What Are the Most Common Examples of TBI?

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What Are the Most Common Examples of TBI?

Most adults who suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) do not typically recognize that they’ve suffered an injury. They might feel “shaken up” or “off,” but the extent of their ailment may not be clear until they receive a formal diagnosis.

Concussions and contusions are among the formal types of TBIs that you might suffer in a car accident, fall, workplace accident, or other unanticipated circumstance. You may be entitled to compensation for these or other injuries, and may secure that compensation with the help of one of our Santa Ana brain injury attorneys.

Cases like these often involve detailed medical considerations, long-term planning for TBI-related care and lifestyle changes, and careful preparation for the possibility of trial. They also demand personal injury lawyers in Santa Ana, CA, who are willing to push back when insurers attempt to minimize the severity or cost of a TBI, which can be costly not just in financial terms, but also in your quality of life.

If you suffered a head injury in Santa Ana or elsewhere in Orange County, contact Bentley & More LLP to complete your free consultation and start fighting for the compensation you deserve.

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Key Takeaways for Those Who Want Fair Compensation for a Traumatic Brain Injury in Santa Ana

• Traumatic brain injuries often develop gradually rather than presenting every symptom immediately
• Vehicle collisions, pedestrian impacts, falls, and blunt trauma are some of the leading causes of TBIs in Santa Ana
• Brain injuries frequently disrupt your ability to work, maintain and pursue relationships, live independently, and find joy in life
• You may have grounds for compensation, but insurance carriers routinely challenge brain injury claims
• We build strong cases by collaborating closely with medical specialists and other experts, while also compiling valuable evidence and documentation
• Get competent legal advocacy and protect your rights by calling Bentley & More LLP today for your free consultation

Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms That Can Sap Your Quality of Life (and Motivate You to Seek Fair Compensation)

A traumatic brain injury can cause a cluster of symptoms. Some symptoms might be acute and obvious (think: Headaches) while others may be more subtle and insidious. The combination of such symptoms can have a devastating effect on the person suffering from the TBI, who might endure:

• Slower cognitive processing speed (which can interfere with work and leisure activities like reading)
• Difficulty reasoning or thinking critically
• Reduced stress tolerance
• Emotional reactions that feel uncharacteristic or exaggerated
• Cognitive fatigue

These injuries can also cause issues with balance, sensitivity to light and sounds, general fatigue, and other physical symptoms. Do not ignore or downplay these symptoms, as failing to get proper treatment for a TBI can increase the risk that you’ll suffer long-term or even permanent symptoms.

Too many adults wrongly attribute these symptoms to stress, burnout, and aging. Don’t make the same mistake. Instead, speak with one of our Santa Ana TBI lawyers about getting the necessary medical care and compensation to cover its cost.

How Traumatic Brain Injuries Most Commonly Occur in Santa Ana

We can classify brain injuries in several ways. One way to define these injuries is by how they happen, and we see many TBIs happen in Santa Ana because of:

Motor Vehicle Collisions

Many drivers assume that if airbags did not deploy or the vehicles were drivable, they’ve avoided a “serious” injury. Brain injuries often prove that assumption wrong.

Even an imperceptible jostling of your brain within the skull can prove catastrophic. This means that in Santa Ana, TBIs can result from a:

• Rear-end collisions

• Side-impact crash
• Head-on collision
• Multi-vehicle accident
• Rollover crash

Orange County was the site of 17,809 motor vehicle accidents in 2023 that caused someone to suffer an injury (including some fatal ones). Not every one of these accidents caused catastrophic damage to the vehicles involved, indicating how even seemingly “minor” crashes can cause injuries to your brain.

Any time your brain moves or absorbs force that it should not, there is a risk of injury. This means that when vehicles collide, there is almost always at least a possibility that someone will suffer a TBI.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

Adults struck while walking or cycling in Santa Ana are not always able to protect their heads.

Even when they wear protective gear, pedestrians and bicyclists are vulnerable to jostling, crushing, penetrating, and twisting injuries that can be catastrophic. Such injuries are frequently life-altering and require long-term neurological care.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Falls remain one of the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries in Santa Ana. Our lawyers have seen how falls can happen:

• On wet floors in commercial properties
• On uneven sidewalks and walkways
• In parking structures and stairwells
• Where poor lighting and maintenance conditions cause unsafe walking conditions

You should always take a fall seriously when confusion, headaches, memory gaps, or other abnormal symptoms follow it. These accidents may happen in the workplace, at Calle Cuatro Plaza downtown, or virtually anywhere else in Santa Ana where feet meet the ground.

Workplace and Industrial Accidents

It’s worth mentioning workplace accidents as a potential cause of brain injuries. Many Santa Ana residents spend much of their lives engaging in paid labor of all kinds, including physically taxing labor.

When any employee or contractor falls, is in a motor vehicle accident, is hit in the head, or suffers a brain injury in any other work-related circumstance, they should not wait to contact our team.

The Santa Ana brain injury attorneys at Bentley & More LLP lead workers’ compensation claims, auto accident claims, premises liability claims, lawsuits, and other actions in pursuit of fair compensation for clients with TBIs. Let us fight for you.

Specific Types of Brain Injuries That You Might Seek Compensation For in Santa Ana

“Traumatic brain injury” is a category of injuries. Some specific conditions that fall within the category of traumatic brain injuries are:

Concussions

Concussions are often downplayed as minor, but they should not be. Long associated with youth sports, increasing knowledge of concussions’ immediate and cumulative effects has heightened awareness that these injuries are no joke.

These injuries can involve physical and chemical changes in your brain that translate to debilitating symptoms.

Brain Contusions

Brain contusions involve bruising of brain tissue and may cause swelling or bleeding. Even small contusions can cause significant impairment depending on location. Speech, judgment, coordination, and emotional regulation are frequently affected by such injuries, and they require your (and a medical provider’s) urgent attention.

Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)

Diffuse axonal injury results from rapid acceleration and deceleration, as seen in many severe car accidents. These injuries have been described as “a severe subtype characterized by widespread white matter disruption,” and can lead to secondary injury if not treated urgently and properly.

Penetrating Brain Trauma

Penetrating injuries involve direct damage to brain tissue and are typically catastrophic. The risk of such injuries may increase when a vehicle sustains total damage (offering little protection to any occupants) or an occupant is ejected from the vehicle.

Damages Commonly Pursued in Adult Brain Injury Cases

Brain injuries are synonymous with chronic symptoms, long recovery periods, lost productivity, general frustration, and costly claims and lawsuits. These injuries often produce symptoms that contribute to (or require):

• Expensive medical bills
• Physical pain and discomfort
• Cognitive impairment
• Emotional disturbance (these injuries can be extraordinarily distressing)
• The cost of mental health treatment for TBI-related symptoms
• The cost of all TBI-related rehabilitation services
• Lost income
• Diminished earning capacity
• Any property costs related to the cause of the TBI (such as a traffic collision)
• The immense cost of disabling injuries (such as sheltering and feeding an adult with a catastrophically disabling TBI)

Accurate valuation requires foresight and expert collaboration. We offer both at Bentley & More LLP.

How Our Santa Ana TBI Lawyers Document Brain Injuries Accurately

Insurance companies are not charitable. They demand proof of a claimant’s damages before providing fair compensation. Documenting your TBI and related damages will be our job as your legal team.

Documenting a brain injury is, in many cases, an ongoing process. No single medical appointment or headache cluster captures the full scope of the injury’s toll. Our team will urgently gather a multi-layered array of evidence that may include:

• Medical bills
• Neurological evaluations
• Medical images
• Neuropsychological testing
• Therapy and rehabilitation documentation
• Prognostic assessments
• Your own testimony about injury symptoms
• Loved ones’ testimony about how the TBI has affected you (and possibly them)

We help our clients articulate how the injury affects their work performance, decision-making, and daily functioning in a vivid, compelling manner.

Let One of Our Santa Ana TBI Lawyers Build Your Case from Diagnosing Symptoms to Demanding a Fair Settlement

Our firm meets clients where they are. Whether you have already sought medical care (and perhaps already engaged with insurers) or just noticed symptoms that haven’t been diagnosed, we can help you by:

• Identifying all at-fault and liable parties
• Preserving evidence
• Calculating the cost of all your recoverable damages
• Engaging liable parties (likely including at least one insurer) in settlement negotiations
• Addressing any arguments insurers make against your claim
• Preparing your case for trial from day one
• Taking your case to court, if necessary
• Keeping you informed and in good spirits throughout the duration of your case

We are Real Trial Lawyers with hundreds of millions in recoveries to our name. When you want a serious law firm that will treat you like family, choose us.

Frequently Asked Questions by Those Who Want Fair Compensation for a Traumatic Brain Injury

Over time, we see patterns in the questions that clients with traumatic brain injuries ask us. Some of the questions we hear most often are:

Can brain injury symptoms worsen over time?

Yes, they can. This is why we need to closely monitor your recovery. We may need to adjust our financial demands if your symptoms worsen markedly over time.

What if imaging does not show damage?

Many TBIs are not visible on standard medical imaging. We will work with experts and provide comprehensive medical care to build a compelling case, even if imaging does not clearly show your injury.

How long do I have to file a claim in California?

Strict time limits apply to personal injury cases in California, which means it is vitally important that you speak with our team as soon as possible.

Call a Santa Ana TBI Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury in Santa Ana or elsewhere in Orange County, Bentley & More LLP will evaluate your case and explain your options. You may have clear grounds to demand compensation for medical care, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages related to your TBI.

Pay us nothing upfront. We will only receive a fee if we secure compensation for you.

Reach out to Bentley & More LLP today. Your consultation is free and comes with no obligation. Don’t wait, our trusted Santa Ana TBI attorneys are standing by.

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