Utah Brain Injury Lawyer

The brain is the most complex part of the body, managing everything from motor skills and senses to emotions and behaviors. Your brain manages how the rest of your body functions, so any injury to this organ should be taken seriously. Most physical traumas like breaks, fractures, and dislocations will heal on their own with time, patience, and the right care, but a serious traumatic brain injury (TBI) can leave a life-changing effect on the injured person.

Someone who was injured due to the negligence of another person or entity may file a claim with their insurance or a lawsuit to investigate the details of the accident. In Utah, a trusted brain injury lawyer can aid you through the complex litigation process surrounding brain injuries, and even though most cases will not escalate to a court, having a lawyer means having the thorough preparedness of a professional who understands what that environment is like.

Our team at Valley Law Accident and Injury Lawyers is passionate about helping the victims of brain injuries and their families through the process of legal recovery so you can focus on more important rehabilitation. Leave the paperwork to the professionals and talk with a lawyer. Skilled members of our team are standing by to schedule your free consultation, so call (801) 810-9999 or contact us online today!

Work With a Utah Brain Injury Attorney

Any type of injury can be an overwhelming experience, but brain injuries are particularly unique because of how these injuries may impact the rest of the body. When you are managing a complex recovery with multi-layered injuries, having a professional in your corner to express these details and advocate for your best interests can make a valuable difference in the process of your financial recovery. The team at Valley Law will work tirelessly to oversee all areas of your journey through a claim or suit.

When you work with a Utah brain injury attorney, you’ll gain:

• An open line of communication with professionals in the field: During the course of the litigation process, it is inevitable for questions or concerns to come up. Without an attorney, you’ll be left to search through a sea of unnecessary information looking for a relieving answer.​​ This can oftentimes create more stress than the unknown itself. An attorney will be there to offer peace of mind regarding your concerns and also provide insights into your pressing questions.
• Case management from big steps to fine details: Whether you are filing a claim or managing a lawsuit, the litigation process has many intricate steps that can be easy to trip over if you are inexperienced. A lawyer can oftentimes spot bumps in the road before they even appear, which can save you time and energy in the long run. With a lawyer on your team, you won’t need to worry about pushing the process of your claim forward because an attorney can handle these responsibilities for you.
• Protection from common insurance traps: Many personal injury cases involve an insurer covering their insurer after their actions resulted in an injury. In these cases, insurance representatives are known to manipulate situations to their advantage, especially cases with an unrepresented victim. An insurer can ask leading questions, undervalue your claim, or twist your statement about the accident for their benefit, but an attorney is prepared to combat these tactics and ensure your claim is valued fairly.

Some aspects of litigation can feel overwhelming, but an attorney can take many of these responsibilities off of your hands, including:

• Conversations with the defendant and their representation: An attorney can speak on your behalf in any necessary conversation between you and the defendant so that you never offer the wrong information or appear unprepared to the negligent party. An attorney can also help you better understand what you can and can’t say in instances where you may speak to the negligent party.
• Analyzing long documents: One of the most time-consuming parts of filing a claim or lawsuit can be the documents that come with it. The endless pages and confusing jargon can make these documents difficult to interpret. A lawyer has endless past experience looking at similar documents and can assess them efficiently so you don’t have to worry about straining your eyes trying to read through them.
• Settlement negotiations: Determining how much your own claim is worth can be challenging, especially if you have no professional experience in gauging these numbers. Without an argument to back the figure you decided upon, an insurer is unlikely to resolve your claim peacefully. An attorney can present evidence from the details of your claim such as average local prices for specific products and services, examples from previously set precedents, and personal bills to the table to represent your claim confidently.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

More than 5.3 million people in the United States alone are living with the permanent effects of a brain injury-related disability.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is described as any injury, typically caused by a blow or jolt to the head and surrounding area, causing brain dysfunction. These injuries are categorized by their severity to better understand the impact that the accident is having on the victim’s brain. The standard for these categories is the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) which was adopted in the United States in 1974 after its development in Scotland.

While a TBI immediately sounds like a severe injury, the symptoms can range from almost unnoticeable to life-threatening. This uniqueness means that every TBI is different and should be thoroughly assessed and treated.

The three categories of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are as follows:

• Mild: A mild TBI includes injuries like common concussions and refers to incidents that will not leave life-threatening brain damage to the victim. Common symptoms of a mild TBI include loss of consciousness for seconds to minutes, unusual sleeping patterns, headaches, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness. Mild TBIs rank between 13 and 15 on the GCS.
• Moderate: A moderate TBI can have all of the effects attributed to a mild TBI on top of other possible symptoms like loss of consciousness for several minutes to several hours, dilation of one or more pupils, clear fluids from the nose or ears, and weakness or numbness in the fingers and toes. Moderate TBIs range from 9 to 12 on the GCS scale.
• Severe: Severe TBIs are similar to moderate injuries because both categories reflect similar symptoms, but a severe TBI will score lower numerically on the GCS at 3 to 8. This means that those suffering from a severe TBI are experiencing moderate symptoms at heightened levels. This intense experience can be serious and even life-threatening, especially when symptoms like loss of consciousness are involved.

Never Ignore These Symptoms After an Injury

While a traumatic brain injury will feel different for every sufferer, there are some consistencies that a person should never ignore if they have endured a recent blow to the head. Generally, the immediate impact of a minor TBI will leave the sufferer with a headache, fatigue, and nausea immediately after the accident, but it should subside relatively quickly.

Emotional fragility is commonly reported while recovering from a TBI like a concussion and is considered normal for the healing process. For moderate to severe TBIs, symptoms of the injury can be delayed, but there are some that you can expect to see relatively soon and should take as a sign to see a doctor.

If you experience a combination of the following symptoms after a jolt or blow to the head, it is imperative that you immediately seek medical attention for an assessment:

• Irregular pupil size
• Slurred speech
• Impaired coordination
• Vomiting
• Convulsions
• Unusual behavior
• Loss of consciousness

Common Causes of TBIs

The brain is a sturdy organ guarded by a thick skull to protect it in traumatic incidents. Sometimes, the skull isn’t enough to protect the brain from all injuries, and can even contribute to some of the endured force. Almost anything can cause an injury to the brain, but there are certain types of accidents that more commonly lead to reported injuries.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), some of the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries include:

• Falls
• Motor Vehicle Crashes
• Sports Injuries
• Being struck by an object

Experienced a TBI? Talk to Our Utah Brain Injury Law Firm

In cases of negligence, a brain injury can leave a person with new challenges and debts that they didn’t create but must now carry. In these instances, having a lawyer at your side can be a way of ensuring that your case unfolds as efficiently as possible. It also maximizes your chances of successfully recovering the damages you have suffered at the hands of the negligent party.

When you have questions or concerns, or face hurdles in the journey, an attorney from Valley Law Accident and Injury Lawyers will be there to guide your case back on track. The team at Valley Law is full of passionate individuals with experience serving families just like yours. To schedule a free consultation with an attorney from our firm, call (801) 810-9999 or contact us online today!