GETTING RESULTS FOR YOU

Over nearly two decades, Gomez Trial Attorneys has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for injury victims just like you. Whether your TBI was caused by a car accident, or a slip and fall, we can help. We have the skill required to show that someone else caused your injuries and that they should have to pay your medical expenses and cover your financial losses.

Our firm, unlike many others, has plenty of trial experience. While we look to settle your case prior to trial so that you can put this legal trauma behind you, we also want to ensure that you collect maximum compensation. Sometimes, that requires taking a Riverside traumatic brain injury case to trial. Not every lawyer is capable of handling a complex TBI trial. We are, and we have proven ourselves time and again with hundreds of clients before.

Your ability to recover maximum compensation for your traumatic brain injury may depend on the lawyer you choose to represent you in your Riverside traumatic brain injury claim. You need a lawyer with experience helping TBI victims to guide you through this process. You also need a lawyer with the resources required to take on a complex and potentially time-consuming traumatic brain injury case.

Because TBIs are serious injuries involving the brain, the negative consequences of your injury can prove difficult to understand. Using medical experts, we can help paint a picture of your life both before and after your injury. By showing how your life has changed, a jury can see why you deserve compensation from the negligent party.

We look forward to showing you how we can help you maximize your financial recovery while you focus on your health and well-being. Contact us today to learn about your next steps.

TYPES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES

TBI victims can be caused in a variety of ways. Serious TBIs often result from serious car accidents or high-impact sports, but less serious events can also cause severe brain injuries.

CONCUSSION

This is the most common brain injury. While medical professionals classify a concussion as a “mild” brain injury, do not let this label fool you into thinking that concussions are no big deal. Concussions are serious injuries for which you should seek immediate treatment.

Concussions are frequently caused by a bump, jolt, or blow to the head. Whiplash can also cause concussions, common in rear-end car accidents. If you suffer whiplash, your head may not have hit any object, so you may not think it’s possible to have sustained a concussion. Unfortunately, that is inaccurate.

In a collision, your head may move so violently that the brain hits the inside of your skull, causing damage. This can cause a concussion without an impact to your head.

Most concussion victims recover in a few days to a few weeks. Rest is often the most important advice that your doctor will give you. Your brain needs time to heal, and if you get back to normal life activities, even if you feel well, you are more likely to suffer second impact syndrome. Second impact syndrome occurs when your brain does not fully recover from the first concussion, and you sustain a second one. This can cause more serious and lasting damage to your brain than one concussion alone.

CONTUSION

A contusion occurs when there is bleeding or bruising in the brain. This injury generally occurs when an individual’s head comes into contact with a hard object. Contusions happen frequently in car accidents and in slip and fall incidents where you slip on a wet surface, landing on your side or back, and your head comes into contact with the ground.

Large contusions and contusions in certain areas of the brain may require surgery. The brain often swells when injured in this way and surgery may be required to relieve the pressure against the skull, allowing your brain to heal.

COUP-CONTRECOUP

A coup-contrecoup is a double injury. In an accident so severe that your head moves violently, the brain slams against one side of your skull and bounces off with such force that it also slams into the opposite side of your skull. This injures both sides of your brain.

Depending on where on your brain you suffer a coup-contrecoup, your doctor may advise rest to let your brain heal or surgery to repair the damage. This type of injury requires immediate medical attention to ensure that you get the treatment you need to recover.

DIFFUSE AXONAL

This injury happens when your body moves with such force that your brain lags behind. Think of a rear-end collision where your body mass moves forward, but your head snaps back toward the rear of the car. When hit with such force, your brain can lag behind your head’s backward movement to the point that parts of the brain sustain serious damage.

The most common sign of this type of injury is a loss of consciousness. Diffuse axonal injuries require immediate treatment, as they are serious injuries that can result in death or long-term injury.

COMMON CAUSES OF TBI

Traumatic brain injuries have many causes. While commonly sustained due to a direct blow to the head, impact is not always necessary.

If you or a loved one sustained a head injury in any of the following accident types, you need to keep an eye out for specific symptoms to ensure you receive proper treatment.

• Slip and fall
• Fall from a height
• Car accident
• Bus accident
• Motorcycle accident
• Workplace accident
• Sport injuries
• Combat injuries
• Gunshot
• Assault and battery

No matter what caused your injury, if any possibility exists that your brain may have sustained some damage, you need to see a doctor. You may feel fine, and that’s what is so dangerous about traumatic brain injuries. Knowing that you or a loved one has been in an accident or incident where you may have suffered an injury to your brain is reason enough to go see your doctor.

Once you get your health and well-being squared away, it’s time to speak with a skilled TBI lawyer in Riverside. You did not cause your accident or your injury, so you should not bear the responsibility of paying the medical bills you face to get better. The at-fault party is responsible for paying those medical bills. Your legal representative can help you hold the at-fault party accountable and liable for your medical expenses and other financial losses.

TBI SYMPTOMS

Most any accident, incident, or catastrophic event has the potential to result in a TBI. When you or a loved one has suffered an injury, you need to keep a close watch for specific symptoms that could help you identify whether a TBI exists. In every instance, if you suspect a TBI, always seek immediate medical care.

The most common symptoms you need to look for include:

• Sudden confusion or disorientation
• Memory loss, especially about the accident
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Blurred vision
• Loss of consciousness
• Poor concentration
• Sudden change in mood
• Agitation
• Irritability
• Depression
• Sudden change in appetite

While other injuries can cause these symptoms, developing any of these symptoms soon after a head injury could mean that a TBI is lingering. Getting immediate medical care is vital to your ability to make a complete recovery. Without the guidance of a trusted medical professional, you risk further injury that could threaten your ability to recover.

LIVING WITH A TBI IN RIVERSIDE

Living with a TBI often requires a medical strategy, resources, and family support. Recovering from a TBI or living with one for the rest of your life is truly a team effort.

Depending on the severity of your injury, your life may forever change. You may never return to your pre-accident life, but that does not mean that you should give up. Together with your doctor, you can create a path to recovery and living a life full of activity.

Most of all, families supporting TBI victims should have patience. There will be good days and bad, but through love and support, your family can get through this together.

One of the most difficult things for a TBI victim to accept often relates to work. A serious TBI can leave the victim out of work permanently or unable to return in the same capacity. Not only can that damage family finances, but it also weighs heavily on the victim’s mental well-being. Whether you can or should return to work, in any capacity, is a conversation that you need to have with your physician and family.

Without question, finances are an important part of that conversation. That’s why it is vital to your health and well-being that you work with a knowledgeable Riverside traumatic brain injury attorney. Your lawyer can advise you on your legal options while you recover from your TBI. The last thing you want is to pay out of your own pocket for medical expenses. You did not cause the injury, so you should bear none of the responsibility to pay those bills. Your lawyer can help you by working hard to collect maximum compensation so that you do not have to worry about whether you can or should return to work.

DAMAGES YOU MAY COLLECT FOR YOUR RIVERSIDE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

When you suffer a TBI, you may fear the extreme costs of your medical care. That’s entirely understandable, as the lifetime costs of a TBI can reach millions of dollars.

By partnering with a TBI lawyer in Riverside, your lawyer can help create a plan to collect compensation from the at-fault party, so you and your family do not have to shoulder this extreme financial burden.

Your lawyer may try to collect compensation for:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Lost wages
• Lost earning potential
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of life enjoyment
• Present and future medical expenses
• Rehabilitation costs
• Home renovation costs

Most of your medical and financial needs may come in the future. Many TBI victims vastly underestimate the amount of money that they will need to live out their lives. That’s where the experience and resources of a seasoned TBI lawyer can help.

A skilled lawyer will have medical and financial experts standing by to help determine your needs. Together, they can create an accurate estimate of the full value of your Riverside traumatic brain injury claim. No one can provide an exact number, as there are simply too many variables, but with the right resources, you can expect to have a complete understanding of what you need to recover financially to support your physical and mental recovery.

Working with an attorney ensures that you do not settle for less than your case is worth. You must make sure that the settlement covers your needs, but you also must focus all of your effort and energy on your physical recovery. While you do that, your legal advisor will aggressively negotiate with the insurance company to try to maximize your compensation and will consider litigation if settlement proves futile.

RIVERSIDE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY LAWYER FAQS

Suffering a traumatic brain injury is scary. Any injury to the brain can prove life-threatening, and you may not know exactly how or when you will recover. This uncertainty is often overwhelming.

We want to help ease your concerns by answering some common questions about TBIs, but we also know that you have questions specific to your accident and subsequent injury. Speaking with an experienced TBI lawyer in Riverside can give you some more detailed answers. We hope that you get some comfort from these answers, and we are eager to answer your more specific questions.

HOW IS A TBI DIAGNOSED?

Diagnosing a TBI can be difficult because medical professionals cannot see the injury. This process often involves multiple tests to accurately determine if a TBI exists and if so, which type.

Doctors may need to use multiple testing methods to diagnose your TBI. Some tests require the victim and a medical professional to engage in a conversation so that the doctor can view the victim’s ability to respond to common questions.

While these tests are not conclusive individually, taken together, they can help a doctor determine if a victim has suffered a TBI and how severe. Getting an accurate diagnosis is vital to your recovery. Without that, your doctor cannot chart a path for your recovery.

I DIDN’T HIT MY HEAD. CAN I STILL GET A TBI?

Absolutely. Suffering a concussion with no impact to your head is common when someone suffers a whiplash injury.

Thinking that you must hit your head on something to get a TBI is a common misconception that can result in additional injury to the victim. If you do not hit your head, you may not think that you have injured yourself and may not go see a doctor. That can result in your brain’s inability to properly recover from your injury, causing more pain and more serious, long-lasting injuries.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY RIVERSIDE TBI?

The answer to this question depends on the circumstances of your accident and injury.

Many of our TBI clients were injured by:

• A serious car or truck accident
• A slip or trip and fall on someone else’s property
• A violent crime, like a gunshot
• Sporting accidents

While these are the most common situations in which we see a victim suffer a TBI, a different situation may have caused yours. To know for sure if you have a negligence claim against a negligent party, speak with a skilled Riverside TBI lawyer today. Your lawyer can review the details of your accident and determine your eligibility to seek compensation. Once you have those answers, you can attempt to collect maximum compensation from the at-fault party (or parties) to ease your financial burden.

WHAT DOES IT COST TO LIVE WITH A TBI IN RIVERSIDE?

Depending on the type of TBI you have suffered, the medical costs you will face to recover, and the financial losses associated with your time out of work, your overall costs may reach astronomical heights. The lifetime costs of a TBI range from $85,000 to over $3 million.

Most people cannot afford this level of medical treatment, let alone shoulder the burden of not getting a regular paycheck. That is why you need to speak with a TBI lawyer right away. Your lawyer can investigate the accident in which you suffered injuries while you focus on your health and well-being. Once your lawyer determines who is to blame for your injuries, he or she will work to hold that person or company accountable and liable for your medical expenses and lost income. Without an aggressive legal advocate at your side, you risk shouldering the extreme financial burden of your medical care alone.

HOW MUCH IS MY RIVERSIDE TBI CASE WORTH?

This is the most common question we receive from TBI victims and their families.

The short answer is that we cannot provide you with an exact number because the answer depends on numerous factors, including:

• The amount of time you spend in the hospital
• The number of surgeries or medical procedures you need
• The amount of time you spend out of work
• The cost of your prescription medication
• The amount of time you spend in rehabilitation
• Whether you can return to work and in the same capacity
• The level of ongoing medical care you require

Each of these items can greatly increase the money you will need to ensure that you do not pay a penny out of your own pocket for your medical expenses. With your lawyer and your lawyer’s medical experts’ help, you can answer some of these questions to get a good idea of how much money you should pursue in your claim.

MY TBI SYMPTOMS DID NOT APPEAR RIGHT AWAY. DO I STILL HAVE A CASE?

Yes, you may still qualify to seek compensation for your TBI.

To prove that someone else is to blame for your TBI, you must prove the following elements of negligence:

• The at-fault party owed you a duty of care;
• The at-fault party breached that duty of care by acting in an unsafe manner;
• The at-fault party’s actions caused an accident; and
• You suffered a TBI in the accident.

If you were injured in a car accident, for example, you would need to prove that the other driver drove negligently, which caused an accident in which you suffered a TBI. If you did not know that you suffered a TBI in that accident until days or weeks later, the other person’s lawyer may try to argue that you were involved in another accident that caused your injury.

This is why you need to speak with a lawyer at Gomez Trial Attorneys right away. Making sure that you can prove a negligent person caused your TBI is vital to your ability to recover maximum compensation so that you do not have to pay your medical expenses out of pocket. Getting a prompt medical diagnosis can help to prove that a specific person’s negligence is exactly what caused your TBI.

WHY CAN’T I JUST SETTLE MY RIVERSIDE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CLAIM?

Settlement is often a good option, in the right circumstances. When you partner with a TBI lawyer at Gomez Trial Attorneys in Riverside, you will get a good understanding of how much money you need to recover. Often, TBI victims are shocked at the enormous sum.

That’s because many victims grossly underestimate the amount of money that they need for their medical expenses. Without a trusted legal advisor at your side, you may settle for less money than your claim is really worth.

Your lawyer can work with the insurance company representing the at-fault party. If you retain Gomez Trial Attorneys to handle your case, we will work tirelessly to maximize your settlement. We know that you want to put this behind you as quickly as possible. That’s why many TBI victims feel tempted when they receive a phone call from the insurance company representing the negligent party days after their accident.

The insurance company may offer you a quick settlement, and you may want to take it on the spot; however, we urge caution here. If the insurance company is pressuring you to take a quick settlement, it’s probably in the company’s best interest, not yours. What’s worse, when you sign the settlement offer, you will likely waive your right to bring any future claims against the insurance company for your accident. Months or years later, when the settlement funds have run dry but you still have medical bills and lost income to cover, it will be too late to seek additional compensation.

Partnering with a skilled Riverside TBI attorney can help you avoid this tragic situation. Your lawyer will review your settlement and let you know if it is enough to cover all of your needs. If not, your lawyer will aggressively negotiate with the insurance company to get a fair and reasonable settlement for you. The last thing we want is to see you suffer financial hardship because of an accident that you played no part in causing.

Treatment of TBIs will vary based on the type of TBI that you have suffered; generally, the less severe your injury, the less intense your treatment. For example, a concussion may only require you to take over-the-counter pain medication and rest for a few days or weeks. Your doctor will advise you more specifically on your specific treatment and recovery plan.

HOW IS A TBI DIAGNOSED?

More serious injuries will require more intense treatment options.

These options might include:

• Speech therapy
• Cognitive therapy
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy

All of these treatment options may take time and require an extensive financial investment. While crucial to your ability to recover from your TBI, you should not have to worry about how you will pay these astronomical bills. With the right lawyer at your side, you can let your attorney focus on holding the negligent party responsible for these bills while you focus on getting better.

HOW LONG BEFORE I GET BETTER?

This answer depends greatly on the severity of your TBI. Concussions, for example, can leave no trace after a few weeks, provided that you follow your doctor’s orders.

More serious TBIs, however, will require more time for recovery. The most important thing you can do to shorten your recovery time is to listen to your doctor. We know it’s hard to rest, but that is one of the best treatments available for many TBIs. Letting your brain heal on its own will take time, and by staying relatively inactive, you give your brain the chance to heal.

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO FILE A RIVERSIDE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CLAIM?

In California, you only have two years from the date of your accident to file a claim against the at-fault party. This might seem like a long time to you right now, but it will pass quickly.

Consider everything you may face during this time:

• Long hospital stays
• Multiple medical procedures
• Extended time out of work
• Periods of extreme inactivity to heal
• Rehabilitation

The last thing on your mind after suffering a TBI is a complex claim. Over time, you may even convince yourself that you do not want to file a claim, and you’ll just deal with it as part of life. Your biggest regret may be not acting sooner.

When you partner with a knowledgeable TBI lawyer in Riverside, you gain access to that attorney’s years of experience helping TBI victims like you recover from their injuries. Feeling the weight of the financial burden will delay your physical recovery. When you shift that weight to your lawyer, you give yourself the best chance of making a full recovery from your TBI.

WILL I HAVE TO GO TO COURT TO GET COMPENSATION FOR MY RIVERSIDE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY?

We know that many people do not want to set foot inside a courtroom, and we understand that hesitancy. Most Riverside traumatic brain injury claims settle out of court, but sometimes insurance companies refuse to settle cases for fair and reasonable amounts. That’s when we need to take your case to trial and show a jury exactly why you deserve compensation.

This is also why you must choose a Riverside TBI attorney with trial experience. Not all lawyers have argued cases at trial, and you do not want to be a lawyer’s first TBI trial. Traumatic brain injuries are complex medical injuries. It takes a skilled lawyer to show how your injury has severely affected your ability to live your life.

WHY DO I NEED GOMEZ TRIAL ATTORNEYS’ RIVERSIDE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY LAWYERS?

Your ability to recover maximum compensation for your TBI may depend on the legal representation you choose. That’s why this is such an important decision.

You must feel comfortable with your lawyer, but you also want a Riverside personal injury lawyer who has gone down this road before. Your complex Riverside traumatic brain injury claim requires absolute attention from your legal representation. Whether your case settles or goes to trial, you want someone at your side whom you trust to have your best interests in mind.

The leal team at Gomez Trial Attorneys has helped TBI victims like you recover from their injuries for nearly two decades. We even have a doctor on our staff—a former client of ours whom we helped with his own case. Now he helps us understand what our TBI clients are going through, and helps our clients understand how we can help them.

Contact us today or call us at 866-TRIAL LAW (866 874-2552) at any time to learn how we can help you get back to your regular life.

INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT? GET A REAL TRIAL LAWYER. GET GOMEZ

Gomez Trial Attorneys
11840 Pierce Street
Ste 200 Riverside, CA 92505
(951) 355-7770

Review: 5/5
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“Mr. John Gomez and his team, Gomez Trial Attorneys, are very passionate about the work they do. They never left us alone and were always in our corner every step of the way. Never once during the process did we ever feel we were in this by ourselves. They are very diligent, thorough and compassionate at the same time. We had a delicate case and they always made sure we were comfortable. The made it easy for us to meet with them and very accommodating. They definitely did all their homework and of course, the result was a positive outcome.”

Review by: Clemente C.
Check our more of our reviews on Google