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Traumatic Brain Injury

Oklahoma Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer

Brain injuries are invisible but devastating. Insurance companies exploit this—minimizing life-altering damage because it doesn't show up on X-rays. We prove what they try to hide and fight for the lifetime care you deserve.

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Key Takeaways for TBI Victims

  • "Mild" TBI is misleading: Concussions can cause permanent cognitive damage and years of suffering
  • Normal imaging ≠ no injury: Many TBIs don't appear on CT/MRI but cause real impairment
  • Lifetime costs are massive: TBI treatment, lost wages, and care can exceed millions of dollars
  • Document everything now: Keep journals, get neuropsych testing, track all symptoms

On This Page

The "Invisible Injury" Problem

Unlike broken bones or lacerations, brain injuries often leave no visible mark. Insurance adjusters exploit this—claiming victims are exaggerating, malingering, or attributing unrelated problems to the accident. We expose the truth.

Can't See the Damage

TBIs hide beneath the skull. X-rays and even standard MRIs often appear "normal" while patients suffer profound cognitive decline. We use advanced imaging and neuropsychological testing to reveal hidden damage.

Family Notices First

TBI victims often lack insight into their own deficits. Spouses, children, and coworkers notice personality changes, memory lapses, and emotional volatility before the patient does. Their testimony is crucial.

Insurance Tactics

Insurers hire "independent" medical examiners to claim your TBI is fake or exaggerated. They cherry-pick records, ignore symptom progression, and minimize lifetime impact. We fight back with objective evidence.

Understanding TBI Severity

TBIs are classified by severity, but even "mild" injuries can cause permanent damage. Don't let the terminology minimize your suffering.

Mild TBI / Concussion

GCS Score: 13-15

  • • Brief or no loss of consciousness (<30 min)
  • • Confusion lasting less than 24 hours
  • • Normal or near-normal imaging
  • • Often still causes lasting problems

Warning: "Mild" does not mean minor. 15-30% of mTBI victims have symptoms lasting over a year.

Moderate TBI

GCS Score: 9-12

  • • Loss of consciousness 30 min - 24 hours
  • • Confusion lasting days to weeks
  • • Often visible on imaging
  • • Frequently causes permanent deficits

Moderate TBIs often require extensive rehabilitation and may prevent return to previous employment.

Severe TBI

GCS Score: 3-8

  • • Loss of consciousness >24 hours
  • • Coma, vegetative state possible
  • • Often requires brain surgery
  • • Permanent disability likely

Severe TBIs often require lifetime care. Life care planning is essential for full compensation.

TBI Symptoms to Watch For

TBI symptoms may appear immediately or emerge days/weeks after injury. Track every symptom—this documentation is critical for your case.

Cognitive

  • • Memory problems
  • • Difficulty concentrating
  • • Slowed thinking
  • • Confusion
  • • Word-finding difficulty

Physical

  • • Headaches
  • • Dizziness / balance issues
  • • Nausea / vomiting
  • • Fatigue
  • • Light/sound sensitivity

Emotional

  • • Irritability / anger
  • • Anxiety
  • • Depression
  • • Mood swings
  • • Personality changes

Sleep

  • • Insomnia
  • • Sleeping too much
  • • Disrupted sleep cycles
  • • Daytime drowsiness
  • • Difficulty waking

Emergency Warning Signs

Seek immediate emergency care if you experience: worsening headaches, repeated vomiting, seizures, slurred speech, weakness/numbness in limbs, one pupil larger than the other, extreme drowsiness, or loss of consciousness.

Proving Your TBI: The Evidence We Build

Insurance companies fight TBI claims aggressively because brain injuries are hard to photograph. We build airtight cases with multiple forms of evidence:

Neurological Evaluation

Comprehensive examination by a neurologist documenting objective neurological deficits, cranial nerve function, reflexes, coordination, and cognitive status.

Neuropsychological Testing

Multi-hour battery of cognitive tests measuring memory, attention, processing speed, executive function, and emotional status. Reveals deficits that imaging misses.

Advanced Imaging

Beyond standard CT/MRI, we use DTI (diffusion tensor imaging) to detect white matter damage, and functional MRI to show abnormal brain activation patterns.

Witness Declarations

Detailed statements from family, friends, and coworkers describing specific before-and-after changes in personality, behavior, memory, and functioning.

Symptom Journals

Daily logs of headaches, cognitive difficulties, emotional episodes, and functional limitations. Creates a timeline proving persistent symptoms.

Vocational Assessment

Expert analysis of how your TBI impacts your ability to work in your previous occupation or any occupation—critical for lost earning capacity claims.

Long-Term Effects of TBI

TBI isn't just a single event—it's often a lifetime condition. Your compensation must account for decades of future impact.

CategoryLong-Term Effects
CognitivePermanent memory impairment, reduced processing speed, difficulty learning new information, impaired judgment and decision-making
PhysicalChronic headaches, seizure disorders (post-traumatic epilepsy), motor deficits, chronic fatigue, hormonal dysfunction (pituitary damage)
Emotional/BehavioralDepression, anxiety, PTSD, personality changes, impulse control problems, social difficulties, increased suicide risk
Increased Disease RiskHigher rates of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, CTE (especially with repeated TBIs), and other neurodegenerative conditions
RelationshipsStrain on marriages and families, reduced parenting capacity, social isolation, divorce rates significantly elevated after TBI

Damages Available in TBI Cases

TBI damages can reach into the millions because brain injuries affect every aspect of life—and often require lifetime care.

Economic Damages

  • Emergency and hospital care
  • Brain surgery and ICU stays
  • Cognitive rehabilitation
  • Speech, occupational, physical therapy
  • Neuropsychological treatment
  • Medication costs (lifetime)
  • Lost wages during recovery
  • Reduced future earning capacity
  • Home modifications
  • Life care planning costs

Non-Economic Damages

  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of consortium (for spouse)
  • Personality changes
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Inability to enjoy hobbies
  • Loss of parenting capacity
  • Disfigurement (if applicable)

Life Care Planning

For moderate-to-severe TBI, we work with life care planners to calculate the full cost of lifetime care: future medical treatment, therapy, attendant care, home health aides, and adaptive equipment. This expert analysis often increases case value by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

TBIs result from any force sufficient to disrupt brain function. We handle claims arising from:

Car Accidents

The #1 cause of TBI in adults. Even with seatbelts and airbags, the brain can strike the skull during impact.

Truck Accidents

The massive forces in semi-truck collisions cause severe TBIs even in survivors.

Motorcycle Crashes

Riders without the protection of a vehicle cage face high TBI risk, helmet or not.

Slip and Falls

Falls are the #1 cause of TBI in seniors. Premises liability claims against negligent property owners.

Workplace Accidents

Falls from heights, struck-by incidents, and industrial accidents cause work-related TBIs.

Assaults

Violent attacks causing head trauma can support both criminal and civil claims.

Sports Injuries

Football, hockey, soccer, and other contact sports—especially repeated concussions.

Medical Malpractice

Birth injuries, surgical errors, anesthesia mistakes, and failure to diagnose can cause TBI.

Explore Our Guides

Deep-dive guides on specific TBI topics:

Concussion Claims

Why 'mild' TBI claims require aggressive advocacy and full documentation.

Proving Your TBI

The evidence, experts, and strategies needed to prove invisible injuries.

Long-Term Effects

Understanding lifetime impact and obtaining full future compensation.

Pediatric TBI

Special considerations for child brain injury claims.

Frequently Asked Questions

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when an external force—such as a blow to the head, sudden acceleration/deceleration, or penetrating object—disrupts normal brain function. TBIs range from 'mild' concussions to severe injuries causing coma or death. Even 'mild' TBIs can cause lasting cognitive, emotional, and physical problems that affect every aspect of your life.
TBI symptoms may not appear immediately. Warning signs include headaches, confusion, memory problems, dizziness, nausea, sensitivity to light/sound, mood changes, sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, and feeling 'foggy.' If you hit your head or experienced a sudden jolt in an accident, seek medical evaluation immediately—even if you feel fine. Brain injuries can worsen without treatment.
Absolutely. Despite the name, 'mild' TBIs are not minor injuries. Many concussion victims experience persistent symptoms for months or years—a condition called post-concussion syndrome. You can recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, cognitive rehabilitation, and reduced quality of life. We work with neurologists and neuropsychologists to document the full impact of your injury.
TBI diagnosis typically involves neurological examinations, cognitive testing (neuropsychological evaluation), and imaging studies. CT scans detect bleeding and skull fractures but often miss diffuse injuries. MRI is more sensitive for detecting brain damage. Advanced techniques like DTI (diffusion tensor imaging) can reveal white matter damage invisible on standard scans. We ensure you receive proper diagnostic workups.
TBI damages include: past and future medical expenses (emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, medication), lost income and reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, cognitive impairment, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, home care and life care planning, and loss of consortium for family members. Because TBIs often cause permanent changes, lifetime costs can reach millions of dollars.
TBI cases typically take 18-36 months due to their complexity. We often wait for maximum medical improvement (MMI) to understand the full extent of permanent damage. The timeline includes investigation (2-4 months), medical documentation (6-12 months to reach MMI), filing and discovery (6-12 months), and settlement or trial. We never rush a TBI case at the expense of proper valuation.
Many TBIs—especially diffuse axonal injuries and concussions—don't appear on standard CT or MRI scans. This doesn't mean the injury isn't real. We use neuropsychological testing, specialized imaging (DTI, fMRI), witness testimony about behavioral changes, and expert neurologists to prove brain dysfunction even when structural imaging is 'normal.'
Children's brains are still developing, making TBI outcomes unpredictable. While young brains have some plasticity, pediatric TBIs can disrupt developmental milestones, cause learning disabilities, behavioral changes, and problems that only emerge years later. We work with pediatric neurologists to project lifetime impacts and ensure child victims receive full compensation for injuries that may affect their entire future.
Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) occurs when concussion symptoms persist for weeks, months, or even years after the initial injury. Symptoms include chronic headaches, dizziness, cognitive difficulties, memory problems, irritability, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. PCS significantly impacts quality of life and work capacity. Insurance companies often try to minimize PCS—we don't let them.
We establish causation through: immediate medical records documenting head trauma or loss of consciousness, timeline of symptom onset correlating with the accident, pre-accident medical records showing no prior brain injury or cognitive issues, neuropsychological testing establishing current deficits, and expert testimony from neurologists connecting the accident to your TBI. The key is comprehensive documentation from day one.
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a 15-point neurological assessment used by first responders and emergency physicians to rate TBI severity. Scores of 13-15 indicate 'mild' TBI, 9-12 indicate 'moderate' TBI, and 3-8 indicate 'severe' TBI. However, even patients with initial GCS scores of 15 can have significant brain injuries. GCS is just one data point—comprehensive evaluation is essential.
TBI cases are among the most complex personal injury claims. Insurance companies routinely minimize brain injuries because symptoms are 'invisible' and hard to prove. An experienced TBI attorney understands the medical evidence, works with the right experts, and knows how to demonstrate lifetime impact to juries. We handle everything so you can focus on recovery.

Your Brain Injury Deserves a Fighter

Insurance companies minimize TBI claims because they're hard to prove. We have the medical expertise and trial experience to expose the truth and secure lifetime compensation.

No Fee Unless We Win

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