The A-to-Z Guide to Hiring a Brain Injury Attorney
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year, nearly 1.4 million people in the United States suffer a brain injury. There are many different things that can cause a brain injury, including sports injuries, car accidents, and slip and fall accidents.
Depending on the circumstances surrounding a brain injury, the injured person may be entitled to legal compensation.
If you are considering legal action, it is crucial to understand the process of hiring a traumatic brain injury attorney who can give you the best shot at a favorable outcome in your case. An experienced head trauma lawyer can help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Understanding Brain Injuries
Before you hire a traumatic brain injury attorney and pursue legal action, you must first have an understanding of what a brain injury is and what kind of treatment you may need.
“It is always a better plan to have a doctor evaluate your head injury and any symptoms you have noticed than to ignore it and hope that it goes away.”
A brain injury typically occurs when the brain suffers a violent or sudden jolt or blow to the head. This type of injury can also be caused by an object (such as a bullet or debris from a car accident) penetrating the brain tissue.
Injuries May Range in Severity
Brain injuries can range from mild to severe and life-threatening injuries. In some cases, a brain injury may initially seem quite mild, but over time, it becomes clear that the brain injury is severe and may have a long-term impact on that person’s life.
With a mild traumatic brain injury, your brain cells may be temporarily affected, and your symptoms may resolve within a few days or weeks.
Brain injuries of a more serious nature may result in bruising, bleeding, and torn brain tissue. Severe traumatic brain injuries may cause long-term complications, disability, or death.
Seek Medical Treatment Right Away
If you have suffered a head injury and have any reason to suspect brain damage, it is vital to seek medical care immediately.
It is always a better plan to have a doctor evaluate your head injury and any symptoms you have noticed than to ignore it and hope that it goes away.
Prompt medical attention can make a major difference in your recovery from the injury.
When to Hire a Brain Injury Attorney
If your brain injury occurred due to someone else’s negligence or wrongful actions, it is a good idea to meet with a head trauma lawyer to learn more about your legal rights. The best time to hire a head trauma lawyer to handle your case is as soon as you can.
While the most important thing to do after suffering a head injury is to receive medical care right away, once you have seen a doctor or are out of the hospital, it is time to talk to an attorney to protect your legal rights.
Hiring a traumatic brain injury attorney sooner rather than later gives your attorney the chance to be involved from the very beginning of your case.
Settlement Offers
Additionally, depending on how the injury occurred, it is not unusual for insurance companies to reach out and propose a small settlement offer to try to wrap up your case before it gets started.
Even if the money being offered sounds fair and you want to accept the offer, keep in mind that brain injuries can end up becoming much worse over time.
The settlement amount may not seem so reasonable after you accumulate more medical bills or need additional treatment. Speaking with a traumatic brain injury attorney about the pending offer and the facts of your case is usually the best way to ensure that you are getting a fair deal.
How to Choose a Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney
It is important to find a traumatic brain injury lawyer who has some experience with brain injury litigation. Finding a head trauma lawyer qualified and experienced in this area is particularly important because brain injury cases often involve complex medical and legal issues.
The Arizona attorneys of Goodnow McKay have years of experience successfully handling brain injury cases. Our attorneys understand both the medical and legal aspects of these types of cases, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help our clients obtain fair compensation for their brain injuries.
“The settlement amount may not seem so reasonable after you accumulate more medical bills or need additional treatment.”
In many cases, we are able to successfully negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement for our clients before a case goes to trial. However, if the matter cannot be resolved with a fair settlement, we will not hesitate to fight for our clients’ rights through trial.
Hiring a Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney
The process of hiring a traumatic brain injury attorney does not have to be complicated. Once you decide to take legal action and have done some research to find a head trauma lawyer you would like to meet, you can simply give their office a call and set up a consultation.
Many personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you will only pay attorney fees if your case is successful, and the fees will be a percentage of the settlement or award. However, it is always a good idea to confirm that this is the case when you call the office.
At Goodnow McKay, we offer free brain injury case consultations. Contact our office today to take the first step in pursuing compensation for your traumatic brain injury.
