Philadelphia Brain Injury Lawyer

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Get the Compensation You Need Following a Brain Injury

Any type of brain injury is life-changing. Whether the injury is mild, moderate, or severe, it can take a great physical, psychological, and financial toll on a victim and their families. If you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury due to someone else's negligence, a Philadelphia brain injury lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can help you get the proper compensation you deserve to cope with the financial consequences and aftermath.

A traumatic brain injury, sometimes called a TBI, can have long-term effects on your health and affect the way you navigate the world around you. In the days and weeks following a serious brain injury, you might not yet know the full extent of the complications you will suffer. You may need ongoing therapy for a while, or you may be unable to perform your job as you did in the past.

What Can Our Philadelphia Brain Injury Lawyers Do to Help?

You've likely heard of personal injury lawyers. A brain injury attorney is a specialized type of personal injury attorney whose role is to ensure you have the resources you need to recover properly from your injury and rebuild your life. If someone else's negligence caused you to suffer a traumatic brain injury, the at-fault party should be held responsible for the damages. But after a TBI, you have more than enough going on. An experienced brain injury attorney can handle getting you the compensation you deserve while you and your family stay focused on moving forward.

Answer Questions

We can help soon after an injury to answer your questions and help you negotiate with the person who caused the injury and any insurance companies involved.

After any brain injury, you will have questions. What happens with insurance? Do you accept the deal you are being offered? What should you do if the person who caused the injury says that you all can just “work it out?” Our attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys will answer your questions and deal with insurance companies on your behalf so that you may focus on your healing process. We can also help you ensure you cover all your bases; it's a busy and emotionally draining time, and you and your family should not be responsible for navigating it alone.

Gather Evidence

You may not need to file a lawsuit after a traumatic brain injury. Working with a lawyer can help you avoid a lawsuit. We can write demand letters, become involved early in the negotiation process to ensure your interests are represented and present your case informally. Through these methods, early advocacy can get you the relief you need quickly and without formal litigation.

Even so, we have to know what to ask for. We work closely with investigators, industry experts, and medical professionals to ensure you are adequately compensated for your medical bills, rehabilitation, long-term care, lost wages, lost earning power, and pain and suffering.

Build Your Case

As we discussed, after suffering a brain injury, not just any personal injury lawyer will do. The brain is one of, if not the most complex organ in the body. Therefore, brain injuries are far more complicated than many other injuries. For that reason, while there are hundreds of personal injury lawyers in Philadelphia, you must have a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer experienced with and comfortable bringing a brain injury lawsuit.

This is because the law is unique and complex, and the medical evidence necessary to build your case and prove your injuries and how they will impact your life will be highly technical. To ensure you receive the compensation you deserve, you will need a lawyer familiar with TBI diagnoses and their unique challenges.

Represent You in Court

If aggressive early advocacy doesn't get you the desired results, Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys' experienced attorneys are ready and willing to take the case to court. You aren't just another case to us, so no matter the opponent, Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys is ready to see your case to the end.

Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys does some of its best work in the courtroom, so if that's where the party who caused your injury makes us go? So be it. We'll gather evidence, structure your case so it is persuasive to a jury, and make sure your case will withstand scrutiny from our opponents.

Get You the Compensation You Deserve

At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, we have helped obtain record-breaking settlements on behalf of people who have suffered severe brain trauma. We work with medical experts to calculate the full scope of your damages from medical care to assisted living, lost earning power, and pain and suffering.

We know the last thing you want to do when dealing with a traumatic brain injury is think about lawyers. That said, if you or a loved one are suffering from a traumatic brain injury, working with a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer can help, and you can rest assured that you will not pay anything upfront or out of your own pocket. We do not charge a fee unless we recover compensation for you. Furthermore, calling us won't obligate you to do anything.

What Causes a Brain Injury?

No matter the cause, brain injuries can have severe and long-lasting effects on a person's life. In the simplest terms, a brain injury results from the destruction or deterioration of brain cells. Acquired and traumatic are two main types of brain injuries.

• Acquired brain injuries happen when there is pressure on the brain, like from a tumor or stroke.
• Traumatic brain injuries happen when there is a sudden blow or jolt to the head, like a fall, sports injury, or car accident.

Car and Truck Accidents

Car and truck crashes are some of the most common causes of traumatic brain injury. This is because crashes produce a significant impact, jarring the passengers inside vehicles. The force of an impact in a head-on crash, rear-end crash, or any other collision can cause the head to move forward and back at a high rate of speed. This thrusts the brain against the skull wall, resulting in a brain injury. A car or truck accident can also cause blunt force trauma to the head, resulting in a traumatic brain injury or concussion. Motorcycle crashes, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents can also result in brain trauma.

Sports Injuries

Athletes often experience traumatic brain injuries from colliding with other players. In fact, sports and other recreational activities were found to be the leading cause of non-fatal traumatic brain injuries in teens. Football players, in particular, experience a very high rate of brain injury. In fact, the significant impact and repeated blows to the head that these athletes often experience can lead to something called chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Hockey players, soccer players, and cheerleaders are also at high risk for concussion and other brain injuries.

Sports injuries present unique challenges because they often impact the still-developing brain of teenagers and because their full scope is often not immediately apparent.

Slip and Falls

Falls are easily the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries in adults over the age of 65. They are also a relatively common cause of traumatic brain injuries in young children. Accidents in this category can include anything from falling down stairs to falling when getting in and out of the shower and much more.

The property owner can be held responsible if you experience a severe fall at someone's residence or business due to a preventable hazard.

Physical Violence

Unfortunately, domestic and other types of violence can often result in TBIs. Young children are especially at risk for violence-induced traumatic brain injuries, given their still-developing brains. While we hope it never happens, caregivers should always be vigilant. Shaken baby syndrome, which typically occurs when someone shakes a child, is a type of traumatic brain injury in infants that can cause lasting damage.

Explosive Blasts and Combat Injuries

The pressure wave that occurs when an explosive blast occurs can cause significant damage as it passes through the brain, though the science of this is still somewhat unclear. Active military and law enforcement personnel are also at high risk for penetrating brain injuries from bullets or shrapnel. Construction workers can also experience explosive blasts that result in traumatic brain injuries.

Workplace Injuries

A traumatic brain injury at work can affect your ability to do your job. Falls are a leading cause of work-related brain injuries. Other high-risk industries include trucking, construction, and law enforcement.

Some people are at higher risk for traumatic brain injury than others. Overall, men of any age are far more likely to experience a traumatic brain injury, and it's also more likely that their TBI will be a serious one. People over the age of 65 and young children, especially newborns to age 4, are also at a much higher risk level. Of course, certain activities and lifestyles, such as being an athlete or a member of the military, can also impact the likelihood of a TBI.

How Can I Spot a Traumatic Brain Injury?

It can be challenging to spot a brain injury. Common symptoms of brain injuries vary depending on the type and severity of the injury sustained and sometimes do not appear immediately. For example, many of those who suffer sports-related brain injuries in their adolescence or early adulthood don't begin to experience symptoms until they are much older.

Mild injuries typically result in temporary side effects that include headaches, confusion, memory problems, and nausea. Symptoms of moderate injuries last longer and can be more pronounced. A severe brain injury can result in cognitive, behavioral, and physical disabilities.

Regardless of the degree, brain injury victims usually experience symptoms that fall into four main categories: cognitive, perceptual, physical, and behavioral/emotional.

Cognitive Symptoms

Many people face cognitive challenges that can significantly impact their ability to perform everyday tasks, learn new information, and recall memories. These challenges can manifest in a variety of ways and affect individuals differently. Difficulties look like:

• Difficulty processing information
• Difficulty expressing thoughts
• Difficulty understanding others
• Shortened attention span
• Inability to understand abstract concepts
• Impaired decision-making ability
• Memory loss

Perceptual Symptoms

These changes impact individuals' ability to perceive and react to information received through their senses. The impact of such changes can be significant, affecting how the individual interacts with their environment and the people around them. Changes might present as:

• Change in vision, hearing, or sense of touch
• Spatial disorientation
• Inability to appreciate time
• Disorders of smell and taste
• Balance issues
• Heightened sensitivity to pain

Physical symptoms

These symptoms are among those most commonly associated with a TBI. They can manifest in different ways, depending on the nature and extent of the injury. The severity of these symptoms can also vary, and they may include a wide range of effects on the body that can be challenging to identify and manage, such as:

• Persistent headaches
• Extreme mental fatigue
• Extreme physical fatigue
• Seizures
• Sensitivity to light
• Sleep disorders, which can appear as either difficulty falling or staying asleep or difficulty waking up
• Sudden and unexplained slurred speech
• Loss of consciousness or fainting

Behavioral and emotional symptoms

A TBI can result in a wide range of behavioral or emotional symptoms that may differ based on the extent and location of the damage caused by the injury. Behavioral or emotional shifts may include:

• Irritability and impatience
• Reduced tolerance for stress
• Sluggishness
• Flattened or heightened emotions and reactions
• Denial of disability
• Increased aggression

It is essential to know the signs and symptoms of brain injuries to diagnose and treat a head injury as quickly as possible. Any type of brain injury requires immediate medical attention to stabilize the patient and prevent further injury. Because the symptoms of a brain injury are so challenging to predict, if you or a loved one is injured due to someone else's negligence, you should always seek medical treatment, even if you feel that your injuries were mild.

Suppose the traumatic brain injury was inflicted due to someone else's negligence. In that case, you need experienced Philadelphia brain injury lawyers to look into your case and provide legal advice.

What Does the Road To Recovery Look Like after a brain injury?

Unfortunately, the recovery following a traumatic brain injury is difficult to predict, and it might not be linear. TBIs exist in mild, moderate, and severe forms, and, as you'd expect, the prognosis tends to be better the more favorable the injury is.

Most people who experience a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury regain all of their brain function within three months of the incident and will notice fewer episodes of memory loss along the way. With a moderate traumatic brain injury, most people will eventually recover the majority of their brain function, and memory loss decreases over time. However, it's not unusual for someone with this level of injury to need additional medical treatment to regain function, such as neurosurgery, occupational therapy, or physical therapy.

The recovery period for a severe TBI is much more difficult to predict and depends significantly on the details of the injury (the specific location of the injury in the brain, the length of time spent in a coma post-injury, etc). Overall, the longer the recovery period is, the more permanent long term effects there are likely to be.

In the immediate aftermath of a moderate or severe injury, the injured party may, for some time, not show signs of awareness. Their eyes may remain closed as well. As the swelling and bleeding in the brain begin to ebb, they may slowly start to show more signs of awareness, such as following commands and entering more normal sleep-wake cycles.

In this period, several different terms may be used, depending on the individual's status in the following three categories:

• Coma
• Vegetative State
• Minimally Conscious state

Research shows that over 50 percent of patients can regain almost total independence one year after injury. An additional 30 percent can function with a minimal level of supervision.

Be it a mild traumatic brain injury or severe, the road to recovering from any head trauma is undoubtedly long and not without challenges. You and your family must dedicate yourselves fully to completing it to regain “normal” function in the brain.

If someone else's actions caused your injury, you may think you don't have time to think about holding that person accountable. Be it memory loss from a concussion or a more severe brain injury, the person who caused your injury has a legal obligation. That's where we come in. You need exceptional Philadelphia brain injury lawyers to focus on getting you the financial recovery you deserve; you don't have to do it alone!

As you or your loved one recovers from this injury, know that Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys's Philadelphia brain injury attorneys are ready and willing to hold the responsible party accountable. The lawyers at Munley Law are the go-to personal injury attorneys for people in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania. And our team isn't just like every other personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia. We're experienced with bringing and winning cases stemming from traumatic brain injuries.

Frequently Asked Questions for Philadelphia Brain Injury Attorneys

How is the Severity of a Brain Injury Determined?

Doctors often use the Glasgow Coma Scale to determine the severity of a brain injury. The scale is divided into three sections: Eye Opening Response, Verbal Response, and Motor Response. Within each of these categories is a scale of response that a doctor can test, each associated with several points.

For instance, the eye-opening response runs from “No response” (1 point) up to “Open with blinking at baseline” (4 points). Someone in a coma following a brain injury will fall in the range of 6 to 8 points, which typically means no eye-opening or ability to follow commands. Beyond that, patients can fall into the categories of Mild TBI (12 to 15 points), Moderate TBI (9 to 12 points), or Severe TBI (8 or fewer points), depending on how capable they are of responding to stimuli and following commands.

Is a Concussion Considered a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A concussion is usually considered a mild TBI. Usually, the effects of this type of brain injury are temporary. Still, the impact can be long-term if someone experiences multiple concussions or does not take the first one seriously.

Every concussive incident causes stretching and tearing of nerve fibers in the brain. The more this happens, the higher the likelihood of lasting impact. For that reason, it's vital that everyone, even athletes, take every concussion seriously.

How Can Traumatic Brain Injuries Impact the Mood, Personality, and Emotions of Brain Injury Victims?

After brain injuries, it's widespread for victims to experience changes in mood and emotion and what may feel like a shift in personality. The specific ways these changes affect a victim's life will vary based on where the brain injury is located.

For example, the orbitofrontal cortex is an area of the brain that helps to regulate impulse control and the sensation of empathy. If this area is damaged, the injured person may lack impulse control or struggle with empathy in a way they previously did not. Mood swings are also common, as are increased aggression (which appears in almost a third of TBI patients), a seeming disaffectedness or flatness, and more.

Many things can be done to help navigate and regulate these changes, such as identifying and removing things that trigger the aggression or mood swings or working with a cognitive behavioral therapist.

Can I Have a TBI Requiring a Brain Injury Attorney and Not Know It?

Yes, it is possible to have a traumatic brain injury and not know it right away. Because many TBIs result from closed head injuries, they are not always immediately apparent, especially if the victim does not lose consciousness.

If you are experiencing any or multiple of the symptoms of a brain injury discussed above, or even if you just generally don't feel “right” or “normal” after an injury, you should go to a doctor immediately for further examination and treatment. The longer a brain injury is left untreated, the more serious the complications can become. Therefore, having a medical professional check it out is always better.

Furthermore, the medical records following these examinations can be invaluable in future brain injury lawsuits.

What Can I Do for a Loved One Experiencing a TBI?

Some ways you can help a loved one experiencing a severe brain injury are simple, such as keeping your communication clear and direct. State your name when you greet them, speak slowly, and allow plenty of time for your loved one to respond. If your loved one is searching for a word, give them a minute to do so; if they have not found the word at that point, you can guess what they're trying to say so that they don't reach a point of frustration. You can also help your loved one feel grounded and connected to their life by singing familiar songs and showing pictures of friends and family.

The Mayo Clinic has helpful guidelines for supporting your loved one.

And, of course, you can help ensure that they receive the compensation owed to them by hiring experienced attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys. We accept no payment unless we win for you. Contact us today for your free consultation.

How Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help – Free Consultation

Brain injuries, no matter how they happen, can have serious and long-lasting effects on a person's life. It can be hard to tell if someone has a brain injury or not, especially if it's caused by things like a fall, a car accident, or something that happened at work. The signs and symptoms of brain injuries can be different depending on how bad it is and may not show up right away.

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury, contact us to speak to one of our Philadelphia brain injury attorneys for a free consultation by calling, filling out our email form, or chatting live with a personal injury lawyer from our law firm. Did you suffer a head injury from an accident that was not your fault? We can help.

Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

1617 John F Kennedy Blvd
Suite 1690,
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 515-7747