Brain injuries often stem from another party’s negligence, recklessness, or oversight. When you choose Leverty & Associates Law as your brain injury lawyers, you’ll receive compassionate representation and tenacious litigation against the party who harmed you. Contact us today at (775) 322-6636 for a free consultation about your case.
What Is a Brain Injury?
A brain injury, often referred to as a traumatic brain injury (TBI), is an injury to the brain after a blow to the head. It can be a penetrating injury, such as one might suffer in a car collision or a gunshot wound, or a non-penetrating injury, in which there has been a blow by an object which has not penetrated the skull.
Brain injuries vary in severity, from mild concussions to permanent brain damage that renders the individual incapable of caring for themselves. Several factors indicate the severity of a brain injury, including the following:
- Whether the individual lost consciousness
- Whether certain neurological symptoms occurred when the injury happened
- Whether the individual lost memory and how much time is lost
- Abnormalities in the brain tissue detected by an MRI or CT scan.
A medical professional should examine you after any head injury. Many people attribute the early symptoms of a brain injury to just being “shaken up” after an accident and delay seeking treatment. However, prompt diagnosis can positively impact your treatment for a TBI.
Traumatic brain injuries fall into several degrees of severity:
- Mild TBI: Concussion, brief alterations of consciousness, and confusion but no permanent damage
- Moderate TBI: Loss of consciousness of more than 30 minutes, with confusion lasting up to a week
- Severe TBI: Loss of consciousness for over a day, changes detectable in an MRI or CT scan.
In addition to severity, TBIs might fall into the following categories:
- Uncomplicated TBI: Normal scans, regardless of the grade of TBI (mild to severe)
- Complicated TBI: Head changes identified by brain MRI or head CT scans, like bleeding or swelling
- Closed TBI: The skull was not penetrated
- Open TBI: A penetrating injury caused damage to the brain tissue
- Nontraumatic TBI: An anoxic or hypoxic brain injury resulting from oxygen deprivation to the brain.
Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury depend on how severe the injury is. Loss of consciousness is one of the key symptoms and is a critical factor when determining how severe the injury is. Symptoms of a brain injury don’t always show up right away. Some TBI victims do not develop certain symptoms until hours or days after the accident.
Victims may exhibit changes in behavior or general mood. They often have confusion and memory problems, which manifest as trouble concentrating or difficulty completing tasks that used to come easily. Dizziness, headaches, and nausea are also common, no matter the severity of the injury.
More severe brain injuries can result in seizures or convulsions. Dilated pupils are common in brain injuries and concussions. Some people may exhibit restlessness and agitation, while others may feel a sense of overwhelming fatigue or listlessness. Because the symptoms of brain injuries can vary so much from person to person, it’s critical that you have a doctor examine you after a blow to the head. A doctor can perform neurological evaluations, scans, and possibly a Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator (BTI). This diagnostic test looks for proteins in your blood that indicate a concussion.
Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury
Car wrecks and falls are the two most common causes of TBIs. But any kind of blunt trauma to the head can cause a brain injury. Severe blows cause the brain to hit the skull, leading to bruising, bleeding, or swelling. Common situations in which a TBI can happen include the following:
- Vehicle collisions
- Motorcycle accidents
- Semitruck accidents
- Sports injuries, especially contact sports like rugby or football, or ones in which falls often happen, like gymnastics
- Severe slip, trip, or fall accidents
- Violent assaults or domestic violence
- Injuries from a defective or malfunctioning consumer product
- Exposure to toxic chemicals.
These aren’t the only situations in which someone may suffer a head injury; they are just the most common ones the traumatic brain injury lawyers at Leverty & Associates Law encounter. One mistake can have life-changing consequences for the victim and their family. But a skilled Reno brain injury lawyer could help you obtain monetary compensation for your injuries and provide the financial help your family may desperately need.
Leverty & Associates Law — Why Choose Us?
Experienced TBI Lawyers in Reno
Patrick Leverty is one of the lead attorneys at Leverty & Associates Law. Along with his J.D. from Seattle University School of Law, he also holds a master’s degree in insurance law, giving him the knowledge and unique perspective needed to take on big insurance companies in personal injury cases. Mr. Leverty represents victims who have been harmed in product liability cases or accidents. He also participates in complex tort cases and class-action lawsuits representing dozens of affected victims. Mr. Leverty is a member of the Million Dollar Advocate Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Forum and has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating. He has been certified as a Personal Injury Specialist by the State Bar of Nevada.
Our attorneys work tirelessly on behalf of our clients, seeking the maximum settlement to compensate victims for their catastrophic injuries. Leverty & Associates Law has secured over $150 million in awards for our clients for many types of personal injury cases, including brain injuries. You can expect the defendant’s insurance company to take you more seriously when you’ve retained the services of an experienced traumatic brain injury attorney. Furthermore, your Reno TBI lawyer can help explain the details of your case and what to expect, from initial filing all the way to a courtroom.
Your Reno Brain Injury Attorney — How We Can Help
We’re Beside You Every Step of the Way
The right traumatic brain injury lawyer makes a big difference in the success of your case, not just in whether it’s successful but also in the amount that the other party will offer as a settlement. Trust Leverty & Associates Law to help build your case and walk beside you every step of the way.
We Build the Case Against the Party that Caused the Accident
Establishing fault is the nexus of your personal injury claim. The first step that your Reno brain injury attorney takes is investigating the case and pinpointing the party or parties responsible for the accident that caused your injury. We interview witnesses and examine police reports or incident reports filed by your workplace or the premises where your accident happened.
In some cases, multiple parties can be responsible for your brain injury. Workplace injuries are a good example of this. Most workplaces are overseen by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA stipulates certain safety regulations and protocols that many industries, such as construction and manufacturing, must follow. If your employer was found to be lax in implementing safety measures — or if your job site lacked required supervision and oversight, leading to dangerous working conditions — you might be able to take legal action.
Your traumatic brain injury attorney will seek to ensure that all responsible parties are held accountable. Call Leverty & Associates Law at (775) 322-6636 today.
Negotiating with the Other Party’s Insurance Company
In almost all personal injury cases, the defendant’s insurance company pays the damages. Our firm negotiates with the insurance company on your behalf, first sending a demand letter seeking appropriate compensation and later meeting face to face in mediation, if necessary.
FAQs
Life after a traumatic injury means many questions about what comes next and how your case will proceed. These are some of the most common questions our clients ask our Reno brain injury lawyers.
Anyone can experience a brain injury. However, according to the Cleveland Clinic, about 80% of all TBIs happen to males. TBIs are also more common for people ages 65 and older, as many senior citizens have trouble with balance and thus are more at risk for a fall. However, infants and small children may have the worst outcomes from TBIs, as their skulls are not fully formed and are more delicate than an adult’s.
Athletes and people in certain professions, such as law enforcement, construction, oil and gas, and the military, may also have a higher risk of suffering a TBI on the job.
Treatment for a head injury can be extensive, requiring occupational or speech therapy and sometimes counseling to help people work through the changes in their brain after the accident. Some cases require surgery. All of this costs money. If your loved one requires treatment in a residential care facility, paying for these accommodations can cost thousands of dollars per month.
A traumatic brain injury attorney works to ensure that your family receives a large enough settlement to pay for the treatment your loved one requires. Furthermore, we will seek compensation for loss of earning power if the injured person is no longer able to work or continue in their career path.
Like most brain injury attorneys, the team at Leverty & Associates Law works on a contingency basis, which means that our fees are assessed as a percentage of the final settlement. If we don’t win your case, we don’t get paid.
Many families are nervous about going to court, and we try to spare you that experience. Most brain injury cases are settled through mediation — negotiations supervised by a neutral party in an effort to find a compromise. However, sometimes the other party will not come to a fair agreement in negotiations. In that case, yes, we will take your case to trial.
Nevada has a time limit called the statute of limitations. This statute determines how long a plaintiff has to file a brain injury case: two years from the date of the injury. However, it’s best to hire a traumatic brain injury lawyer sooner rather than later. Witness testimony and recollections are fresher, and there is more evidence that will establish fault in your case.
Yes, in this case, your TBI lawyer will file a wrongful death case on your behalf, seeking the same damages as you would in a personal injury case, plus compensation for your loss of companionship, guidance, and consortium.
You probably will have many questions about the particular circumstances of your brain injury lawsuit. We will answer your questions during your initial one-on-one consultation or soon after.
Do You Need a Reno Brain Injury Attorney?
If you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury after an accident, you have legal options. Work with Leverty & Associates Law to file a claim against the party that caused your accident. Our dedicated team is ready to pursue your case and help you achieve financial justice. Contact us today at (775) 322-6636 for a confidential assessment of your case.
Attorney Patrick Leverty
With his master’s in insurance law, Patrick routinely helps individuals and businesses who are having issues with their insurance company. He also has extensive experience with personal injury actions, complex tort actions, product liability matters, and class actions. Patrick Leverty is rated AV by Martindale Hubbell (the highest rating) and has been granted membership in the Million Dollar Advocate Forum, and Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Forum. Patrick Leverty has been certified as a Personal Injury Specialist by the State Bar of Nevada. [ Attorney Bio ]
