Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers in St. Louis

Understanding a Traumatic Brain Injury

Any sort of brain damage can have serious impacts on a victim’s life, but doctors classify brain injuries into 3 levels based on the amount of damage and a patient’s expected outcome. However, you should note any projections regarding TBI are very generalized. Each person’s brain is unique, and there is no way to tell what the effects of an injury will be until the victim has regained consciousness.

Based on the patient’s response to the injury and following stimuli, here are the levels of TBI.

Mild TBI

Concussions are the mildest and most common type of TBI. They may result in a short loss of consciousness (less than 30 minutes), a brief blackout, or no change in consciousness at all. Though these injuries may fully heal, being the only type where brain cells are not completely destroyed by the impact, victims may suffer symptoms such as headaches, balance issues, vision trouble, and changes in personality. These symptoms will resolve within a month for around 50% of victims, but others may experience post-concussion syndrome for months or even years after the injury.

Moderate TBI

Upon sustaining a moderate TBI, a victim will likely lose consciousness for between 30 minutes and 6 hours, with their eyes only opening in response to direct stimuli. Anyone who has suffered a moderate TBI is likely to have at least some level of disability for the rest of their life. Rehabilitative therapy may be able to help patients regain skills by training surviving neurons to take over for those that were fatally damaged. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee for how much any patient will be able to heal.

Severe TBI

Those who suffer severe TBI typically enter a coma shortly after the accident and do not even react to stimuli. They will likely be unconscious for more than 6 hours—and there is no upper limit to how long the coma might last. Families of severe TBI patients should be prepared for the fact that their loved one is likely to face various disabilities and challenges after waking up. Though therapy may be able to help them regain some function, this cohort is less likely to see the same levels of rehabilitative success as moderate TBI victims.

Why File a Suit After a Traumatic Brain Injury?

No matter how severe the injury, dealing with a TBI is difficult. Those in this situation may wonder why spending any more time than necessary on a claim would be worth it. The answer is twofold.

First, when you work with the team at Geoff Meyerkord Law Firm, you’re actually making your life easier. We can handle everything from filing your claim to following up with insurers to negotiating a settlement. As a plus, you can be confident we won’t let the insurance agency take advantage of you by offering a paltry sum.

That leads into the second point: The care a TBI victim needs, and may continue to need for the rest of their life, can be extremely costly. With a strong injury claim, you can ask for damages including:

• Medical bills
• Future medical needs
• Lost wages
• Lost earning potential
• Accommodations/assistance for the victim
• Pain and suffering

Many people who come to us are surprised to learn the true extent of the expenses they may find themselves facing, far into the future. Geoff Meyerkord Law Firm has years of experience to guide us when evaluating your case and we work with top-tier medical professionals who can analyze all the less obvious effects a TBI can have on a victim and their family.

Geoff Meyerkord Law Firm stands with accident victims, especially those facing catastrophic injuries. Having your life completely disrupted due to someone else’s negligence is a truly tragic experience. If you are in this situation, we want to do whatever we can to help you find a way forward.

Contact our St. Louis traumatic brain injury attorneys at (314) 500-6000 to schedule a free consultation. When you call Geoff Meyerkord Law Firm, you will always speak to an attorney directly.