Austin Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers, Texas
Strong caring advocacy for head and brain trauma victims in Texas
Car accidents, falls, explosions, and other forceful accidents can cause a traumatic brain injury. For many traumatic brain injury (TBI) victims, their lives are never the same. Victims often live with a lifetime of physical and emotional pain. Many victims lose some cognitive function and have difficulty performing simple tasks. Even with surgeries and long-term rehabilitation, the quality of life of a TBI is severely worsened. TBI injuries affect not just the victim – but all the people who love the TBI victim.
At Slack Davis Sanger, our Austin brain injury lawyers have the experience and resources to help TBI victims obtain justice. Our attorneys work with your team of doctors and our network of neurosurgeons, neurologists, and rehabilitation professionals. We have over 200 years of combined experience representing personal injury victims who have catastrophic injuries. Our lawyers have obtained numerous verdicts and settlements worth millions of dollars.
"Slack Davis Sanger represents the ultimate in professionalism combined with a true caring attitude.” - Colonel Ray Toler, Client
What types of accidents cause traumatic brain injury?
Brain Line, a national healthcare project, states that nearly 2.8 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury – every year. Of those 2.8 million people, 50,000 people die, and more than 280,000 need to be hospitalized. About 30% of all injury-related deaths in the United States are due to a traumatic brain injury.
Our Austin personal injury lawyers represent TBI victims and the families of victims who die due to a TBI when the head trauma is caused by an accident. Our lawyers handle the following types of claims:
- Aviation accidents
- Truck accidents
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents
- Construction and other worksite accidents
- Oil field and pipeline accidents
- Accidents due to defective products
- Recreational accidents
- Medical malpractice
The defendants in these cases include drivers, property owners, manufacturers, physicians, worksite owners, and many other individuals and businesses.
What are the symptoms of a TBI?
According to the National Institutes of Health, the symptoms of a TBI depend on the type of injury, the location of the injury, and the severity of the injury. Many victims suffer an initial injury at the time of impact and secondary injuries as the brain moves around the skull, and the brain adjusts to swelling and other disorders. Some symptoms may occur immediately. Other symptoms may not appear for days or even weeks. Some victims lose consciousness.
The symptoms of a mild TBI include confusion, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, tinnitus, changes in mood, changes in sleep habits, a bad taste in the mouth, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, loss of consciousness for seconds or minutes, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light.
The symptoms of a moderate or severe TBI include constant headaches, loss of vision, slurred speech, repeat vomiting, seizures or convulsions, difficulty waking, pupil enlargement, tingling or numbness of the arms or legs, clumsy movements, agitation, confusion, restlessness, and loss of consciousness that may last minutes or hours.
Anyone who is involved in an accident should seek immediate medical attention, even if he or she feels fine.
What are the complications of TBI?
The Mayo Clinic summarizes the complications of a TBI as follows:
- Altered consciousness. This includes patients who are in a coma, a vegetative state, a minimally conscious state, or brain dead.
- Physical complications. A TBI victim may suffer seizures, fluid buildup in the brain, infections, blood vessel damage, headaches, and vertigo.
- Cognitive complications. These disorders include difficulty with memory, learning, reasoning, judgment, and concentration.
- Executive function problems. A TBI may cause difficulties with problem-solving, planning, and multi-tasking.
- Communication complications. A TBI victim may have difficulty understanding speech, reading, writing, organizing thoughts, following conversations, choosing topics for conversation, understanding nonverbal signals, forming words, and other communication difficulties.
- Behavioral complications. These complications include a lack of self-control, risky behavior, and difficulty in social situations.
TBI victims often also suffer emotional complications such as a lack of empathy and sensory difficulties such as blind spots or double vision. Researchers are studying the relationship between a TBI and degenerative diseases like dementia.
How do Austin doctors diagnose a traumatic brain injury?
The most common test for a TBI is the Glasgow coma scale. This test examines how well the Austin accident victim responds to directions, requests to move parts of the body, and other tests. A point-value system is used to assess the severity of the TBI.
Doctors may also order CT scans, X-rays, and MRIs to examine the TBI and what other injuries may be present.
What treatments are used for TBI victims in Austin?
The treatments do depend on the severity of the traumatic brain injury. Victims may need to undergo surgery to repair skull fractures, address bleeding issues such as blood clots, and reduce the pressure in the skull. Many TBI victims are prescribed coma-inducing drugs, drugs, and/or anti-seizure medications.
At Slack Davis Sanger, we work with your doctors and our own doctors when necessary to show the severity of your TBI, the type of short-term and long-term care you need, your limitations, and the cost of your care. Most TBI victims, after surgery, work with a rehabilitation team that includes:
- Physical, occupational, speech, and vocational therapists
- Physiatrists
- Neuropsychologists
- Rehabilitation nurses
- Case managers
- TBI nurse specialists
- Other healthcare providers
Many TBI victims require a lifetime of rehabilitative care.
How much is my TBI case worth?
At Slack Davis Sanger, we pay attention to all the small details that usually make for large verdicts and settlements. We detail all your economic losses and expenses. We work to maximize the amount of your personal losses. In TBI cases, we demand compensation for:
- Your medical costs, current and for the rest of your life
- Your lost income and benefits, current and for the rest of your life
- Your pain and suffering
- Any property damages
- Compensation for scarring and disfigurement, loss of function, loss of life’s pleasures, and loss of consortium
We seek punitive damages if a defendant, such as an intoxicated driver, was grossly negligent. In cases where the brain injury ultimately proves fatal, we can seek additional damages for funeral and burial expenses in a wrongful death claim.
Do you have a traumatic brain injury lawyer near me?
Our Austin traumatic brain injury lawyers see clients and families at our Austin location located at 6001 Bold Ruler Way, Suite 100. We also see clients in Dallas and Fort Worth. Since many TBI victims are not mobile, we see you at your home or a hospital.
Assert your rights. Speak with a respected Austin traumatic brain injury lawyer today
At Slack Davis Sanger, our Austin TBI lawyers understand how devastating catastrophic injuries are. For many victims, their quality of life is never the same. There are uniquely challenging liability issues and difficult compensation issues in TBI cases. Fortunately, we understand these unique issues and how to address them in a trial and during negotiations. To discuss your accident claim, please call 866-531-1657 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free appointment.
Austin Office
6001 Bold Ruler Way
Suite 100
Austin, TX 78746
Main Austin Practice Areas