Hendersonville traumatic brain injury attorneys

Hendersonville Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers

Impressive representation for Tennessee TBI victims

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is devastating. Moderate or severe TBIs are often life changing. Many TBI victims require treatment with many different doctors and therapists. When any type of forceful accident such as a car accident, slip and fall, construction accident, or a workplace accident causes a traumatic brain injury, our Hendersonville TBI lawyers work with investigators, the police, and others to show who is responsible. Our traumatic brain injury lawyers work with your team of doctors and our network of physicians to show the full severity of your injuries, including likely complications. We demand full compensation for your medical care, lost income, and all the ways your TBI affects every aspect of your life.

Cases We Handle

Rocky McElhaney Law Firm: Car Accident & Injury Lawyers
475 Saundersville Rd.
Hendersonville, TN 37075
(615) 932-8600

Nashville personal injury lawyer

How can we help?

How do you fight for TBI victims in Hendersonville?

At Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, our Hendersonville TBI lawyers file the following types of claims when someone suffers a TBI:

  • Personal injury claims. We file these claims if a non-employee suffers a TBI or any other serious injury due to the negligence of others. We seek compensation for all your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, property damage, loss of function, and other damages when another person or company is responsible for your traumatic brain injury.
  • Workers’ compensation claims. Many employees are at risk of sustaining a TBI especially if they do construction work, security work, and any work involving heights or vehicles. Our lawyers are skilled at obtaining payment for all your medical bills, temporary disability benefits, and permanent disability benefits if a workplace accident caused your traumatic brain injury.
  • Product liability claims. When defective products such as vehicles, ladders, and scaffolds cause traumatic brain injuries, we file product liability claims against the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of the defective products.
  • Wrongful death claims. If a TBI ultimately proves fatal, we file wrongful death actions on behalf of the family against the responsible parties.

Our Hendersonville TBI lawyers work with investigators, product safety experts, the police, and others (along with conducting extensive discovery) to show how your TBI happened and who is responsible. We work with your medical team and our network of neurologists, therapists, and other doctors to show what medical care you’ll need for the rest of your life, the cost of that care, and all the ways your TBI has changed your life.

Rocky McElhaney Law Firm is respected across Tennessee for our compassion for our clients, our strong advocacy, and our impressive record of high settlements and jury verdicts. We fight aggressively for your financial recovery so you can focus on your health and living your best life possible.

What is a traumatic brain injury?

According to the prestigious Johns Hopkins Medicine, a traumatic brain injury (TBI)  is due to a sudden, physical, external assault on the brain. TBIs can range from a mild concussion to injuries that cause a coma or death.

Traumatic brain injuries are classified as:

  • Closed TBI. This type of TBI is due to a “rapid forward or backward movement and shaking of the brain inside the bony skull” that causes bruising and tearing of the tissue and blood vessels of the brain. Most TBIs due to personal injury accidents are closed-brain injuries.
  • Penetrating brain injury. This type of TBI involves penetration of the skull from external events, such as the piercing of the brain by a bullet.

TBIs are also classified as primary or secondary. A primary TBI is the impact/injury to the brain at the time of impact, such as when a passenger’s head strikes a dashboard or someone falls. A secondary TBI refers to the changes to the brain in the hours and days after the initial impact. These changes include “an entire series of steps or stages of cellular, chemical, tissue, or blood vessel changes in the brain that contribute to further destruction of brain tissue.”

What types of Hendersonville accidents cause TBIs?

Many TBIs are due to falls, car accidents and other types of vehicle accidents, assaults, and firearms. Common examples include a driver or passenger whose head strikes another part of a car or just the rapid movement of the head even when the body of the car occupant doesn’t move. Pedestrians and bicycle riders who fall have an increased risk of a TBI because their head is likely to strike the hard ground. Helmets may help but are no guarantee. Slip and fall accidents can cause a TBI if, for example, a shopper falls head-first on a torn carpet or due to spills that haven’t been promptly cleaned. A physical assault due to negligent security can also cause a TBI.

Our Hendersonville traumatic brain injury lawyers represent anyone who suffers any type of head trauma due to the following types of accidents.

  • Cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, and other vehicle accidents. Drivers who aren’t secured by a seatbelt can strike their heads against any part of the car or another passenger. Airbags can cause TBI especially if they malfunction. Drivers and passengers who are struck in the rear may suffer more than severe whiplash; their brains could rattle around in their skulls.
  • Slip and fall accidents. Retail stores, restaurants, offices, and any type of business (for-profit and nonprofit) owe a duty to the people whom they invite onto their property or give permission to use their property to keep their floors and parking lots safe. Premises owners need to ensure that the insides and outsides of the property aren’t slippery and don’t have objects or flaws such as broken tiles or loose cables that may cause someone to slip or trip and fall.
  • Being struck by an object. Store inventory should be properly stored so it doesn’t fall. Worksites, especially construction worksites, need to take steps such as having containers for various tools, to ensure that objects from higher locations don’t fall on another worker or a pedestrian.
  • Falling from heights. Many workers are at risk of falling from ladders, scaffolds, cranes, higher stories of buildings, trees, roofs, and other elevated locations. Anyone in Hendersonville who falls from any height is at risk for a severe traumatic brain injury.
  • Negligent security. Property owners need to understand when their customers and clients may be subject to attacks. For example, any business where cash or credit cards are used should take safety precautions such as installing fences and video cameras to protect the people who use their premises.

Other types of accidents or negligence that can cause TBIs are medical malpractice and unsupervised or improperly supervised sporting activities. Accidents that cause spinal cord damage may also affect the brain because the brain and spine are inextricably linked.

Our police are at constant risk of being assaulted or shot which can cause a TBI. Firefighters also risk a TBI every time they respond to a fire.

What are the symptoms and complications due to TBI?

TBI victims who have moderate or severe TBIs may have some or many of the following symptoms according to Johns Hopkins Medicine:

  • Cognitive symptoms. These symptoms include coma, memory loss, difficulty solving problems, confusion, a short attention span, poor judgment, loss of time and space, and a reduced awareness of self and others.
  • Motor deficit symptoms. Paralysis, weakness, spasticity, reduced endurance, poor balance, difficulty getting started, tremors, problems with swallowing, and poor coordination.
  • Perceptual or sensory deficit symptoms. Changes in sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste; changes in sensation of body parts, and problems understanding where the limbs are in relation to the body.
  • Communication and language deficits. Problems with speaking, understanding speech, selecting the correct words, reading, vocabulary, identifying how objects function, reading, writing, and math.
  • Functional deficits. Difficulty paying bills, driving, dressing, bathing, and eating.
  • Social difficulties. Problems making and keeping friends and difficulties with interpersonal relationships.

Other symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, headaches, lack of bowel and bladder control, apathy, depression, and anxiety.

Complications may include a coma, traumatic epilepsy, mood swings, lack of trust, and worsening of any of the above symptoms.

What type of treatments do TBI victims require in Hendersonville?

Generally, brain cells cannot regenerate themselves. There is some evidence, especially for younger TBI victims, that the brain can accommodate by learning to work around the damaged areas. Most Hendersonville victims who have a severe TBI can expect to receive treatment from many different doctors and healthcare providers during their lifetimes.

Your TBI team (or the team for your loved one) may include:

  • Doctors: Neurologists, neurosurgeons, internists, physiatrists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other specialists.
  • Therapists: Physical, occupational, vocational, speech, recreational, respiratory, and others.
  • Other healthcare providers: Rehabilitation nurses, audiologists, orthotists, and nutritionists
  • Other professionals: Social workers, case managers, and religious professionals.
  • Support groups: Other TBI victims.

Traumatic brain injury programs for Hendersonville accident victims may include:

  • Acute rehabilitation and subacute rehabilitation
  • Long-term rehabilitation
  • Transitional living programs
  • Behavior management programs
  • Day-treatment programs
  • Independent living programs

The Tennessee Department of Health has its own TBI program. The program is monitored by an advisory council. There are various links and resources available, including the Brain Injury Association of Tennessee.

Related: Can the Brain Heal from a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Do you have a Hendersonville traumatic brain injury attorney near me?

Rocky McElhaney Law Firm meets TBI clients and families at our Hendersonville office located at 475 Saundersville Rd. We’re aware that many TBI victims have difficulty traveling. We do meet TBI clients at their homes or a healthcare facility if they can’t come to our office. Our Hendersonville TBI lawyers also schedule phone and video consultations.

We understand just how life-altering traumatic brain injuries and other types of head trauma are. We’ll work to ensure you obtain the medical help you need and the just compensation you deserve.

We also have offices in Nashville, East Nashville, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, and Clarksville.

Talk with our Hendersonville TBI lawyers today

Traumatic brain injury victims need a lot of help from doctors, their families, and friends. Many TBI victims can never return to work again. When drivers, property owners, and others cause you or a loved one to suffer a TBI, you have the right to hold these negligent defendants accountable. Accountability means paying full compensation for your personal and financial damages. Call us or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation. The initial consultation is free. We handle TBI claims on a contingency fee basis.