A traumatic brain injury can result in years of expensive medical bills, significant loss of income, and intense physical and emotional pain. Have you or someone you know suffered traumatic brain injury due to someone else’s actions? You may be entitled to compensation. A Houston traumatic brain injury lawyer from Gibson Hill Personal Injury advocates for you.
Have you suffered a traumatic brain injury due to an employer’s or someone else’s negligence in Houston?
Since our founding in 2013, our law firm has led Houston in handling traumatic brain injury cases. Personal injury lawsuits have always been our primary focus and our client testimonials attest to our dedication to our clients’ success. Call us today at (713) 659-4000 or contact us online to see if you may be entitled to compensation for traumatic brain injuries.
Our Houston Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers Are Here to Help
Why Choose Gibson Hill Personal Injury in Houston?
At Gibson Hill Personal Injury, we specialize in personal injury claims, including traumatic brain injury cases. Our legal team helps hundreds of clients pursue their legal rights after an injury, and we have the results to back up our work. Co-founders Ty Gibson and Brett Hill have spent nearly a decade pursuing personal injury claims of all sizes, from $1,000 to more than $100 million.
Lower Your Stress Level
If you or a loved one is facing a traumatic brain injury, the last thing you need is the added stress of navigating a complex court case. Pursuing a claim on your own can feel overwhelming, especially after dealing with doctors, hospitals, medical care, and any emotional weight. You deserve the support and professional guidance of a Houston brain injury lawyer during this challenging time.
Get the Compensation You Deserve
Hiring a traumatic brain injury lawyer will assist you in determining damages, negotiating a settlement, or filing a brain injury lawsuit if necessary. Our legal team helps you understand and pursue the compensation to which you’re entitled.
You Don’t Pay Until You Win
Our law firm works on a contingency fee basis for brain injury victims, which means that you don’t pay unless you receive a settlement or award. You pay our fee out of your compensation, so you can enlist the services of our Houston brain injury lawyers without worry.
Our legal team handles every case personally, treating you with respect and compassion while aggressively representing you in court. In fact, our strong track record of positive outcomes for our clients earned Gibson a spot on the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 list.
Here’s what our clients have to say about our work:
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury, also referred to as a TBI, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. A TBI causes a disruption to the normal functions of the brain, according to the American Associate of Neurological Surgeons, and can range from mild to extremely severe. A mild or severe TBI can result from a variety of events, such head trauma such as a blow to the head, a fall, a car accident, or an explosion.
The leading causes for traumatic brain injury related injuries continue to be falls and motor vehicle collisions.
Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2014, there were an estimated 2.87 million very severe traumatic brain injuries, injury-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S.
Concussion
A concussion is an example of a mild disruption. A blood clot in the brain, a skull fracture, or ischemia may result in a severe disruption of brain function.
Contusion
A bruise on the brain is caused by a direct impact on the head, resulting in localized bleeding and tissue damage. Unlike a concussion, a contusion involves actual physical injury to the brain tissue.
Hematoma, or blood clot in the brain
A localized collection of blood outside of blood vessels that can form when blood pools within the brain tissue or between the brain and the skull. Depending on its location and size, a hematoma can exert pressure on the brain, leading to neurological symptoms and potentially serious complications.
Ischemia
A lack of blood flow to a specific part of the body deprives tissues of oxygen and nutrients. In the context of the brain, ischemia can result from a blockage in a blood vessel, leading to tissue damage and potentially causing a stroke.
Skull fractures
A skull fracture is a break in one or more of the bones in the skull that can pose a risk of damaging the underlying brain tissue or nearby blood vessels.
Intracerebral hemorrhage or bleeding in the brain tissue
Often caused by a ruptured blood vessel or trauma. This bleeding can lead to increased pressure within the skull, potentially causing neurological symptoms such as headache, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
Penetrating brain injury
Occurs when an object penetrates the skull and enters the brain tissue. This injury can cause localized damage and may result in neurological deficits.
Diffuse axonal brain injury, or tearing of the brain’s nerve fibers
Characterized by widespread damage to the brain’s white matter due to shearing forces during acceleration-deceleration or rotational movements. The brain’s neural pathways are disrupted, leading to impaired communication between brain cells. DAI can result in a range of neurological deficits and cognitive impairments, with outcomes varying from mild to severe.
How Might a Traumatic Brain Injury Affect Me or My Loved One?
A unique aspect of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is its unpredictability in terms of certain symptoms, outcomes, and recovery trajectories.
TBIs Affect Different People Differently
Two individuals with seemingly similar injuries can have vastly different recovery experiences. Factors like the location and severity of the injury, the individual’s age, overall health, and even genetics can significantly influence recovery.
The Effects of a TBI May Not Be Immediately Apparent
Additionally, TBIs can lead to a range of physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges that may not be immediately apparent. Some individuals may experience subtle changes in personality, mood swings, or difficulties with memory and concentration, which can impact daily functioning and relationships.
TBI Recovery
Furthermore, the brain’s plasticity, or ability to reorganize and form new connections, plays a crucial role in recovery from TBI. While the brain can sometimes compensate for the damage, this process can be slow and requires intensive rehabilitation and support.
Treating TBI
Because of these complexities, managing and treating TBI often requires a multidisciplinary approach involving neurologists, neuropsychologists, physical therapists, and other healthcare professionals to provide personalized care and support for individuals with TBI and their families.
The Curious Case of Phineas Gage, 1848
One astonishing traumatic brain injury case involves Phineas Gage, a railroad construction foreman from the 19th century. In 1848, an explosion sent a large iron rod through Gage’s skull, penetrating his left frontal lobe and exiting through the top of his head. Remarkably, Gage survived the severe brain injury, and remained conscious throughout the ordeal.
Following the accident, Gage’s personality underwent a significant change. Previously described as responsible and hard-working, he became impulsive, irritable, and unreliable, illustrating the profound impact of frontal lobe damage on personality and behavior. Gage’s brain injury case was pivotal in early neuroscience, highlighting the brain’s role in controlling personality and behavior and underscoring the complexities of traumatic brain injuries.
Traumatic Brain Injury Cases We Handle at Gibson Hill Personal Injury
Traumatic brain injuries can result from many different circumstances. Some of the most common types of brain injury cases our attorneys handle include:
Motor vehicle accidents
Auto accidents are one of the most common ways people sustain traumatic brain injuries. If you hurt your head in a car crash, you may have a personal injury claim if the other driver was impaired or acted negligently in some manner.
Workplace accidents
Employers are required to provide for the safety of their employees while they’re on the job. If thorough measures aren’t taken or the company cuts corners, they can put their workers in serious danger and be held liable for any brain injuries that occur.
Construction accidents
There are several ways to sustain a brain injury while working in or around a construction site. A worker may drop something that hits a passerby on the head, or they may fall and hit their head if the proper safety protocols aren’t enforced. Construction sites also involve the use of heavy industrial equipment, and malfunctioning or poorly maintained machinery can explode or cause brain injuries in other ways.
General Damages and Special Damages
There are two broad categories of damages in a traumatic brain injury case: General damages and special damages.
General damages are also called non-economic damages, and they refer to things that cannot easily be replaced with money. This includes emotional distress, mental anguish, physical pain and suffering, loss of companionship, loss of consortium, and so on.
Special damages are losses that can be more easily compensated for with monetary compensation. They include lost wages, property damage, a decreased ability to earn a living, medical expenses, and funeral or burial expenses (in the event of a wrongful death).
How Do I Prove a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Proving a traumatic brain injury claim often involves proving the guilty party acted negligently in some way. Reasons for negligence may include:
- The defendant must be legally responsible for being reasonably careful toward the plaintiff as it regards their brain injury.
- The defendant did not act with reasonable care toward the injured person.
- The defendant’s actions, or lack thereof, caused the brain injury.
- The plaintiff’s brain injuries are measurable under the relevant statutes.
Read more at What You Need to Do to Prove Your Traumatic Brain Injury
What Is the Value of a Brain Injury Claim?
Determining the value of a traumatic brain injury claim can be difficult. When it comes down to it, the value of a brain injury claim can largely depend on the extent of the injury itself and the nature of the accident that caused the injury. A Houston brain injury lawyer will work with you to determine how much your personal injury claim is worth.
What Kind of Damages Are Compensated?
In general, victims can reasonably expect to be able to collect economic and non-economic damages for their pain and suffering after a brain injury.
Economic damages
These economic damages cover medical expenses, lost income, and loss of earning capacity; they cannot be capped in almost all situations. In some severe situations, punitive damages may also be recovered. These are damages meant to punish the liable party for gross negligence or malicious behavior.
Non-Economic damages
Non-economic damages for a brain injury, on the other hand, are more subjective. These damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, and quality-of-life changes. These cannot be tabulated by totaling up pay stubs, receipts, or bills.
Traumatic Brain Injuries Settlement Amounts
Settlements for traumatic brain injury cases can range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and some cases can even reach into the millions. For a more accurate estimate of what your traumatic brain injury claim may be worth, you need to consult with an experienced Houston brain injury lawyer who knows how to handle these sensitive cases.
Consequences of Serious Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries can have lasting consequences for victims. These types of injuries can significantly impact a person’s ability to hold a job, interact with family and friends, and decrease their overall quality of life. In more serious cases, the victim may end up requiring extensive and continuing medical treatment, intervention, and rehabilitation for the rest of their life.
The consequences of a traumatic brain injury can include:
- Cognition difficulties
- Loss of motor skills
- Loss of hearing
- Loss of vision
- Loss of memory
- Memory problems
- Concentration problems
- Paralysis
- Epilepsy
- Speech issues
- Inappropriate or uncontrollable emotional responses
- Behavioral changes
- Communication problems
- Breathing problems
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Sleep problems
- Depression
- Persistent vegetative state (PVS)
We Serve Traumatic Brain Injury Victims in the Houston Area
Call a Houston Brain Injury Lawyer
At Gibson Hill Personal Injury, our legal team will assess your brain injury situation with compassion and patience. Our Houston brain injury lawyers will give you a reasonable expectation of what you may be able to recover in the way of compensation for your case. A Houston brain injury lawyer can also answer your brain injury questions and help prepare you for what’s ahead.
Get a Free Consultation
If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury and want more information about your legal rights, contact the team at Gibson Hill Personal Injury today. A Houston traumatic brain injury lawyer can start you off with a no-obligation, free consultation to review your situation. Our legal team will lay out how we may be able to help you recover compensation for your brain injuries.
Call Gibson Hill Personal Injury at (713) 659-4000
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious brain injury due to someone else’s negligence or an intentional act, contact Gibson Hill Personal Injury right away. An experienced Houston traumatic brain injury lawyer is ready to help brain injury victims get the maximum compensation possible.
FAQ for Houston Brain Injury Victims
What is the difference between a concussion and a contusion?
A concussion is a functional disturbance without visible evidence of injury, caused by a direct blow to the head or body, whereas a contusion involves actual physical damage to the brain tissue due to a forceful impact, resulting in bruising.
Have you, or do you think you may have suffered a concussion or contusion due to someone else’s negligence? Our Houston brain injury lawyers are here to help with victims’ brain injury claims.
How can a traumatic brain injury affect my personality and behavior?
A traumatic brain injury can lead to significant changes in personality and behavior, such as mood swings, impulsivity, irritability, and difficulty regulating emotions. These changes can be due to damage to the brain areas responsible for controlling these functions.
Have you, or do you think you may have suffered a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence that has changed your personality? Our Houston brain injury attorneys are here to help with victims’ brain and head injury claims.
What are the long-term consequences of a penetrating brain injury?
Diffuse axonal injury is diagnosed using imaging tests such as MRI or CT scans to assess the extent of brain damage. Treatment may include supportive care, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and medications to manage symptoms and improve outcomes.
Have you suffered a penetrating brain injury due to someone else’s negligence? Our Houston brain injury lawyers are here to help with victims’ brain injury claims.
What are the legal options for victims of traumatic brain injuries due to negligence?
Victims of traumatic brain injuries caused by negligence may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. It’s essential to consult with Houston brain injury attorneys to understand your rights and pursue a legal claim against the responsible parties.
Have you suffered a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence? Our Houston traumatic brain injury lawyers are here to help with victims’ brain injury claims.
What is the difference between an open and closed head injury?
An open head injury, also known as a penetrating injury, occurs when an object penetrates the skull and enters the brain tissue, while a closed head injury involves blunt force trauma to the head without penetration of the skull. Both types of injuries can cause varying degrees of brain damage and neurological symptoms.
Have you suffered an open or close head injury due to someone else’s negligence? A Houston traumatic brain injury attorney is here to help with victims’ brain injury claims.