Washington Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Head Injury Attorney

Key Takeaways

• A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an alteration in brain function or other evidence of brain pathology caused by an external force.
• Several types of accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries, including truck accidents, car accidents, other motor vehicle accidents, and slip and fall accidents.
• Traumatic brain injury attorneys have additional experience over other personal injury attorneys who do not handle TBIs.
• Most head trauma, including mild concussions, are considered traumatic brain injuries.
• Brain injury victims can recover in a matter of weeks or may never recover, depending on the type or severity of TBI they suffer.

In 2021 alone, there were over 69,000 TBI-related deaths in the United States. While data shows that the people most likely to suffer a brain injury are age 65 and older, numbers are sufficiently high among young people, and people responsible for providing for a family are of tremendous concern. Brain injury is the number one cause of death and disability in Washington state for youths, according to the Brain Injury Alliance of Washington (BIAW).

Suffice it to say a brain injury can be devastating and life-altering for you and your family. The monetary costs involved with a brain injury can quickly dry up a family’s life savings. Suppose you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury as a result of the negligent acts of another. In that case, it is advisable to consult a traumatic brain injury lawyer in Washington with experience in brain injury claims.

Do I Need a Washington Brain Injury Lawyer?

It’s highly recommended to work with a personal injury lawyer if you are suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Recovering compensation for a traumatic brain injury is a complex process, whether you plan on negotiating a settlement or going to litigation. You are dealing with insurance companies that have high-dollar brain injury attorneys on staff – and these attorneys will do the insurance companies’ bidding – even to the point of “finding” a reason to deny your claim or offering you a pittance that may not cover your current injuries, never mind future medical expenses for permanent disabilities. Contact our brain injury attorney at McPartland Law Offices for a free case evaluation of your case.

What Counts as a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Any head or brain injury that causes a substantial disability or death is a traumatic brain injury. These types of injuries are caused when your brain suffers a sudden trauma that disrupts the normal function of your brain. Traumatic brain injuries can cause significant physical, cognitive, psychological, emotional, and social disabilities.

Common Causes of TBIs in Washington State

Any activity that could cause you to hit your head or cause your brain to hit the front and rear of your skull, such as from a sudden stop, can cause brain injuries. Some of the common causes of brain injuries include:

• Vehicles: Crashes involving cars, bicycles, trucks, boats, planes, and pedestrians can cause head injuries.
• Falls: Falls from beds, stairs, windows, and other living areas impact young children and older adults more than other age groups. Even a trip-and-fall, such as on a sidewalk, can cause severe traumatic brain injuries if you hit your head when you fall.

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury as a result of the negligent acts of another, it is advisable to consult a brain injury lawyer with experience in Washington brain injury claims.

Traumatic Brain Injury Classifications

Medical professionals classify traumatic brain injuries as:

• Primary: Mechanical force at the moment of the injury, such as contact and acceleration-deceleration (a sudden stop).
• Secondary: This is not caused by mechanical force and may be delayed by the impact time. A secondary TBI may also superimpose injury after the brain is affected by a mechanical injury.
• Focal: Scalp injuries, surface contusions, and skull fractures, which are usually caused by contact (primary TBI).
• Diffuse: Hypoxic-ischemic damage, axonal injury, vascular injury, or meningitis. Acceleration-deceleration forces generally cause diffuse brain injuries.

Even a mild concussion is considered a traumatic brain injury, though most people recover from it in a few days. However, a mild concussion could cause problems later in life.

Compensation for a Traumatic Brain Injury in Washington State

One of the biggest worries for family members of those who suffer from long-term disabilities is how they will manage financially. In most cases of severe traumatic brain injury, the injured may not fully recover or may not recover at all.

Depending on the severity of the traumatic brain injury, you could receive two types of compensation:

Economic Damages

Most people who suffer traumatic brain injuries at the fault of another person or entity recover economic damages. These types of damages have a monetary value and can include:

• Current and future medical expenses, including doctors’ appointments, surgeries, prescriptions, and ambulatory aids
• Loss of wages
• Loss of future earning capacity
• Funeral and burial expenses if the traumatic brain injury causes death

Non-Economic Damages

Those who suffer long-term disabilities because of an accident that causes traumatic brain injury, or those who lost a loved one in a TBI wrongful death claim, may often recover non-economic damages, which do not have a monetary value.

Non-economic damages may include:

• Pain and suffering, including emotional distress
• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of consortium or companionship
• Inconvenience

How Long Do I Have to File a Brain Injury Lawsuit in Washington State?

The statute of limitations for filing a brain injury lawsuit in Washington state is generally three years from the date you suffered the injury. If you miss the deadline, you cannot file a lawsuit to recover damages.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Cases Are Complex but Can Be Won

Traumatic brain injuries can result in temporary or permanent brain damage. Brain injury cases are unique and challenging, and the outcomes of lawsuits are hard to predict as each case is different. In legal terms, brain injury cases fall under personal injury, but unlike other personal injury cases, they are not easy to fight. Brain injuries are not easily identified; because of this, an insurance company may try to deny the injury claim. Apart from this, symptoms of brain injury may show up days or weeks after the accident. In some brain injury cases, the victim may have little or no recollection of what happened, which can make establishing fault much more difficult.

Why Clients Choose McPartland Law Offices

When choosing an injury law attorney, always choose a law firm with experience in handling traumatic brain injuries, as these are complex cases due to the potential life-altering factors involved. Not all personal injury lawyers are brain injury lawyers. The traumatic brain injury lawyers at McPartland Law Offices have experience in handling cases involving mild TBIs and severe TBIs, such as diffuse axonal injuries.

Our Client Testimonials

“My reputation is on the line when I make a professional referral. If the referral goes bad, so does my reputation. I have already made several referrals to McPartland Law Offices because the McPartland team is thorough, timely, and detail-oriented. During my initial consultation with Bryce, he set a range for the automobile accident compensation he would pursue for me, and he nailed it. You can trust the McPartland team to be fair, transparent, and operating with the utmost integrity.” — Dan L.

“McPartland Law Office is great! Everyone will work tirelessly to help you & accomplish whatever needs to be done! Highly recommend using McPartland Law.” — Margaret S.

Get Ahead of Your Case With McPartland Law

Call McPartland Law Offices if you have questions about resolving your case. Our experienced brain injury lawyers will assist you in pursuing the results you desire. Call today for a free consultation at (509) 495-1247 or fill out our online content form.