The human brain is like a high-functioning computer running several programs at once. It is a complex network of neurons that controls your memory, emotions, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger, thirst, and every other process that regulates your body. Those brain functions are voluntary or involuntary. In other words, with our brain’s help, we can control our actions while our body takes care of itself. At least, that is the plan when the brain hasn’t been injured.
Brain injuries are often catastrophic. Life-altering or even fatal head trauma can have unending consequences for victims and their families. That tragedy is compounded if someone else’s negligence causes the injury.
If you or a loved one suffered brain damage in what should have been a preventable accident, you’ll need a Philadelphia brain injury lawyer on your side. Personal injury cases involving head injuries can be incredibly complex, which is why you’ll benefit from working closely with Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco.
Get Answers to All Your Questions
Whether you’re focusing on recovering from a head injury or are caring for a family member who recently sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI), Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco is here to explain your legal rights and options.
Our brain injury law firm cares about what is most important: you and your recovery. Our Philadelphia brain injury attorneys will be fierce advocates as you seek to recover compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, and other related damages.
We offer a free consultation to injury victims in Philadelphia and the greater Philadelphia County area. Reach out to our law office today so that we can schedule your no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation at a time that works best for you.
The Role of a Philadelphia Brain Injury Lawyer
It’s your job to rest and recover after suffering a brain injury.
It’s our job to win you the compensation you deserve.
Brain injury cases are a notoriously complicated subset of personal injury law, and the role of a Philadelphia brain injury attorney should always be that of a tireless advocate. A severe brain injury can impact every facet of your life, and you deserve to be fully and fairly compensated for all that you have suffered.
The brain injury law firm in Philadelphia you choose to work with should be prepared to:
- Investigate the circumstances that led to your injury
- Determine who is responsible for your financial and non-financial losses
- Determine how much you are owed for your past, current, and future damages
- Negotiate the best possible settlement with respect to the totality of your losses
- Deal with the insurance company so that you can’t be tricked into saying something that compromises your brain injury lawsuit
- Fight to win your traumatic brain injury case in court should negotiations fail
Whether you were injured in a car accident or from a falling object, head injuries that are the result of another person’s negligent or wrongful behavior should never occur. When they do, the Philadelphia head injury lawyer you’ll be assigned to from Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco will fight to hold the responsible party liable for their actions.
Why Work with Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco?
Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco is a leading personal injury law firm with an unmatched reputation in Pennsylvania. For more than 40 years, we have been providing powerful legal representation to victims who have been wrongfully injured or killed.
Our Philadelphia brain injury attorneys treat every case with integrity and compassion. Many of our lawyers also have prior experience acting as defense attorneys for doctors and insurance companies, giving us a wholly unique insight into how to file and win cases just like yours.
Brain Injury Statistics
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), brain injuries, especially traumatic brain injuries, are a leading cause of permanent disability and death in the United States. In 2021 alone, 69,000 people suffered brain damage deaths. That breaks down to 190 TBI-related deaths each day.
Recent data collected by the Pennsylvania Department of Health finds that 543,288 Pennsylvania residents are living with brain injury-related disabilities. They also discovered that more than 85% of TBIs are caused by a lack of seatbelts, improper fit of a helmet, the use of alcohol and drugs or falls.
The Different Types of Head Injuries
One of the most important aspects of your head injury claim is going to be determining the specific type of injury you’ve sustained. Doctors classify the two major types of brain injuries as traumatic brain injury (TBI) or acquired brain injury (ABI). This is how they are differentiated:
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
A traumatic brain injury is caused by external trauma to the head. That trauma is designated as either a Closed Head Injury or Open Head Injury. With a Closed Head Injury, the trauma is a result of the result of rapid back-and-forth movement. This injury does not involve any breakage or fracture of the skull. Falls, contact sports, and car accidents are some of the most common causes of Closed Head Injuries.
An Open Head Injury, sometimes referred to as a penetrating injury, occurs when there is a break in the skull. This may be the result of a foreign object penetrating the skull and part of the brain.
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
An Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is the result of the brain being deprived of oxygen. This type of injury is typically caused by near-downing or a heart attack. It can also be caused when there is a lack of oxygen to the brain during a surgical procedure or during child birth.
The medical community also classifies brain injuries as either mild, moderate, or severe based on numerous factors. The severity and duration of symptoms are other factors.
At Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco, our Philadelphia brain injury lawyers have successfully represented clients suffering from a wide range of mild, moderate, and severe injuries. If you’ve suffered severe brain damage or any of the following types of injuries due to someone else’s negligence, do not hesitate to contact our office for a free case evaluation.
Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms
Brain injury victims may experience a variety of symptoms associated with their injuries. Physical pain and altered thinking are both common. The symptoms many victims experience depend on the type and severity of the injury, as well as other factors.
Physical Symptoms
If you or a loved one suffered a blow to the head and are experiencing any of the following common symptoms, immediately go to the emergency room or call 911:
- A headache that won’t go away or gets worse
- Trouble speaking or forming words
- Nausea or vomiting
- Balance problems and dizziness
- Clear fluid leaking from the ears or nostrils
- Unnatural dilation of the pupils
Cognitive Symptoms
Cognitive impairment is common after a blow to the head. However, these symptoms may not be immediately apparent, instead coming on over time. Cognitive symptoms associated with severe TBI include:
- Loss of consciousness, no matter how brief
- Excessive drowsiness
- Trouble sleeping
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Significant change in mood or mood swings
Sensory problems, including sensitivity to light or sound, changes in your ability to smell, or a lingering bad taste, can also be signs of a life-threatening brain injury.
The Cost of Treating a Brain Injury
Medical treatment for an injured individual with head trauma can quickly outpace past earnings and savings.
One study found that costs associated with in-hospital care can range drastically from patient to patient, with some people incurring more than $400,000 in medical bills. This figure only accounts for treatment received for in-patient services and does not include the cost of:
- Out-patient medical care
- Medications
- Physical or occupational rehabilitation services
- Medical equipment
- Psychological services, such as therapy
An injured person should never avoid seeking medical attention because they are worried about the cost of care. If the negligent actions of another person resulted in your traumatic brain injury, our Philadelphia brain injury attorneys will hold them and their insurer responsible for the financial consequences you suffered.
When To File a Personal Injury Lawsuit
Not every brain injury warrants the filing of a personal injury claim. However, if your injury was the result of a preventable accident or another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation under Pennsylvania state law.
The Philadelphia traumatic brain injury lawyers from Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco have the experience needed to successfully represent clients who have suffered brain damage in the following types of incidents:
Car Accidents
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were over 2.6 million people sent to the ERs across the country because of injuries from car crashes in 2022. Unfortunately, many of these injuries include severe head trauma. That can include concussions and various degrees of TBIs. If you are in a car accident, your head could be thrust into the windshield, steering wheel, or dashboard. It could also be struck by debris or broken glass. The excessive force of the impact can also snap a driver’s or passenger’s head in such a way as to cause a TBI.
Keep in mind that it might take several days for the symptoms of a Closed Head Injury to manifest. That is why it is important to seek medical attention at the first sign of any symptoms, especially persistent headaches.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Another common cause of traumatic brain injuries is slip and fall accidents. Most falls result in a few bruises and embarrassment. However, if your head is struck in the fall, it could result in a TBI. Internal bleeding from a blow to the head in a fall might not show up for several days and would only be confirmed with MRI-type tests.
There are many incidents where someone simply loses their footing and takes a tumble. On the other hand, if the fall you suffered was preventable, you could classify this as a premises liability issue. This could mean you slipped on a wet floor at a grocery store, office building, or restaurant. In that case, the owner of the property or their tenant could be held responsible for your injuries.
Sports and Athletic Accidents
There are many traumatic brain injuries caused by sports-related accidents. These types of head injuries are common in school sports programs like football and hockey. Parents and their kid players accept a certain amount of risk when they sign up for sports. However, there could be certain consequences that contributed to the injury that would be considered negligence.
For instance, if the fields are improperly maintained or the protective equipment is defective, the responsibility of the school can be called into question. There have also been instances where a player is hurt, but the coaches didn’t provide adequate care. These are complex issues that your brain injury lawyer in Philadelphia can investigate.
Birth Injuries
The vast majority of the 126,951 births in Philly in 2023 were delivered healthy and without complications. In instances where there are challenges, a birth injury could result in a head injury for the newborn. This will happen when a doctor misuses equipment and devices. If the baby is deprived of oxygen because of fetal distress, they can also suffer from a TBI.
While these types of birth injuries are rare, they can be extremely traumatic for the family who has to find a way to manage the reality of their child having developmental issues. This is another incident in which a traumatic brain injury lawyer in Philadelphia can provide guidance to understand all the options for seeking a remedy.
Our law office has a long history of securing compensation for Pennsylvania residents who have been injured in motor vehicle crashes or at the hands of a doctor. We believe that the sizeable settlements we’ve earned on behalf of our clients speak for themselves.
Proving Negligence
In our society, certain parties have a legal obligation to act in a way that prevents others and keeps them safe. This obligation is known as a duty of care. Drivers have a duty of care to behave safely behind the wheel so as not to cause an accident. Property owners have a duty of care to maintain safe premises that are free from harm for any customer or visitor.
That duty of care is the first element that a Philadelphia head injury lawyer will have to establish in order to prove negligence.
Your attorney will then have to establish that the duty of care was breached. That would be a specific act of negligence, such as speeding, driving drunk, or not cleaning/repairing a floor. When the breach is established, you have to prove causation. That is the connection between negligence and your injury.
Finally, you have to establish your damages as the result of the injury. Proving those four elements will mean gathering evidence such as police crash reports, witness statements, surveillance videos, and your medical records.
Compensation for an Injury Case
Compensation for a traumatic brain injury typically falls into two categories: economic and non-economic. Economic damages are for every item you’ve been charged for. Whether you paid the bill, or it is outstanding, these damages will include the following:
- Emergency room visits
- Diagnostic exams
- Doctor follows up
- Surgery
- Hospitalization
- Medical supplies
- Home modifications
- Prescriptions
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Lost wages
- Future earnings
Some of your economic damages could be assigned to future costs. For example, your physical therapy could be ongoing as you recover. Those costs will have to be carefully calculated by you and your Philadelphia traumatic brain injury lawyer. Whatever number you believe to be acceptable will be the final number. If it is approved, you won’t be able to go back for additional funds in the future.
Your non-economic damages will provide compensation for all the pain and suffering you’ve had to endure as a result of the accident. In addition to the general discomfort, you could also experience emotional trauma such as anxiety or depression. Your quality of life can also be impacted. You are entitled to seek compensation for all of those issues.
Losses associated with brain injuries tend to be substantial, which is why our Philadelphia traumatic brain injury lawyers fight so hard for your financial recovery. We’ll review all the details of your brain injury lawsuit and your related losses when determining what settlement to demand from the insurance company.
Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco Will Fight for You
If you or a loved one suffered a serious brain injury because of another person’s negligence, Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco is prepared to build a strong legal case that will hold them responsible for their actions. We don’t believe that victims should shoulder the hardship of their injury on their own, and neither should a victim’s loved ones be unfairly burdened with the associated financial consequences.
Let a Philadelphia brain injury lawyer explain your rights to you. Call or fill out our convenient online form to schedule your free consultation today. We never charge clients for our first meeting, and we proudly take most cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you won’t owe us anything unless we win your case.
