Brain Injury Lawyer in Albuquerque

tbi lawyer in albuquerque

A traumatic brain injury may have life-changing effects. As a brain injury survivor, you may face significant challenges and require ongoing medical care. You or your loved one may be unable to work or be limited in the kind of work that can be managed. You and your family will need all the financial resources available to move forward. If another individual’s carelessness or misconduct caused your brain injury, our attorneys will help you seek compensation for your medical bills and other related expenses from the negligent individual or business that harmed you.

Attorney Bert Parnall and the legal team at Parnall Law understand the devastating effects a brain injury can have on an individual and his or her family members. Our attorneys are committed to fighting for full compensation for brain injury survivors in Central New Mexico after terrible accidents caused by others’ negligence, such as car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip & falls, and much more. Based in Albuquerque, Parnall Law is ready to help whether a car accident, fall, truck accident, or other type of accident caused the injury. Bert Parnall and his legal team will provide you with the smart, aggressive, and compassionate legal representation you and your family deserve.

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Call (505) 207-0144

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injury is an insult to the brain caused by an external physical force that may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, resulting in an impairment of cognitive abilities and/or physical function. The force can cause the brain to move back and forth inside the skull, causing a concussion or ‘closed head injury’ with no visible outward damage. If an object breaks through the skull, that is called a penetrating brain injury.

Over 1.5 million people sustain a TBI in the United States each year, and most of them, 1.3 million, are treated and released from an emergency room.

During 2007-2011, an annual average of 377 TBI-related deaths occurred among New Mexico residents. During this period, TBI-related death rates in New Mexico ranged from 16.8/100,000 population to 19.6/100,000. The male TBI-related death rate for 2007-2011 was, on average, four times higher than the rate among females.

Falls and motor vehicle accidents are the leading causes of accidental traumatic brain injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control. You may have a claim against a property owner if you sustained a head injury in a fall due to a dangerous condition. For example, if you were shopping at a store slipped on spilled liquid, fell, and suffered a brain injury, then the property owner may be liable for failing to clean up or warn of a fall hazard.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that a third of traumatic brain injury deaths are due to traffic-related accidents. When a car or truck moving at high speed collides with another vehicle or a fixed object, the impact may cause an individual’s head to collide with the hard interior of the skull, bruising, or tearing brain tissue. Sports injuries and violent assaults also cause many brain injuries.

A brain injury survivor may have limited use of his or her arms or legs, difficulty communicating, and behavioral changes.

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Types of Brain Injuries

A traumatic brain injury is a broad term that includes many types of brain damage, effects, and outcomes.

Brain injuries include two broad categories:

  • closed-head injuries
  • open-head injuries

An injury may be isolated to one area of the brain or may affect the entire brain. Some injuries are obvious, while others are more difficult to diagnose.

Concussion

A concussion is considered a mild to moderate traumatic brain injury. Caused by a blow to the head, it is the most commonly diagnosed type of closed head injury. An impact to the head may cause the brain to move inside the skull, temporarily disrupting the brain’s normal function. For example, the violent impact of a car crash may cause a person’s head to be thrown backward and forward. It is possible to sustain a mild brain injury and not be aware of it.

A person who suffers a concussion may remain conscious or experience a brief loss of consciousness and any of the physical and cognitive symptoms listed below:

  • headache icon

    Headache

  • nausea icon

    Nausea

  • eye icon

    Vision problems

  • dazed icon

    Dazed feeling

  • ear hearing icon

    Sensitivity to noise

  • sad icon

    Mood swings, Irritability

  • gears icon

    Difficulty thinking clearly

  • question mark icon

    Difficulty remembering new information

  • concentration icon

    Difficulty concentrating

Most concussions heal within a matter of weeks or months. Common symptoms include headaches, memory problems or difficulty thinking for days or weeks after a concussion. Doctors describe this as post-concussion syndrome.

The risk of post-concussion syndrome increases with age, and women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.

As part of the treatment for a concussion, a doctor may order a CT scan or MRI to check for bleeding inside the skull and swelling of brain tissue.

Coup-Contrecoup Injury

Some accidents involving high-speed impacts or great force can cause the accident victim’s brain to bang against one side of the inner skull, then the opposite side. An individual who sustains a coup-contrecoup injury has two areas of potential brain injury.

Penetrating Head Injury

When any foreign object fractures or pierces the skull, it can cause a penetrating brain injury. High-speed collisions cause many penetrating head injuries. Penetrating injuries can damage an individual’s ability to think, affect vision or hearing or balance and coordination.

Shaken Baby Syndrome

Babies and toddlers who are shaken violently may suffer serious injuries including bleeding behind the eyes, bleeding in the space between the skull and the brain, and swelling of the brain. These are symptoms of traumatic brain injury. Violent shaking causes the brain to bang against the inside of the skull and can cause the tearing of nerve tissue in the brain. A caregiver who intentionally shakes a baby may be prosecuted criminally in New Mexico for the assault. In some instances, New Mexico law also permits parents of an injured baby to bring a civil lawsuit against the caregiver or daycare to demand compensation for the child’s medical treatment and other losses.

If you struck your head in a car accident or fall, it is important to have an evaluation by a doctor as soon as possible.

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Lifetime Costs of Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries can result in significant medical expenses, changes in quality of life, and lost wages. Families members may have to provide care, resulting in time away from work and lost income. You may be able to get compensation to cover the costs of the injury.

Hospital stays related to traumatic brain injuries are the costliest type of injury-related hospitalization. The costs of the injury may continue after the patient is discharged.

The average lifetime costs of treating a traumatic brain injury are $85,000 but can exceed $3 million, according to Research America, a health alliance. The survivor of a brain injury may live with the repercussion of the injury for a lifetime.

Dealing with a traumatic brain injury is challenging enough. You should not have to worry about the medical bills related to the care if the injury was caused by the negligence or wrongful act of another person or business.

Talk to a brain injury lawyer at Parnall & Associates about your legal options for seeking compensation.

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Compensation for a Brain Injury

You may be entitled to file a brain injury lawsuit and seek compensation for a variety of costs related to a head injury caused by another’s negligence. The types of compensation include:

  • Current medical expenses such as hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy
  • Future medical expenses
  • Loss of income
  • Loss of future earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering.

If a close relative died of a brain injury, you may have a right to seek compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit for your relative’s medical bills, funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and more.

The symptoms of brain injury vary and so do the outcomes of brain injury lawsuits. Each brain injury case has a contributing factor that makes it unique. Other case results are not representative of the value of your case. Parnall Law Firm does have a record of verdicts and settlements of which we are understandably proud. They reflect the efforts we make on behalf of each client we serve.

We offer a free case review to discuss your injury and your legal options if you have been injured in Albuquerque or Central New Mexico. If we handle your case, we will do so on a contingency fee basis. You will not owe any fee unless we are successful in obtaining compensation for you through a negotiated settlement or a jury award.

Experienced Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers in Albuquerque

Since 1997, our attorneys have helped injured people and their families in Central New Mexico seek the compensation they need to move forward after a traumatic injury. Bert Parnall and the legal team at Parnall Law Firm are experienced litigators who will fight for you to receive the maximum compensation to which you are entitled.

Contact Parnall Law today to schedule a free legal consultation about the circumstances of your traumatic brain injury. Our compassionate injury attorneys can investigate and pursue compensation for your injury while you and your family focus on your recovery.

Sources:

  • Centre for Neuro Skills
  • New Mexico Department of Health, Traumatic Brain Injury Deaths, Hospitalizations, and Emergency Department Visits in New Mexico (2007-2011)
  • Centers for Disease Control, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Concussion: Get the Facts

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