Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can happen in an instant and leave you to deal with ongoing pain, memory loss, mood swings, fatigue, nausea, loss of balance, vision problems, and more.
If your TBI occurred due to the negligence of others, you may be entitled to financial benefits that can defray medical bills and lost income and help compensate for your pain and suffering. And given the high price of TBIs, you will want this compensation. The lifetime cost of TBIs often ranges from $85,000 to $3 million. The last thing that you want is to be footing that bill without the help that you deserve.
In order to navigate the often complex world of personal injury law, you will want a skilled and experienced lawyer by your side. But if you’ve googled “brain injury lawyer near me,” you will likely see multiple options. This article will provide you with five questions to ask attorneys so that you can find the best option for your specific case.
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1. How Much Experience Do You Have with TBIs?
Seek an attorney who is well-versed in handling traumatic brain injury cases. These lawsuits require technical and medical knowledge that not all injury lawyers possess. Visit the firm’s website to see if they discuss these claims in detail and demonstrate expertise in the subject matter.
Many attorneys offer free consultations. Take advantage of this offer to ask the firm about their experience with TBIs. Consider asking these questions:
- Have you tried cases similar to mine?
- If so, what kind of compensation were you able to secure for your client?
- Have you won cases against powerful defendants like hospitals and trucking companies?
2. Do You Have Access to Medical Experts?
A good TBI attorney should be well-connected with the best medical experts. This not only helps you get the best care for your injury, it also helps your case because most TBI claims require testimony from medical experts.
Your brain injury lawyers should have a strong network of medical professionals ready to help prove your claim by testifying about facts and diagnoses that lay witnesses cannot. These experts can provide valuable insights into the extent of your injuries, the required treatment, and the long-term impact on your life, which can be crucial in establishing the value of your claim.
3. What Do Past Clients Say?
Pay attention to reviews and word-of-mouth referrals. Look for an attorney with a good reputation who is well-liked, responsible, and compassionate with clients, yet strong and aggressive when dealing with defendants. Your attorney may be able to provide you with testimonials from TBI sufferers whom they have represented.
4. What’s Your Fee Structure Like?
Many personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning they only charge if there is a successful resolution to your case. This arrangement allows you to pursue your legal claim without upfront costs or risks. Be sure to discuss an attorney’s fee structure in-depth so there are no surprises.
5. How (and How Often) Will You Communicate?
Will your attorney communicate by text? Email? Phone? How accessible will they be? Will they be available for regular meetings to discuss the status of your case?
Make sure that your attorney has a good “bedside manner.” They should be caring, trustworthy, and willing to listen to you (not talk over you).
You should also make sure that the TBI lawyer you meet with initially is the one who will be handling your case. You don’t want to be passed off to a junior attorney who has no experience with TBIs.
When Should I Seek Legal Assistance?
If you have a TBI resulting from an injury accident, speak to an attorney immediately—even if you’re not sure you have grounds for a legal case. Even if you are partially at fault for the accident, Nevada abides by a comparative negligence policy that allows compensation for people who share up to 50% of the fault in an accident. An attorney can help you know whether or not you have a strong legal case on your hands.
An attorney can also help gather evidence early on. The longer you wait, the harder it can be to collect evidence and speak to witnesses.
If you hire an attorney from the start, they can interface with the insurance company (yours and the opposing side’s). Insurance companies are famous for trying to get people to admit something that they may regret later. A good attorney knows this and can handle all communications so you don’t become the target of underhanded insurance practices.
An attorney can also make sure you’re seeing the best doctors from the get-go so your TBI recovery progresses as quickly as possible.
Conclusion
Finding the best traumatic brain injury attorney will help you get the compensation and support you need following your accident. A good attorney can bear the burden of your legal case so that you can prioritize healing.
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, contact one of our TBI attorneys in the greater Las Vegas area for a free case evaluation. We have been helping TBI accident victims for more than 50 years and look forward to putting our strength and experience to work for you.