How a Traumatic Brain Injury From a Route 22 Crash Changes a Family’s Legal Claim

A crash on Route 22 happens in a few seconds, but the effects of a traumatic brain injury can last for the rest of a person’s life. When a Lehigh Valley family is dealing with both at once, the legal claim that follows looks nothing like a routine car accident case, and treating it like one is a costly mistake.

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, changes the medical picture, the financial stakes, and the way the entire claim has to be built. Munley Law has represented catastrophically injured clients across Lehigh County for nearly 70 years, and we know that a TBI case is measured in decades, not in repair bills and a few missed paychecks.

If your family is facing a brain injury after a Route 22 crash, call our Allentown injury lawyers for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win.

How Does a Traumatic Brain Injury Change a Car Accident Claim?

A traumatic brain injury changes a claim by shifting the focus from short-term bills to lifelong costs. A standard crash claim covers the ER visit, the vehicle, and a few weeks of recovery. A TBI claim must account for years of therapy, lost earning capacity, in-home care, and the support a family will provide for the rest of the injured person’s life.

This difference is why these cases are valued so differently from an ordinary fender bender. The injury is not just more serious; it impacts every part of the household’s future, from whether the person can return to their job to whether a spouse has to leave theirs to provide care, and the claim has to capture all of it.

Why Are Crashes on Route 22 Often So Severe?

Route 22 packs heavy commuter traffic, frequent merges, and short on-ramps into a corridor that moves at highway speed through the heart of the Lehigh Valley. When traffic stops short at an interchange or a vehicle merges across lanes without enough room, a high-speed collision results, and it’s in these collisions that brain injuries occur.

A TBI does not require a person’s head to strike anything. The rapid back-and-forth motion of a violent crash can injure the brain on its own as it moves inside the skull. This is why a crash that someone seems to walk away from on the 22 can still leave them with a serious brain injury that becomes evident in the hours and days afterward.

What Are the Signs of a Brain Injury After a Crash?

The typical signs of a brain injury include:

•  Headaches that worsen instead of fading
• Confusion, memory gaps, or trouble concentrating
• Mood changes, irritability, or new depression
•  Dizziness, nausea, or sensitivity to light and noise
• Trouble sleeping, or sleeping far more than usual

These symptoms may not be apparent right away and can worsen over time as swelling increases. Anyone experiencing these symptoms after a crash should be evaluated right away, both for their health and because early medical documentation can later serve as important evidence.

Why Are Brain Injury Claims Harder to Prove Than the Injury Deserves?

A brain injury is often an invisible injury, and insurance companies use this against the victim. There may be no cast, no scar, and no outward sign of how much has changed. An adjuster will argue that the person looks fine and that the symptoms are exaggerated or unrelated to the crash.

Overcoming this takes objective proof. Advanced imaging, neuropsychological testing, and observations by family, coworkers, and treating doctors together show how the injury changed the person’s daily functioning. Building this record is one of the most important parts of a TBI case, and it is hard to do well after memories have faded and the early symptoms have gone undocumented.

Will Insurance Cover a Catastrophic Injury Like This?

Not always in full, and that is one of the hardest realities of a TBI case. The at-fault driver’s policy may carry limits far below what a lifetime of care will cost, especially in a serious brain-injury case. When that happens, the claim does not simply end at the policy limit.

A thorough case looks for every available source of recovery, including the injured person’s own underinsured motorist coverage, a commercial policy if a work vehicle was involved, and any other responsible party.

Finding all of the coverage is often what determines whether a family can actually afford the care a brain injury requires, which is another reason these claims should not be settled quickly.

What Damages Can a Family Recover in a TBI Case?

A TBI claim can recover far more than medical bills and lost wages. Because the injury affects a lifetime, the claim is built around a life care plan, a detailed projection of the future medical care, therapy, equipment, and assistance the person will need. Medical experts and economists help put real numbers to those long-term needs.

Families can also recover for lost earning capacity, the cost of in-home or facility care, and the human losses the injury causes to both the victim and those who love them. Building that proof is the core of a catastrophic injury case, and it is the reason these claims should not be rushed into an early settlement that will not begin to cover what is coming.

How Long Do You Have to File in Pennsylvania?

You generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit in Pennsylvania (42 Pa.C.S. Section 5524, as of 2026). With a brain injury, it is a serious mistake to wait until the deadline is near, because the full extent of a TBI can take many months to understand, and a credible life care plan cannot be built overnight.

Starting early lets the right medical and financial experts document the injury properly while the evidence is fresh, well before the claim has to be filed.

Talk to an Allentown Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

A brain injury reshapes a family’s life, and the legal claim has to be built to match what that family will actually face in the years ahead.

If a Route 22 crash left a loved one with a traumatic brain injury, an Allentown catastrophic injury lawyer at Munley Law can bring in the medical and financial experts these cases require and fight for the full lifetime value of the claim.

Call our Allentown office or reach us online for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win.