Seattle Brain Injury Lawyer

Brain injuries are some of the most serious personal injuries that may lead to permanent disabilities in victims. If you or a loved one is dealing with an injury after an accident or act of violence, contact our Seattle brain injury lawyers for a free consultation. You and your family may be eligible for compensation with the help of a Seattle personal injury lawyer.

Seattle Brain Injury Resources

Why Choose Our Seattle Brain Injury Attorney?

  • We have significant trial experience and are not afraid to take your brain injury case to court in Seattle if an insurance company is dealing with you unfairly.
  • Our Seattle personal injury lawyer makes the process of hiring an attorney and pursuing compensation for you or a loved one’s brain injury as simple as possible. Our injury attorneys always put the client first.
  • We believe in open, up-front communication with our clients. Every time you contact us, you will always be able to speak to a brain injury attorney, not an assistant.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

A traumatic brain injury, more commonly known as a TBI, is a blow to the head or a penetrating brain injury that interrupts brain function. Not all knocks to the head result in a traumatic brain injury. A traumatic brain injury can range from mild to severe, with the injury resulting in a brief change in mental status to amnesia.

Who Is Considered High Risk for a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Males are typically more likely to experience a traumatic brain injury at a rate of about 1.5 times more likely than a female. An individual’s job can also play a major role in how likely they are to experience a TBI. Construction, military duties, and other high contact professions can result in brain injuries.

Types of Brain Injuries

The brain is a delicate and complex organ. Different events can cause a wide range of injury types. All brain injuries are serious. The type of injury inflicted, however, may determine the patient’s prognosis and the settlement value of the claim.

  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI): A TBI comes from external forces, such as a blow to the head. Examples of TBIs include concussions, diffuse axonal injuries, hematoma, and edema.
  • Acquired brain injury (ABI): An ABI comes from internal forces, such as a loss of blood or oxygen to the brain. An ABI can arise from a drowning incident, anesthesia error, birth injury, or suffocation.
  • Hypoxic brain injury: This type of injury results from oxygen being restricted to the brain. A restricted flow of oxygen leads to the gradual death and impairment of cells in the brain.
  • Anoxic brain injury: An anoxic brain injury doesn’t happen due to a blow to the head. This type of injury is similar to a hypoxic brain injury in that this injury occurs due to the brain being deprived of oxygen.

A brain injury may also be open or closed. An open brain injury involves a skull fracture, while a closed brain injury does not. The severity of the brain injury suffered can decide the financial value of the personal injury claim in Seattle.

How is a Brain Injury Classified (Mild, Moderate, Severe)?

Mild: Normal structural imaging, a loss of consciousness ranging from 0-30 minutes, an altered mental state that lasts up until 24 hours, and have memory loss lasting 0-1 day.

Moderate: Normal or abnormal structural imaging, loss of consciousness ranges from 30 minutes to less than 24 hours, an altered mental state that lasts more than 24 hours, and memory loss that lasts more than 1 day but less than 7 days. 

Severe: Normal or abnormal structural imaging, loss of consciousness for more than 24 hours, an altered mental state for more than 24 hours, and memory loss lasting for more than 7 days. 

What is the Glasgow Coma Scale?

This tool is used by healthcare providers to help determine the consciousness of a person who has suffered a traumatic brain injury. The responses are scored using three factors including eye opening, verbal response, and best motor response. The scores are totaled at the end of the test and can be a good indicator for detecting the seriousness of the brain injury and the prognosis for recovery.

Common Causes of Brain Injuries

Negligence causes many brain injuries. Negligent drivers, doctors, sports coaches, coworkers, property owners, and others may all cause brain injuries unintentionally. A negligent employer, for example, may fail to equip construction workers with proper head protection, contributing to a worker’s traumatic brain injury when a tool falls from a scaffold. These five events cause the majority of brain injuries in the U.S.:

  1. Motor vehicle accidents in Seattle
  2. Slips and Falls
  3. Sports incidents
  4. Criminal acts
  5. Explosions
  6. Hit and run accidents
  7. Head-on collisions
  8. Work injuries

If someone else’s negligence caused your brain injury, you could have grounds for a brain injury claim in Seattle. The at-fault party may owe you and your family financial compensation for your related losses.

What Difficulties Can Result from a TBI?

  • Problems with mobility and motor skills
  • Sensory processing
  • Behavioral and mental health
  • Cognition (thinking, memory and reasoning)
  • Communication (expression and understanding)

What Therapies are Used for a Traumatic Brain Injury?

  • Recreational therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Neuropsychological therapy
  • Cognitive therapy
  • Speech therapy
  • Physical therapy

Who Is Liable for a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Liability, or legal responsibility for damages, will come down to the party or parties that contributed most to the brain injury. Determining liability may take an investigation of the incident from a law firm. Hiring a Seattle brain injury lawyer to handle your case can make it easy to identify the appropriate defendant(s).

Why Do You Need a Brain Injury Attorney in Seattle?

Thousands of accident victims suffer from brain injuries every year, with approximately 5.3 million people living with a disability caused by a traumatic brain injury. Brain injuries can change every aspect of life for the victim. A brain injury can alter motor function, cognitive abilities, speech, communication, and behavioral patterns. It could temporarily or permanently disable the victim. If you or someone close to you has a brain injury from someone else’s negligence in Seattle, it is important to hire a brain injury attorney to represent your case. Insurance companies may try to take advantage of you and offer a settlement that is far less than the value of your losses. An experienced Seattle brain injury lawyer can make sure that does not happen.

Contact Our Seattle Brain Injury Lawyer Today

Washington Injury Law can help you obtain compensation for your or a family member’s serious brain injury. Our Seattle personal injury lawyers can take care of the claims process, while you focus on physical recovery. Find out what your case may be worth during a free consultation.