Cedar City Brain Injury Lawyer

Brain injuries can be life-altering for victims and their loved ones, causing pain, frustration, and mounting medical bills. If you’ve suffered a brain injury and someone else is to blame, these challenges should not fall to you alone. You could be entitled to financial compensation for these and other losses. A Cedar City brain injury lawyer from Swenson & Shelley can help you understand your legal rights.

Accident victims deserve the relentless pursuit of justice that our law firm is committed to. Contact us today for a free consultation with a compassionate and experienced brain injury attorney.

When Do You Have the Option to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Brain Injury?

If you suffered a brain injury as the result of an accident that someone else caused, you might be able to file a lawsuit to recover money for your related losses. These losses can be financial, ranging from medical bills to lost wages to diminished earning potential if you are no longer able to do your job. However, you may also be compensated for more intangible losses, such as pain and suffering, diminished quality of life, and loss of consortium — that is, the enjoyment you get from your family relationships.

Do not wait to get legal advice from a brain injury lawyer in Cedar City. An attorney from Swenson & Shelley can review the details of your case and help determine the next steps.

How Our Cedar City Brain Injury Attorneys Can Take the Pressure Off Your Family

The effects of a brain injury can be all-encompassing, affecting your home and family life, your job and income, and your ability to do everyday tasks. Adjusting to these difficulties is challenging enough without also trying to communicate with insurers, navigate the legal system, and negotiate a settlement.

An experienced personal injury attorney from Swenson & Shelley can handle all of this on your behalf, allowing you to focus on your physical and emotional recovery. Our team will take the stress off you by:

  • Conducting an investigation to determine exactly what happened
  • Collecting evidence to show who was at fault
  • Consulting with experts to craft a strong case for maximum compensation
  • Managing all communication with the opposing side
  • Negotiating aggressively for a full brain injury settlement
  • Fighting for your rights at trial if litigation is your best path forward

Our compassionate attorneys can be the allies and advocates you need during this difficult time. Contact us now to learn how we can help.

Our Firm Handles All Types of Brain Injury Cases in Cedar City, Utah

Our Cedar City personal injury attorneys have successfully represented people harmed in all types of accidents, including:

  • Pedestrian accidents
  • Construction accidents
  • Slip and fall accidents

If you’ve suffered a brain injury as the result of an accident, do not wait to get legal advice. Discuss your case with a brain injury lawyer in Cedar City as soon as possible.

Pursuing Full Compensation for a Traumatic Brain Injury

Unfortunately, brain injuries can have long-lasting effects on a victim’s life ─ physically, emotionally, and financially. If you’ve suffered a brain injury and someone else is to blame, you could be entitled to compensation for a variety of losses, such as:

  • Past and future medical bills
  • Long-term care
  • Loss of earning potential
  • Loss of consortium
  • Diminished quality of life
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental and emotional distress

Calculating the amount of compensation you are owed can be a challenging task involving many different elements, including:

  • The severity of the brain injury
  • Your age
  • Your medical history
  • Whether the brain injury will result in a permanent disability
  • Who is liable for the injury
  • What insurance coverage is available

An experienced brain injury lawyer in Cedar City will look at these and other factors in determining what fair compensation should be in your particular case. If you try to come to a figure on your own without the help of an attorney, you risk underestimating the true extent of your present and future losses, which may have serious consequences on your long-term health and happiness.

Common Types of Brain Injuries

At Swenson & Shelley, we handle cases involving a wide range of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including:

  • Concussions – Among the most common types of TBIs, concussions are caused by an impact to the head. Physicians use a grading system to determine the seriousness, and treatment will usually rely upon the grade.
  • Contusions – A contusion is a bruise on the brain. It is a type of hematoma. Hematomas occur when a blood vessel is damaged by some injury to the head, resulting in blood pooling outside the blood vessel.
  • Penetration injury – As the name suggests, a penetration injury occurs when an object enters the skull or brain. The result is often a severe injury to the brain, which can lead to permanent disabilities or even death.
  • Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) – DAIs are often caused by intense shaking, which creates tears in the brain. They frequently result in brain damage and even death, depending on what area of the brain is affected.

Recognizing the Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury

Common signs of a brain injury include:

  • Loss of consciousness
  • Persistent headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Blurry vision
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Vertigo
  • Memory loss
  • Loss of motor skills
  • Issues maintaining balance

After any type of injury or blow to the head, it is best to seek medical attention right away. Some brain injuries are not immediately obvious, with symptoms that take several hours or days to appear. Still, these injuries could prove debilitating or even fatal if they’re not addressed in time.

What Treatment Is Available for Traumatic Brain Injuries in Utah?

Treatment for a TBI will usually depend on the prognosis of the injury. If the brain injury is mild, it may require rest and over-the-counter pain medication. It is also wise to closely monitor mild brain injuries, as they can worsen.

For more severe brain injuries, a healthcare provider may prescribe medication to treat specific symptoms, including anti-seizure drugs. In the most serious circumstances, doctors may decide to administer drugs to induce a coma so that swelling is reduced and the brain can begin to heal itself. Surgery may also be required to remove blood clots, stop a bleed in the brain, or repair skull fractures.

Finally, many brain injury victims will require rehabilitation. Depending on the type of brain injury and the area of the brain affected, an individual may need to see:

  • A psychiatrist, for mental health issues
  • A speech therapist, to improve speech and communication
  • An occupational therapist, to relearn everyday skills
  • A physical therapist, to improve movement and/or walking

In some more serious cases, an individual will need long-term care along with treatment, as they may be unable to care for themselves independently.

Brain Injuries’ Long-Term Effects

In the best cases, a brain injury victim can return to normal or nearly normal life after treatment and rehabilitation. However, in more severe cases, a victim could be unable to live life as they did before their brain injury.

Many victims may be left with behavioral issues, including impulsiveness, aggression, depression, and anxiety. Cognitive issues may include memory loss, visual impairments, or difficulty speaking.

Some of the other possible results of a brain injury include:

  • Long-term coma
  • Fatigue
  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Physical effects
  • Amnesia

Brain injuries can be unpredictable, affecting different victims in different ways. In most cases, brain injuries have some lasting effect.

What Can Family Members Do to Help Brain Injury Survivors?

Brain injuries don’t just affect their victims — they also affect their victims’ loved ones. Family members or caregivers may feel stress, disappointment, or anger. Although these emotions are understandable, even natural, it’s important to approach your injured loved one with patience and understanding, and to provide them with a sense of normalcy during a trying time.

If you are caring for a loved one who has suffered a brain injury, it’s also essential to prioritize your own needs. There are plenty of support groups with understanding individuals who have experienced similar circumstances and may be able to provide valuable insight. Mental health therapists can provide one-on-one counseling to help you cope with the stress.

How Long Do You Have to File a Brain Injury Lawsuit in Cedar City?

The statute of limitations gives you a restricted window to file a brain injury lawsuit after an accident. In Utah, the statute of limitations for brain injury lawsuits is four years from the date of the incident that caused the injury.

If you fail to file your lawsuit within four years, you will likely lose your right to financial compensation. Consult with our brain injury law firm in Cedar City as soon as possible to avoid missing your opportunity for recovery.

Get Trusted Legal Advice from a Cedar City Brain Injury Attorney Today

Swenson & Shelley understands how devastating a brain injury can be. That’s why we’re committed to helping people who are suffering as a result of accidents that weren’t their fault. If you are ready to discuss your brain injury case, don’t hesitate to contact us today for a free consultation.