Have you sustained a brain injury in Bell, California? Contact Matadores Accident & Injury Lawyers for a free consultation at (323) 402-1000. Our experienced Bell brain injury lawyers can help you file a claim for the compensation you’re entitled to under the law.
Our personal injury law firm is one of the most successful in the area, with over $100 million recovered for our clients and more than 25 years of combined experience. With our legal team led by Attorney Levik Yarian in your corner, you can rest assured that your case is in capable hands from start to finish.
Why Hire Matadores Accident & Injury Lawyers for Help With a Brain Injury Claim in Bell, CA?
Choosing the right law firm after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most important decisions you can make. These cases generally require expert analysis as well as substantial medical documentation, and not every Bell personal injury lawyer can build a compelling claim that stands up to scrutiny.
Matadores Accident & Injury Lawyers is well-qualified to help you throughout the entire legal process, including at court if necessary.
Here’s why accident victims across Southern California continue to choose us for help:
- We have decades of combined experience practicing personal injury law
- Our case results include numerous recoveries in the seven figures
- We can hire top-rated experts to support your claim as needed
- We’ll ensure your case receives the full force of our resources and dedication
- We won’t hesitate to take your case all the way to trial if necessary
Contact our brain injury lawyers in Bell, CA, today to schedule a free case review. We’re ready to start working on your case as soon as you are.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) happens when a sudden force disrupts normal brain function. There are two types of TBIs, broadly speaking: penetrating TBIs, where an object pierces the skull, and non-penetrating TBIs, which involve something strong enough to make the brain move within the skull.
Common causes of brain injuries in Bell and throughout California include:
- Car accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Falls on unsafe premises
- Construction accidents
- Sports and recreational injuries
- Acts of violence
- Medical malpractice
Brain injuries may be categorized based on severity as follows:
- Mild TBI (concussion): Temporary confusion and headaches that can last weeks
- Moderate TBI: Longer periods of unconsciousness and significant impairment
- Severe TBI: Prolonged coma and potentially life-long care requirements
Every brain injury should be treated seriously, regardless of its severity, as the effects on the victim’s life can be substantial and may require ongoing treatment.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences of a Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury can impact nearly every aspect of a person’s life. While some individuals recover over time, others face lifelong complications. The effects depend on the location and severity of the injury, but they often extend far beyond physical symptoms.
Common long-term consequences include:
- Memory loss
- Concentration problems
- Personality changes
- Emotional instability
- Depression and anxiety
- Difficulty processing information
- Chronic headaches
- Sleep disorders
- Fatigue and reduced stamina
- Loss of coordination
- Vision impairment
- Seizures
- Neurological disorders
In the most serious cases, brain injury victims may lose their ability to work and care for themselves. Family members often become full-time caregivers, facing financial strain and emotional exhaustion as a result.
What Damages Can I Recover in a Bell Brain Injury Case?
Victims of traumatic brain injuries can pursue both economic and non-economic damages under California law. These categories of compensation are designed to address the financial and personal losses you’ve suffered.
Economic damages cover the measurable financial impact of your injury, including:
- Medical bills
- Future medical care
- Assistive equipment
- Lost wages and future earning potential
- Home modification costs
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages compensate for intangible losses that affect your quality of life, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish and trauma
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disability
- Loss of companionship
In rare cases where the at-fault party acted egregiously, punitive damages may also be awarded. These are intended to punish egregious misconduct and deter similar behavior.
How Much Is My Brain Injury Case Worth?
The value of your claim will ultimately come down to the facts and circumstances of your case. Since TBIs often result in severe health consequences, however, these cases can be worth high amounts of money.
Several factors influence how much your case may be worth, including:
- Severity of the injury
- Whether you’ve sustained a permanent disability
- The nature of your pain and suffering
- The amount of your financial losses
- Whether you share any responsibility for the injury
- Terms and limits of any applicable insurance policies
- Identity of the responsible party
The best way to understand your case’s potential value is to speak with an experienced brain injury attorney. We can provide more personalized information during your free case assessment.
What if I’m Being Blamed for My Brain Injury?
California follows a pure comparative negligence law. This means you can still recover damages even if you’re found partly responsible for the accident that caused your brain injury. However, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, if you are awarded $1,000,000 in damages but are found 25% at fault, you would still be able to recover $750,000. This system allows injured people to seek justice even if they made a mistake, but it also gives insurance companies an incentive to exaggerate your role in the accident.
Our law firm will carefully investigate your case to protect you from unfair accusations of blame. We’ll aim to put maximum compensation into your pocket.
What Is Negligence and How Do I Prove It in a Brain Injury Case?
Negligence is the foundation of most brain injury claims in California. It means someone failed to act with reasonable care, and that failure caused another person harm. In other words, the at-fault party didn’t act the way a careful person or company should have under similar circumstances.
To win a negligence claim, your attorney must prove four key elements:
- Duty of care: The defendant had a legal obligation to act carefully
- Breach of duty: The defendant failed to meet that standard of care
- Causation: The defendant’s careless behavior directly caused your brain injury and was also the proximate cause
- Damages: You suffered losses as a result, such as medical bills and pain and suffering
Each of these elements must be proven “by a preponderance of the evidence,” around a 51% or higher likelihood. We can gather medical records, accident reports, expert opinions, and more to help make your claim as compelling as possible.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Brain Injury Lawyer in Bell?
We understand that a brain injury can leave your family struggling financially. That’s why our Bell personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront to hire us, nor anything by the hour.
Instead, our fee is a percentage of the compensation we recover for you. If we don’t win money damages for your case, you owe us nothing in terms of attorney’s fees. This arrangement allows anyone, regardless of their financial situation, to have access to top-quality legal representation. It also means we’ll be incentivized to increase the value of your claim as much as we can.
How Long Do I Have to File a Brain Injury Claim in California?
If you’ve suffered a brain injury in California, you only have a limited amount of time to take legal action. The California statute of limitations generally gives you two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit.
If your injury wasn’t immediately discovered, such as in cases involving delayed symptoms, the two-year period typically begins when you reasonably should have known about the injury. However, other deadlines may apply depending on the specifics of your case, as there are exceptions to this time limit in some circumstances.
Missing the applicable deadline could mean losing your right to pursue compensation entirely. That’s why it’s important to speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as you can after your accident for help making sure you file your claim on time.
Contact Our Bell Brain Injury Attorneys for a Free Consultation
A traumatic brain injury can alter the course of your life forever. If this has happened to you in Bell, CA, the legal team at Matadores Accident & Injury Lawyers is here to help you make the most of your claim.
With 25 years of combined experience and over $100 million recovered, our Bell brain injury attorneys are confident in our ability to win meaningful results in this area of the law. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your next steps.