Kansas City Brain Injury Lawyers

We Help TBI Patients Find Justice

Nearly two million people every year fall victim to a head injury and around 1 in 4 of these injuries requires immediate medical attention. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may be classified as mild (concussions), moderate, or severe, but all types can have lasting symptoms that disrupt a patient’s life. We are here to help those who suffered a TBI due to someone else’s negligence.

Traumatic brain injuries may bring challenges like high medical bills and lost wages. They may prevent you or a family member from returning to work or participating in activities you once enjoyed. All these losses should be compensated by the party who caused your injury. Our team at DiPasquale Moore can help you determine who can be held liable and fight for a fair settlement.

We have recovered nearly $30 million for our clients. To see if we can help you after a TBI, call our Kansas City lawyers at (888) 743-1030 for a free consultation.

Types and Classifications of Traumatic Brain Injuries

There are two main kinds of traumatic brain injury that can harm the scalp, skull, or brain. Closed head injuries occur when an object strikes the head with any amount of blunt force. Penetrating head injuries are when an object traveling at a high speed breaks through the skull and injures the soft brain tissue below. Either form of brain injury has the capacity to result in long-term or permanent brain damage.

The full extent of a brain injury is rarely obvious immediately after the incident, so doctors use a system called the Glasgow Coma Scale to estimate how serious the damage is. When brain function faces serious disruption because of a blow to the head, it will shut off, causing unconsciousness. By scoring a patient’s eye, verbal, and motor responses, the Glasgow Coma Scale can approximate just how great the disruption was. Patients’ brain injuries may be classified as:

• Mild: Commonly called concussions, mild TBIs may not cause loss of consciousness at all; if they do, the unconscious period is brief—typically under 30 minutes. Concussion symptoms may last anywhere from a few days to a few months, but patients will typically recover fully.
• Moderate: A moderate TBI causes loss of consciousness for longer than 30 minutes, and though a patient’s eyes may be open, the individual will be lethargic and less responsive than a conscious individual. These patients may be able to overcome symptoms through rehabilitation, or they may come out of the injury with lasting disabilities.
• Severe: After a severe TBI, a patient will go into a coma that lasts more than six hours. They will show little response to external stimuli. A diagnosis of severe brain injury means the patient is likely to have major impairments that will affect them for the rest of their life.

The Most Common Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries

If you suspect a brain injury, getting immediate medical attention is important. Signs such as increased sleepiness, confusion, loss of consciousness, convulsions, headache, or slurred speech can indicate a serious brain injury. Even if an injury seems minor, it’s a good idea to go to a doctor. Complications like internal bleeding and bruising can lead to serious symptoms if they are not treated promptly. A full neurological evaluation including CT scans and MRIs can be effective in diagnosing the extent of a brain injury.

Of course, no scan or examination can tell you exactly what symptoms to expect. Brain injuries can only be fully understood by observing a patient to see what functions or abilities they have lost. However, the lasting effects may include:

• Personality changes
• Irritability or other emotional outbursts
• Mental health struggles
• Seizures
• Loss of taste, smell, vision, or hearing
• Sensory deficits
• Memory and learning deficits
• Impaired information processing
• Difficulty interpreting speech and carrying on conversations
• Impaired balance, muscle strength, or coordination
• Paralysis

Because the brain is the control center for the entire body, brain damage can affect any of a patient’s processes. Needless the say, the impact on a patient and their loved ones is intense.

How to Prove a Traumatic Brain Injury Claim

Some of the most common causes of brain injuries are car accidents, falls, sports injuries, and violent crime. If you or your loved one was hurt in an incident like this—or any other situation—that was caused by another person, you have the right to file an injury claim. You deserve to be compensated for your suffering, medical and hospital expenses, lost wages, and any future rehabilitation you may need.

Filing a lawsuit for a traumatic brain injury can involve a significant amount of work. Your attorney must be able to fully investigate your accident and understand the medical science of TBIs. We check secondary sources including witnesses, police reports, and video footage to lay out a full timeline of the accident. Then, we gather a patient’s full medical records and work with leading doctors to understand the extent of the injury—and its likely impacts on the patient’s future.

Unfortunately, TBI claims are likely to be heavily contested, because companies and insurers know these injuries are expensive. Therefore, it’s important to make sure your lawyer is prepared to fight for you. DiPasquale Moore has won a number of impressive verdicts and settlements because we are not afraid to take a case to court when a defendant won’t offer a fair payout. When we take a claim, we are committed to representing our client’s best interests until the very end.

The Help You Need After a Traumatic Brain Injury

If you believe you may have suffered a traumatic brain injury, you should immediately seek medical attention and then retain the services of an experienced attorney. With our help walking you through every step of the process, you can be confident that you are best poised to take the legal action you need. We know it’s essential for individuals and families to maximize their compensation, so they can access the medical care and other assistance they need. Every step we take to help a client goes toward the goal of successfully resolving their case.

At DiPasquale Moore, we understand the harm from a TBI goes beyond the physical symptoms. These injuries may disrupt your life plans and upend everything you thought you knew. We are here to offer the full support you need during this time.

Schedule a free consultation with our Kansas City TBIattorneys to learn your legal options. Call DiPasquale Moore at (888) 743-1030 at any time, day or night.