Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys by Your Side
The brain is at the very core of the human experience. We rely on our brain for every operation of the mind and body, both voluntary and involuntary, every moment of every day. Our brain is what allows us to connect with other people, to work, to feel love and compassion, and to make sense of the complex world around us.
It is the brain’s central role in executive functioning that makes traumatic head injuries so devastating. A serious brain injury doesn’t just upset a person’s physical health, it also affects their psychological and social health, sometimes for the rest of their lives.
Approximately two-million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, resulting in over 50,000 deaths and 250,000 hospitalizations. Millions more suffer from mild traumatic brain trauma (mTBI), often without ever being diagnosed or treated. Given their insidious nature, mTBIs often leads to physical and cognitive impairments that can last for years or even an entire lifetime.
We provide powerful legal representation for Mainers who have suffered brain injuries through no fault of their own. We understand traumatic brain injuries can present a long and frightening road ahead for patients, family members, friends, and caregivers. If you’ve suffered a TBI and are feeling lost, “in a fog,” and overwhelmed, you need advocates who can be a beacon in the darkness. We’ll be with you every step of the way.
How Can a Brain Injury Lawyer Help Me?
We never lose sight of what’s at stake for our clients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury—you have one opportunity to build your case and recover a favorable settlement or jury verdict to help you piece your life back together. No other firm in Maine can commit more experience, expertise and resources for your case than Berman & Simmons. Our lawyers have extensive experience representing brain injury clients, and we will do everything in our power to hold the responsible parties accountable to ensure that you receive full and fair compensation for your injury.
While we never lose focus of developing a winning legal strategy, we also understand the importance of dedicating resources to your physical and emotional recovery. Our traumatic brain injury attorneys and staff members will take the time to listen to you, understand your concerns, communicate clearly, and develop helpful solutions to make you a key member of your own legal team.
From day one, we will assist you by obtaining any necessary referrals to specialists for medical and mental health care. We can arrange payment or deferral of your debts until your case is resolved. Of course, our team will also help you navigate the complex maze of medical insurance and disability programs.
Understanding Brain Injuries
It can be difficult to determine if you are suffering from traumatic brain injury, or to know how to respond to a diagnosis. Fortunately, our experienced team will help you fully understand your situation and discuss the next steps for you and your loved ones to consider.
Common Symptoms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Visual disturbances
- Memory loss
- Poor attention/concentration
- Sleep disturbances
- Dizziness/loss of balance
- Irritability-emotional disturbances
- Feelings of depression
Common Symptoms of Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
- Symptoms of mild TBI
- Headache that gets worse or does not go away
- Repeated vomiting or nausea
- Convulsions or seizures
- Inability to awaken from sleep
- Dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes
- Weakness or numbness in the extremities
- Loss of coordination
- Increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation
What are the different types of traumatic brain injuries?
The brain can suffer a variety of injuries depending on the forces involved. One, many, or all of the brain’s functional areas may be affected. Fortunately, a majority of people who suffer traumatic brain injuries make a full recovery. Some common types of traumatic brain injuries include:
Anoxic brain injury. This occurs when brain cells do not receive the oxygen they need to function and survive. It can be caused by poor blood oxygenation, or by toxins or metabolites that block oxygen from being used by the brain.
Concussion. The most common type of brain injury, a concussion is caused by blunt impact trauma or a sudden movement change that causes the brain matter to impact the inside of the skull wall. As a result, blood vessels in the brain may stretch and cranial nerves may be damaged. Effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination. Concussions are common, particularly if you play a contact sport such as football or soccer.
Contusion. Sometimes a blow to the head can cause bruising (bleeding) of the brain. Large contusions may require surgery to relieve associated pressure.
Coup-Contrecoup. This is essentially a “double brain bruise,’ with bleeds occurring on both hemispheres of the brain. It occurs when the force impacting the head is not only powerful enough to cause a contusion at the site of impact but also moves the brain, causing it to impact the opposite side of the skull.
Diffuse Axonal. Instead of an injury to a specific area of the brain, a diffuse axonal injury impacts a more widespread area. It usually results from a violent movement of the brain within the skull, such as during vehicle accidents, falls, shaken baby syndrome, or sports-related accidents. Axons—parts of nerve cells that facilitate messages between the nerves—are damaged in diffuse axonal injuries. This occurs in about 50 percent of all severe brain injuries.
Hypoxic brain injury. This happens when the brain gets some, but not enough, oxygen—such as during drowning, choking, suffocation, or cardiac arrest. Brain cells without enough oxygen will begin to die after about four minutes.
Locked-in Syndrome. Caused by damage to the pons—a part of the brainstem that relays information to other areas of the brain—Locked-in Syndrome involves complete paralysis of all voluntary muscles except for the muscles of the eyes.
Penetrating Brain Injury (open head injury). This type of brain injury happens when a foreign object penetrates the skull and enters the brain. Brain Penetration Injuries almost always require immediate life-saving medical intervention.
Second Impact Syndrome. When a person suffers a second concussion or blow to the head and has not yet healed from a prior concussion, he or she is at risk of Second Impact Syndrome—a TBI characterized by rapid and severe brain swelling. In order to prevent SIS, many sports organizations have adopted guidelines to prevent athletes from returning to competition before a head injury has fully healed.
Shaken Baby Syndrome. This is also known as “abusive head trauma,” “shaken impact syndrome,” “inflicted head injury” or “whiplash shake syndrome.” Shaken Baby Syndrome is a TBI caused by trauma to a child’s brain cells as a result of forceful shaking. The lack of oxygen caused by shaking can result in permanent brain damage or death.
Skull fracture. Skull fractures may result in a TBI when a bone fragment exerts direct pressure on the brain.
Why Choose Berman & Simmons for Your Brain Injury Claim
People who sustain brain injuries due to someone else’s negligence are entitled to recover financial damages to pay for past and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, among other losses.
Berman & Simmons is widely recognized as the best personal injury law firm in Maine and among the best in the U.S.
We have won several of the largest jury verdicts and settlements in Maine history for our clients. Our attorneys are extremely knowledgeable about medical issues and skilled at proving fault in traumatic brain injury cases, documenting the extent of your losses, and ensuring your family receives fair compensation. We have recovered more than $1.45 billion for our injured clients. Consult with a traumatic brain injury attorney and get help.
Take Back Control.
$8.5 Million
Paralysis due to mismanagement of
degenerative spine
$2.5 Million
Catastrophic injuries in a head-on car accident
$800,000
Wrongful death case involving negligent
motorist
$715,000
Plaintiff Rear Ended by
Telephone Truck
$5 Million
Delay in diagnosis and treatment of cancer
$1.2 Million
Significant Head Injury Car Accident
FAQs
-
Why do you need a brain injury attorney?
Few injuries are more impactful and life-changing than traumatic brain injuries (TBI). A serious brain injury can take away a person’s independence, mobility, ability to work, or even the capability to manage basic self-care. For families, a loved one with a brain injury may no longer be the person they once were and may need constant care.
It is common for people living with brain injury to endure multiple surgeries, months or years of rehabilitation, and seemingly endless doctor visits. A team of medical professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, neurologists, and chiropractors, can become part of the recovery process. Assistance and continuous care may be needed indefinitely, and structural changes often must be made to the home to accommodate limitations of the person with brain injury.
If you or your family are impacted by a brain injury caused by someone else’s negligence or recklessness, you should not have to bear these burdens alone. A brain injury attorney will have the legal expertise and medical knowledge needed to help you navigate the legal process and get the maximum amount of compensation you deserve to help you recover and rebuild your life.
-
What is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
Traumatic Brain Injury is a catastrophic type of brain damage caused by a sudden force to the head, such as the skull making an impact with the ground or hard surface during a fall or an object piercing the skull and penetrating the brain. A TBI affects how the brain works and can result in death or permanent disability.
-
How much will my brain injury settlement be?
As with every type of personal injury, the impact of a brain injury on a person’s life will differ depending on the nature and extent of the damage caused. Your brain injury settlement will largely depend on past, ongoing, and future costs for medical care, rehabilitation, and support, as well as past and future lost income. Besides these “economic damages,” brain injury victims can recover “non-economic damages” associated with their injury, such as pain and suffering and loss of quality of life. Such damages can be substantial in cases involving permanent damage or the loss of physical and cognitive abilities.
-
What causes Traumatic Brain Injury?
Numerous events and situations can result in a traumatic brain injury, many of which involve negligent or intentional acts by others. Falls are the leading cause of TBI, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, followed by car and truck accidents. Other common causes of TBI include being struck by or against an object, sports injuries, and acts of violence, such as physical assault, gunshots, child abuse, or domestic violence.
-
How common are brain injuries?
Each year, approximately 2 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury. More than 50,000 people are killed, and about 250,000 are hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fortunately, a majority will fully recover. But thousands more face lasting difficulties and long-term medical care. All traumatic brain injuries are unique, depending on the type and amount of force involved.
-
How much will a brain injury lawyer cost me?
The lawyers at Berman & Simmons work on a contingency basis. That means you pay nothing up front and nothing unless we settle or win your brain injury lawsuit. We will consult with you, evaluate your situation, and do initial research free of charge. This is true even if we decide you don’t have a valid claim. We will also cover all necessary case expenses and you will not be obligated to reimburse us unless and until we recover monies on your behalf. If we take your case and win a settlement or a jury verdict in your favor, a percentage of the compensation goes to pay for our costs and the work done by our legal team.