St. George Brain Injury Lawyers
A brain injury can have a wide-ranging and long-term impact on a victim’s life. A traumatic brain injury could require months or even years of recovery to return a person to an independent and productive life. In some cases, a brain injury survivor could still be left with permanent physical and cognitive disabilities, even after completing treatment. If you were in an accident due to someone else’s negligence and suffered a brain injury, you have the right to demand financial compensation and justice.
At Swenson & Shelley, our St. George brain injury lawyers have the experience and resources to fight fiercely for your best interests. We have earned a reputation for taking on the most challenging catastrophic injury cases and recovering maximum compensation for accident victims. Accident victims deserve the relentless pursuit of justice that Swenson & Shelley can provide.
Contact Swenson & Shelley today for a free case evaluation with a St. George brain injury lawyer. We can answer all your questions and take the stress off you during this difficult time.
Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries: Impact and Support
At Swenson & Shelley, our personal injury lawyers in St. George know that traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can lead to long-term disabilities, including cognitive, behavioral, and emotional challenges for Utah residents and visitors whose lives have been impacted by negligence.
Unfortunately, these life-changing injuries happen more often than most believe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), around 5.3 million Americans live with disabilities resulting from traumatic brain injuries. Each year, approximately 2.8 million people in the U.S. suffer a TBI, which includes emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and fatalities.
Between 70,000 and 90,000 individuals each year experience long-lasting or permanent impairments due to TBI, and 56,000 people die each year in the U.S. from a TBI-related cause.
Our Washington County brain injury lawyers know these catastrophic injuries change more than the injured person’s life but their family’s, too. The victim may face challenges that require ongoing care, rehabilitation, and support, often leading to changes in their independence and daily functioning. Family members must adjust to new roles, provide care, and cope with emotional and financial stress, making the injury a life-changing event for everyone involved. The ripple effect of the injury transforms relationships and everyday routines, creating lasting challenges for the victim and their loved ones.
We want to help. Our St. Geoge brain injury lawyers are knowledgeable and adept at assisting crash victims throughout Utah. Our compassionate lawyers and support staff do more than hear the details of your case during our free consultations. We listen to how your brain injury incident has impacted your daily activities and overall quality of life.
We genuinely want to understand what has happened to you and what you need to move forward so we can provide the legal and personal support you deserve, starting with a free consultation.
Can You File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Brain Injury?
Depending on what happened to cause your brain injury, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit seeking financial compensation for your losses. To pursue a personal injury claim, your injury must have been caused by someone else’s carelessness or negligence. In addition to proving that someone else was at fault, you will have to demonstrate the losses that you suffered from a car accident, such as medical expenses, lost income, and intangible losses like pain and suffering.
If you are wondering about your options for recovering financial compensation after an accident, please reach out to our brain injury lawyers in St. George today.
How a St. George Brain Injury Lawyer from Swenson & Shelley Can Help
You shouldn’t try to handle a legal claim on your own. Let a St. George brain injury lawyer from Swenson & Shelley take the stress off you by:
- Recovering all available evidence from the accident that caused your injury
- Working with accident reconstruction experts to identify who was at fault
- Retaining experts in other fields, like medicine or finance, to help us build a strong and persuasive case on your behalf
- Documenting the full extent of your injury and calculating your past, ongoing, and future expenses
- Filing insurance claims or demands for compensation with the at-fault parties
- Negotiating aggressively for a fair and full settlement of your brain injury claim
- Pursuing your brain injury case at trial when litigation becomes the best path for seeking the maximum financial recovery you deserve
Our St. George Lawyers Handle All Types of Brain Injury Cases
Our St. George personal injury law firm represents people who suffered brain injuries in all types of accidents, including:
No matter how you were injured, if you believe someone else is to blame, you should learn about your legal options. Contact Swenson & Shelley today for a free case review with a personal injury attorney.
What Compensation Can You Seek for a Traumatic Brain Injury?
If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury in a serious motor vehicle accident in St. George, you may be entitled to recover compensation for:
- Medical bills, including for hospital care, surgeries, and rehabilitation services
- Long-term care costs, such as for home health services, purchases of assistive devices, or home renovations to accommodate cognitive or physical disabilities
- Loss of income for missed work during treatment and recovery, and loss of future earning potential if your injury permanently disables you
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and trauma
- Loss of quality of life due to physical disabilities, secondary health complications, or reduced life expectancy
Our skilled St. George brain injury attorneys will work to maximize the value of your case, pursuing full compensation for current and future losses.
What Are the Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Symptoms of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) vary with the severity of the injury. Mild TBIs can cause symptoms such as:
- Loss of consciousness for a few seconds to a few minutes
- Feeling dazed or confused
- Headaches
- Fatigue and drowsiness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Speech problems
- Dizziness or balance problems
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
- A bad taste in the mouth
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Difficulty with concentration and memory
- Mood changes and mood swings
- Feelings of depression or anxiety
- Sleep issues, including difficulty falling asleep or sleeping more than normal
Moderate to severe brain injuries may cause the following symptoms:
- Loss of consciousness lasting several minutes to several hours, or onset of coma
- Persistent or worsening headache, nausea, and/or vomiting
- Convulsions or seizures
- Dilated pupils
- Clear fluids draining from the ears or nose
- Weakness or numbness in fingers and toes
- Coordination issues
- Unable to be woken up
- Severe confusion
- Agitation or other abnormal behavior
- Slurred speech
What Treatment Is Available for Traumatic Brain Injury?
Mild TBIs may initially require rest and over-the-counter pain relievers for headaches. However, someone who has been diagnosed with a mild TBI must be closely watched in the days following an injury. Persistent or worsening symptoms may signal that the injury is more severe than initially thought.
Moderate to severe brain injuries will require immediate medical attention. Initial care is focused on maintaining blood and oxygen flow to the brain and preventing further damage. Treatment options may include:
- Stabilizing the head and neck
- Providing supplemental oxygen or blood transfusions
- Medications, including anti-seizure drugs, diuretics to help reduce swelling, or coma-inducing drugs to reduce the brain’s need for oxygen while damage is repaired or heals
- Surgery, including procedures to stop bleeding or remove clotted blood, repair skull fractures and remove foreign debris from the cranium, or open a window in the skull to relieve pressure on the brain from swelling
Once the person’s condition has stabilized, medical treatment often shifts to rehabilitation. The goal is to help the injured person relearn how to perform daily activities so that they can become as independent and productive as possible. Rehabilitation services can include:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech and language therapy
- Neurological therapy to help with cognitive and memory impairments
- Psychotherapy to address behavioral or emotional problems
- Vocational therapy, aimed at helping a brain injury victim return to work
Brain Injuries’ Lasting Impacts on a Victim’s Life
A brain injury can cause a person to suffer long-term or permanent complications and physical and mental changes. Those changes could include:
- Paralysis, or problems with motor skills or fine motor control
- Increased risk of seizures, brain infections, and damaging fluid buildup in and around the brain
- Chronic vertigo
- Altered sense of balance, smell, taste, hearing, or vision
- Reduced cognitive ability or executive functioning
- Memory problems, including amnesia or difficulty forming new memories
- Problems speaking or understanding spoken or written language
- Behavioral changes, including difficulty in social situations, lack of self-control, engaging in risk-taking behaviors, or sudden verbal or physical outbursts
- Emotional issues such as depression, anxiety, or mood swings
What Can Family Members Do to Help Brain Injury Survivors?
People with moderate to severe brain injuries will likely need support from family members. Ways that families can help survivors of catastrophic brain injuries recover and resume an active and independent life include:
- Immediately following an accident, the family can help by looking after the person’s affairs, including watching over their home or pets, informing employers, and gathering financial and insurance information that will be needed to pay for medical care.
- During the early stages of recovery, family members can help brain injury survivors in the hospital by helping their loved one reorient themselves (especially if they’re emerging from a coma or vegetative state) and learning exercises to help their loved one with.
- After a person is discharged from inpatient care, family members can help by providing support as the brain injury survivor relearns motor, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional skills. The survivor may need extra support when they realize the extent of their limitations.
- In the long term, family can help by establishing a daily structure, including their loved one in decisions, and developing strategies to help their loved one compensate for deficits so they can live as independently as possible.
Common Types of Brain Injuries Our Attorneys Help With
At Swenson & Shelley, we represent clients who have suffered brain injuries such as:
- Concussions
- Edema, or swelling of the brain
- Hematoma, or pooling or clotting of blood in or around the brain
- Skull fractures
- Contusions, or brain bruises
- Diffuse axonal injury, which occurs when traumatic forces cause shearing of nerve cells in the brain
- Hemorrhage, or uncontrolled brain bleeding
- Hypoxic/anoxic brain injury, or brain damage caused by reduced or cut-off blood and oxygen flow to the brain
What are the Most Common Causes of Brain Injuries in St. George, Utah
Brain injuries can occur in a variety of ways, often from sudden trauma or force to the head.
According to the CDC, the following factors are responsible for the majority of TBIs in the U.S.:
- Falls are the leading cause of TBI, especially among children and older adults, accounting for 48% of all cases.
- Motor vehicle accidents are the second leading cause, accounting for 20% of all cases.
- Assaults and intentional harm account for about 10% of TBIs nationwide.
Additional brain injury causes include, but are not limited to:
- Recreational Activities: George’s proximity to outdoor attractions, including multiple national parks, and the popularity of hiking, biking, and boating can lead to brain injuries from falls or collisions.
- Sports Injuries: Youth and adult sports, including football, soccer, and skiing, are frequent sources of concussions and other brain trauma in the area.
- Workplace Accidents: Construction and industrial accidents, common in growing communities like St. George, also contribute to many brain injuries due to falls or being struck by objects.
If you or someone you love has suffered a brain injury in Utah, contact our skilled personal injury lawyers in St. George to ensure your story is told and that you are partnering with a law firm that will pursue the best outcome for your unique needs.
How Long Do You Have to File a Brain Injury Lawsuit in Utah?
In Utah, you normally have four years from the date of a brain injury to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. If you wait to file your lawsuit until after the limitations period expires, your case can be permanently dismissed by the trial court. Although four years may seem like a long time, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible after an injury. Your attorney will want to work quickly to collect evidence before it is lost or destroyed. Your lawyer will also need to document your personal injury claims and treatment from the beginning.
Why Brain Injury Victims and Their Families Need a Skilled Personal Injury Legal Team in St. George, Utah
Many people believe that if someone else’s negligence clearly caused their injuries, they don’t need an attorney because they assume the facts are straightforward and the responsible party will settle fairly. However, this assumption is often wrong.
Here’s why brain injury victims and their families can benefit from partnering with our skilled St. George personal injury lawyers:
- Complexity of Brain Injury Cases: Brain injury cases involve intricate medical and legal issues, requiring legal experience and resources to navigate medical evidence and interpret complex diagnoses.
- Determining Long-Term Costs: Our skilled legal team helps calculate the full extent of future medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost wages, and the overall impact on quality of life, ensuring victims receive adequate compensation.
- Proving Liability: Brain injuries can occur in various situations, and establishing who is at fault requires a thorough investigation that our experienced attorneys can handle effectively.
- Access to Medical Experts: Our St. George brain injury legal team often has access to a network of medical experts who can testify to the extent of the injury and its long-term effects, strengthening the case.
- Maximizing Compensation: Brain injuries often result in lifelong disabilities. Our skilled attorneys will work to secure compensation that covers not only immediate medical bills but also long-term care and accommodations.1
- Dealing with Insurance Companies: Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts in brain injury cases. Our experienced legal team understands their tactics and can advocate for a fair settlement.
- Emotional and Legal Support: Our St. George brain injury lawyers provide both emotional support and legal guidance, helping families focus on recovery while we handle the complexities of the case.
Even in seemingly clear-cut cases, insurance companies may dispute liability, minimize the extent of the injuries, or offer inadequate settlements. Without our skilled attorneys, victims may not fully understand the legal process, the actual value of their claim, or the tactics insurers use to reduce payouts.
Our skilled St. George brain injury attorneys protect our clients’ rights and fight for the maximum compensation they deserve. Contact us today to learn more.
Resources for Brain Injury Survivors and Families
- Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA): A national organization providing support, education, and advocacy for individuals with brain injuries. They offer resources on managing brain injuries, treatment options, and connecting with professionals.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The CDC offers comprehensive information on the prevention, treatment, and long-term care of TBIs. It also provides statistical data and resources for managing brain injuries.
- Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC): Focuses on providing support and research for active-duty military personnel and veterans dealing with brain injuries.
- The Brain Trauma Foundation: Specializes in improving TBI care through research and evidence-based practices, focusing on professional medical guidelines.
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): Provides research and educational resources about brain injuries, including medical studies and treatment innovations.
Contact Our Skilled Brain Injury Attorneys in St. George, Utah
If someone else’s negligent actions caused your injury, you shouldn’t have to be financially responsible for the fallout. Call us today at (435)-228-7647 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. During this consultation, you can learn immediately whether your claim is eligible for legal action and get the help you need to move forward confidently.
We do not charge any fees upfront for our services. Instead, you pay us only if we secure payment for you. That makes getting legal help accessible and allows you to focus on your recovery. Contact us now to learn more.
Our St. George Attorneys Client Review
Please click here to give a review today