Gaithersburg, MD Attorney Represents Victims of Traumatic Brain Injury
Accomplished lawyer seeks full compensation for catastrophic harm
Some injuries are so severe that they permanently alter a person's life and health. That's usually the case with severe traumatic brain injury, which can rob the victim of personal autonomy and sense of identity. Even moderate TBI can present a lifetime of challenges. At The Law Office of Christopher J. Smith, LLC, we provide determined representation for victims of TBI, seeking the full compensation they deserve to help them cope with such a catastrophic injury.
What is a traumatic brain injury?
Traumatic brain injury occurs when an impact to the head damages brain tissue. TBI happens one of four ways:
- Blunt force or concussive force — A hard object or shock waves from an explosion strike the skull, inflicting harm on the brain.
- Penetration — A foreign object pierces the skull and directly destroys brain matter.
- Shaking — Violent back-and-forth movement causes the brain to move within the skull, shredding brain matter.
- Anoxia or hypoxia — Impact from an outside force cuts off oxygen to the brain, causing cells to die.
Traumatic brain injuries are classified according to three levels of severity:
- Mild TBI — A victim might lose consciousness for 30 minutes or less. The injury likely causes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with temporary neuropsychiatric deficits. Most victims will fully recover, though they remain vulnerable to long-term neuropsychiatric problems if similar injuries occur.
- Moderate TBI — A victim might be unconscious for 30 minutes to 24 hours. The result is often PTSD, along with mild to moderate neurological and neuropsychiatric abnormalities that remain chronic.
- Severe TBI — The victim generally suffers other severe physical injuries beside the head injury and loses consciousness for more than 24 hours. Death often results. Survivors experience significant neurological and neuropsychiatric deficits along with severe, chronic physical and neuropsychiatric disabilities.
Specific symptoms of TBI include:
- Personality changes and mood swings
- Memory loss
- Headaches
- Depression
- Trouble focusing
- Speech difficulty
- Motor skills deficits that make it difficult to walk or to perform basic tasks
Because the effects of TBI can be so devastating, we fight to ensure you receive compensation that is appropriate for the injury suffered.
What are the common causes of brain injury?
The major causes of traumatic brain injury are:
- Motor vehicle accidents — The leading causes of TBI by far are car accidents, including motorcycle and truck accidents.
- Falls — A slip and fall on a hard surface can cause a TBI but a fall from heights, as we often see in construction accidents, can be even more severe.
- Assaults — Violent beatings and shootings are a major cause of TBI.
- Athletics — Football, soccer, boxing, basketball and cheerleading present risks of TBI due to contact and/or hard surfaces.
- Bicycle accidents — Even when riding with a helmet, a bicyclist can suffer severe head injuries in a crash.
- Anesthesia errors — Loss of oxygen during surgery can damage brain cells.
When it comes to proving causation in injury cases, we have experience you can rely on.
What damages can you recover for brain injuries?
Victims of traumatic brain injury can claim the following damages:
- Present and future medical bills
- Present and future lost earnings
- Rehabilitation costs
- Personal care expenses
- Costs of modifying a home to accommodate a disability
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
As your legal advocates, it is our duty to pursue the maximum compensation possible, consistent with the facts and evidence in your case.
Contact a proven Gaithersburg, Maryland attorney for a free brain injury consultation
The Law Office of Christopher J. Smith, LLC in Gaithersburg represents victims of traumatic brain injury throughout Maryland. Call us at 301-760-7460 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. If your injuries prevent you from visiting our office, we can come to your home or hospital room.
