Alexandria Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer

If you suspect that you might be dealing with TBI-related side effects, it might be time to speak with a head injury lawyer. When you retain a traumatic brain injury lawyer in Alexandria, LA, you can trust that the Alexandria traumatic brain injury lawyer can advocate for you and your rights.

At Laborde Earles, we make it our mission to fight for your rights and help you pursue fair compensation. With years of experience recovering over $1 billion in damages, we want to serve as your Alexandria personal injury lawyer and help you get justice. 

What Can a TBI Lawyer Do for Victims of TBIs?

One of the benefits of hiring an Alexandria catastrophic injury lawyer is knowing that someone is on your side. Instead of finding yourself in a situation where you’re researching and translating the law on your own, your attorney can handle the details of your case. Also, an attorney can give you legal advice you can trust. 

Here are a handful of tasks that an Alexandria personal injury lawyer may handle on your behalf:

• Offering free consultations: When you call a specialized brain injury lawyer, many law firms offer to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. This appointment is a time for you to discuss the effects of your brain injuries, explore your legal options, and talk about the possibility of filing a head injury claim. 
• Gathering evidence: From expert witness statements and surveillance footage to medical records and accident reports, there is a lot of physical evidence that a catastrophic injury lawyer may need to collect after taking on your case. We can gather the appropriate data and documentation on your behalf.
• Submitting paperwork: As an Alexandria brain injury law firm, we are willing to complete any and all necessary documents for your case. We can also monitor notifications, respond to communication efforts, and organize information pertinent to your case. 
• Negotiating fair settlements: We do not want you to communicate directly with the defendant, and we certainly want to protect you from predatory insurance providers who may try to convince you to settle for a compensation package that is less than you deserve. We can serve as the middle-man and negotiate with insurance companies with your best interests in mind.
• Advocating for you in court: It is not common for a traumatic brain damage attorney to have to take a case to court, but in the rare instance that we cannot reach an agreement without a judge or jury present, we can represent you in the courtroom. We want to fight for your rights and pursue fair compensation as part of your personal injury settlement offer.

Examples of Common Symptoms Experienced By People With TBIs

When attorneys take on TBI cases, they need to back up their claims with supporting evidence. Sometimes, this might mean asking you about your symptoms and requesting any proof you might have, such as medical records or police reports that documented the incident that caused your TBI.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the more common symptoms of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) may include the following: 

• Head pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Constant tiredness or sleepiness
• Trouble speaking normally 
• Unsteadiness or lack of balance
• Sensitivity to lights or sounds
• Mental confusion
• Cognitive difficulties
• Brief or prolonged unconsciousness
• Dazed or confused state of mind
• Memory lapses or trouble focusing
• Emotional instability
• Mood swings 
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Excessive sleepiness
• Persistent or worsening headaches
• Seizures or convulsions
• Enlarged pupils
• Inability to wake up
• Numbness or weakness in limbs
• Lack of coordination
• Severe confusion or disorientation
• Unusual aggression
• Behavioral changes
• Slurred or impaired speech
• Loss of interest in activities 
• Changes in sleeping
• Inconsistent eating habits
• Uncontrollable crying
• Irritability

Treatment Options for People With TBIs

For some people suffering from a TBI, especially those who endured severe brain damage, emergency surgery may be necessary. This is typically the case if medical professionals need to tend to life-threatening side effects, such as blood clots, skull fractures, or swelling of the brain.

Other victims with TBIs may find themselves facing extensive recovery periods that involve a lot of rest and rehabilitation. The recovery process for traumatic brain damage often includes multiple forms of therapy based on the nature of the damage at hand.

For example, physical therapy can help people rebuild their strength and regain their mobility. Meanwhile, occupational therapy focuses on helping people learn how to perform daily tasks again. Furthermore, speech therapy may be necessary for those whose injuries affect communication. 

Here are a handful of expenses that might be part of your treatment plan: 

• Hospital and medical bills for emergency care, surgeries, and extended stays
• Physical therapy sessions to regain strength and mobility
• Occupational therapy to help with daily tasks and work skills
• Speech therapy for communication or swallowing issues
• Psychiatric care to manage emotional or cognitive effects
• Medications for pain, seizures, or other symptoms related to the injury
• Assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, or communication aids
• Home modifications like ramps or specialized equipment to accommodate mobility issues
• Transportation costs for frequent trips to appointments and other medical expenses
• In-home care services or hiring caregivers to assist with daily living tasks
• Rehabilitation facility fees for extended inpatient or outpatient care

Then again, some patients might require psychiatric care to address emotional distress or cognitive pain stemming from the brain-related injuries that they sustained. Regardless of the rehabilitation that you need for your TBI, most treatment plans are generally very lengthy and costly.

The costs of recovering from a TBI can be devastating for people, and the expensive care that you might need can be even more overwhelming if you are unable to return to work while you heal. That’s why it’s important to contact a personal injury attorney with years of experience representing TBI victims like you.

The level of compensation that you receive may depend on the details of your case. However, an Alexandria traumatic brain injury attorney can help you pursue maximum compensation. 

Damages You Might Be Able to Recover in TBI Cases

Not all personal injury victims are eligible to recover the same damages. It all depends on the types of injuries that you sustain in a personal injury accident, which may involve more than a TBI alone. The type of injury your brain damage is categorized as might influence the damages you receive compensation for as well.

When individuals act in ways that fail to uphold their duty of care and subsequently put other people in harm’s way, they may be financially responsible for the injuries that their behavior caused. Proving who is liable for damages is a legal matter that you don’t have to worry about as an accident victim. 

However, you might be interested in the types of damages that you may be able to sue for, so here are many examples of potentially recoverable damages for victims of brain damage:

• Medical expenses
• Surgical costs
• Hospital bills
• Physical pain
• Emotional distress
• Loss of income
• Rehabilitative treatment
• Medical devices
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Physical or intellectual disabilities
• Disfiguration, marks, or scars
• Lower quality of life
• Loss of consortium

Statute of Limitations for Financial Compensation in a TBI Case

According to Chapter 4 of Louisiana state laws, personal injury victims have one year to file a claim. This one-year statute of limitations goes into effect on the day of the incident. In other words, you have 12 months to sue the at-fault party’s insurance provider in pursuit of compensation. 

However, there’s an important caveat here. Also known as a prescriptive period in Louisiana, the one–year statute of limitations only applies to cases in which the accident transpired before July 1, 2024. Otherwise, if you sustained a TBI from an incident on or after July 1, 2024, you have two years to file a personal injury claim. 

When you retain an Alexandria brain injury lawyer, your legal counsel can advise you on the details of whichever statute of limitations is more relevant to your case. Lawyers who understand personal injury law can ensure that you do not miss any deadlines.  

The Three Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Do you know which type of TBI you sustained? In most cases, brain damage is classified as either mild, moderate, or severe. These distinctions are important in an Alexandria brain injury case because the severity of your may influence the outcome of personal injury settlements.

Let’s take a closer look at these potential brain injury categories:

• Mild 
• Moderate 
• Severe

Mild TBIs

Often referred to as concussions, mild TBIs typically cause brief changes in your mental state or consciousness. People who are facing mild TBIs might experience symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, mood swings, and memory loss.

However, these symptoms are often temporary and should resolve themselves in time.

Moderate TBIs

For those who sustain moderate brain damage, a lack of consciousness lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours is common. Though the symptoms of a moderate TBI are not as intense or long-lasting as those associated with severe TBIs, the side effects you may endure are still concerning: 

• Confusion
• Disorientation
• Headaches
• Migraines
• Loss of balance
• Difficulty with coordination
• Nausea or vomiting
• Seizures
• Convulsions
• Slurred speech

Severe TBIs

Severe brain injuries typically entail prolonged unconscious states. Also known as comas, these periods of unconsciousness may result in situations where people exist in persistent vegetative states. Unfortunately, others might experience a lack of brain activity.

Those who wake up from severe TBIs often suffer permanent brain damage in addition to the following symptoms:

• Non-subsiding headaches
• Seizures and convulsions
• Extreme drowsiness
• Hard time speaking clearly
• Loss of coordination and balance
• Limb numbness or weakness
• Double vision or blindness
• Agitation and combativeness
• Profound emotional disturbances

No matter which type of TBI you are facing, you might have a right to receive compensation for harm inflicted upon you. As a personal injury law firm, we want to advocate for you so that you can focus on recovering from the effects of brain injuries caused by the accident. 

Examples of Compensation for TBI Victims

When you hire a traumatic brain injury attorney in Alexandria, LA, your lawyer will likely explain what your compensation options are for both financial and non–monetary damages. However, we want to give you a brief overview in the meantime. That way, you can get an idea of what the outcome of your traumatic brain injury claim might be.

If you are looking for compensation opportunities as the victim of a personal injury case resulting in a TBI, here are some examples of your options:

• Loss of income
• Medical care
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Mental anguish 
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium
• Future medical assistance
• Disability-related expenses
• Cost of rehabilitation
• Disfigurement and scarring

Schedule a No-Obligation With an Alexandria Traumatic Brain Injury Law Firm Today

Traumatic brain injuries may cause permanent impairments that destroy your ability to function on either a personal or professional level. Sometimes, TBIs are so impactful you could notice yourself feeling held back in both ways.

No one should have to handle the stress of a TBI alone, especially the legal side of things. If you are the victim of a TBI, we want to help you understand your rights and assist you as you pursue justice through a personal injury lawsuit. 

We may be able to take on your case and serve as legal representation for you. To learn more about our lawyers and how we can lend a helping hand as you take legal action against the at-fault party, contact us today.