby Syndrome: The injuries that babies who are victims of shaken baby syndrome may sustain include traumatic brain injury. The force generated by shaking a child back and forth injures their developing brain, causing ruptured blood cells and bleeding. The violent rotation of the head can cause the tearing of nerve tissue in the baby, just as in a car accident victim, leading to diffuse axonal injury. The tearing of nerve tissue can cause temporary or long-term brain damage.
Coup-Contrecoup Injury: Certain kinds of violent accidents cause the brain to collide against one side of the skull, then slam against the opposite side. This can cause two distinct areas of interior brain bleeding.
Penetrating Head Injury: When a foreign object enters the skull, it can cause a penetrating brain injury. Penetrating injuries can harm cognitive function, cause loss of coordination or weakness in the arms or legs, affect vision or hearing, and cause depression or anxiety. Penetrating injuries may even cause death.
The impact of a high-speed car collision is more likely to result in a penetrating or open head injury, in which the skull is cracked and brain tissue is penetrated by bone fragments, if you are not wearing a seatbelt. When a vehicle traveling at high speed stops suddenly, an individual's head is tossed violently, causing the brain to collide with the hard interior of the skull, tearing blood vessels and bruising brain tissue.
Traumatic brain injuries are catastrophic injuries that often require extensive treatment. You may be out of work for an extended period of time or be unable to handle the physical demands of your former job.
Personal Injury Lawyer Serving Santa Barbara
After a serious injury such as a traumatic brain injury, the personal injury attorney who you select to represent you can make a significant difference in protecting your interests. Our attorney has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for clients throughout Southern California. Our founding attorney, Steven Andrade, has received membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum in recognition of his exemplary work on behalf of clients.
Contact the legal team at Andrade Law Offices for a free case evaluation. You will not owe any fee for our services until we are successful in obtaining compensation for you.