Houston Brain Injury Lawyer

A traumatic brain injury can affect far more than the first few days after an accident. Problems with memory, concentration, balance, sleep, mood, speech, or movement may interfere with work, relationships, and everyday tasks. Severe injuries can require rehabilitation, ongoing medical treatment, assistance at home, or lifelong care.

When someone else's negligence caused the injury, the financial impact should be evaluated alongside the medical one. A Houston brain injury lawyer at Pierce Skrabanek can investigate how the injury occurred, identify the responsible parties, and document the losses the injury has caused.

Our attorneys have extensive experience with serious injury litigation, including a $14 million result for an offshore worker who suffered a severe head injury on the job. If you or someone in your family suffered a brain injury in Houston, contact us or call (832) 690-7000 for a free consultation.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, occurs when an external force disrupts the normal function of the brain. The injury may result from a blow or jolt to the head, rapid acceleration and deceleration, or an object penetrating the skull.

A person does not have to lose consciousness to sustain a TBI. Someone involved in a collision or workplace accident may initially believe they are okay and begin experiencing symptoms later. The CDC reports that symptoms of a mild TBI or concussion may appear immediately or hours or days after the injury.

Brain injuries are also not always visible on conventional imaging. According to the CDC, a CT scan is not needed to diagnose a mild TBI or concussion, although a healthcare provider may order imaging when there is concern about bleeding or another serious injury.

For an injury claim, that makes medical documentation particularly important. Symptoms such as memory problems, difficulty concentrating, headaches, dizziness, or changes in mood may have a profound effect on someone's life even when there is no dramatic injury visible from the outside.

What Are the Different Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Brain injuries vary considerably in how they occur and how they affect the injured person. Doctors evaluate the circumstances of the injury, symptoms, neurological findings, imaging when appropriate, and other clinical information when diagnosing and treating a TBI.

Common types of traumatic brain injuries include:

• Concussion: A concussion is a mild TBI caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull. Despite the word “mild,” symptoms can interfere with daily activities and require medical care.
• Contusion: A brain contusion is bruising of brain tissue. More serious contusions may involve swelling or bleeding and require close medical monitoring.
• Diffuse axonal injury: Rapid acceleration, deceleration, or rotational forces can damage nerve fibers throughout the brain. These injuries may occur in high-energy crashes and can cause significant neurological impairment.
• Penetrating brain injury: An object that penetrates the skull and enters brain tissue can cause direct damage, bleeding, and other life-threatening complications.
• Intracranial hematoma: Trauma may cause bleeding inside the skull. The accumulation of blood can place dangerous pressure on the brain and may require emergency treatment.

TBIs are also commonly classified by severity. The CDC groups them as mild, moderate, or severe. Moderate and severe injuries are more likely to result in long-term health problems, although recovery varies from person to person.

The medical diagnosis is also central to a legal claim. Records from emergency physicians, neurologists, neuropsychologists, rehabilitation specialists, therapists, and other providers may help establish the extent of the injury and the care that will be needed in the future.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a TBI?

A brain injury does not always produce one unmistakable symptom. The CDC identifies potential problems involving physical health, thinking and memory, social and emotional functioning, and sleep.

Signs and symptoms may include:

• Persistent or worsening headaches
• Dizziness or problems with balance
• Nausea or vomiting
• Blurred or double vision
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Fatigue or low energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems
• Feeling slowed down, foggy, or confused
• Changes in sleep
• Irritability or unusual emotional changes
• Anxiety or sadness
• Problems with speech or communication

Emergency symptoms require immediate medical attention. The CDC identifies danger signs after a head injury that include seizures, repeated vomiting, slurred speech, increasing confusion or agitation, weakness or numbness, unequal pupils, loss of consciousness, or a headache that worsens and does not go away.

Symptoms can also matter to an injury case in ways that are easy to overlook. Someone who cannot concentrate long enough to complete work they previously handled without difficulty may lose income even though they appear physically recovered. Memory problems can interfere with appointments and responsibilities. Balance problems may prevent someone from returning to a physically demanding job.

A Houston traumatic brain injury lawyer reviewing a serious injury claim will need to account for these effects rather than treating the emergency-room bill as the full measure of the injury.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Brain Injuries in Houston?

Houston's size and economy create several settings where serious head trauma can occur. Major highways carry dense passenger and commercial traffic, while construction sites, refineries, industrial facilities, ports, and offshore operations employ workers in jobs where falls, explosions, falling objects, and heavy equipment accidents can cause severe injuries.

Pierce Skrabanek represents people who suffer brain injuries in incidents including:

• Car accidents: A driver's head may strike the steering wheel, window, or another part of the vehicle, but direct impact is not required for the forces of a collision to injure the brain.
• Truck accidents: The size and weight of commercial vehicles can produce high-energy impacts and catastrophic head injuries.
• Pedestrian and bicycle collisions: People outside a vehicle have little protection when struck by a car or truck and may suffer head trauma during the initial impact or when they hit the pavement.
• Falls: Falls from stairs, ladders, scaffolding, elevated work areas, and unsafe walking surfaces can result in serious head injuries.
• Construction and workplace accidents: Houston-area workers may be injured by falling equipment or materials, falls from heights, machinery, vehicles, and other workplace hazards.
• Plant explosions: Explosions can cause head injuries through blast pressure, falls, flying debris, or being thrown against another object.
• Oilfield and offshore accidents: Workers may face risks involving heavy equipment, falls, explosions, vessel incidents, and other high-force accidents.
• Unsafe property conditions: Falls and other incidents caused by hazardous conditions at businesses, residences, and other properties can result in traumatic brain injuries.

Houston's highways also create particular risks for high-impact crashes. I-45, I-10, I-69, the 610 Loop, Beltway 8, and other heavily traveled roads carry a mix of commuters, commercial trucks, and other vehicles throughout the Houston area.

The cause of the TBI determines where the legal investigation goes next. A highway collision may require vehicle data, video, phone records, and witness testimony. An industrial accident may require maintenance records, safety procedures, contractor agreements, or information about the equipment involved.

Who May Be Responsible for a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Liability depends on how the injury happened. A negligent driver may be responsible for a highway collision, while a dangerous property condition could lead to a claim against a property owner or another party responsible for the premises. Industrial and workplace accidents may involve contractors, equipment manufacturers, property owners, or other companies in addition to questions involving the injured person's employer.

Determining responsibility may require evidence that is controlled by the person or business being investigated. That makes early preservation of documents, electronic data, photographs, video, equipment, and other evidence particularly important in serious injury cases.

For a Houston TBI attorney, the investigation is also about connecting the negligent conduct to the full extent of the brain injury. Medical records establish part of that story, but employment records, testimony from family members, expert evaluations, and evidence of how the person's daily abilities changed may also become important.

Early medical bills do not necessarily show what a serious TBI will ultimately cost. Rehabilitation, lost income, future treatment, and changes in the ability to work or live independently may become clearer as doctors evaluate your recovery.

Pierce Skrabanek has represented clients facing catastrophic injuries and the financial pressure that follows them. Call (832) 690-7000 or contact us online for a free consultation about your Houston brain injury case.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Recovery from a brain injury does not always end when someone leaves the hospital or finishes an initial course of rehabilitation. Moderate and severe TBIs can cause lasting changes in a person's physical abilities, memory, communication, emotions, behavior, and ability to live independently.

For someone who was working and supporting a family before the injury, those changes can affect nearly every part of daily life. Long-term problems may include:

• Memory and concentration difficulties: Remembering instructions, staying focused, organizing tasks, or processing new information may become harder.
• Physical limitations: Weakness, poor coordination, balance problems, headaches, fatigue, or other symptoms may interfere with work and everyday activities.
• Communication problems: A brain injury may affect speech, language, comprehension, or the ability to express thoughts clearly.
• Emotional and behavioral changes: Irritability, impulsivity, anxiety, depression, or changes in personality can affect relationships and social interactions.
• Loss of independence: Severe injuries may require help with transportation, household tasks, personal care, medication management, or other daily needs.
• Difficulty returning to work: Cognitive and physical limitations can prevent someone from returning to the same occupation, working the same hours, or earning the income they did before the injury.

These effects also explain why a serious brain injury claim should account for the future. Someone who needs ongoing rehabilitation, assistance at home, or reduced work hours may continue experiencing financial losses years after the accident that caused the TBI.

The Tillmans Share What Life Looked Like After a Serious Injury

The financial impact of a serious injury can be difficult to separate from the changes it brings to work, family life, and independence. The Tillmans experienced that firsthand after an injury left their family facing the reality that returning to work was no longer possible.

In their client testimonial, they talk about how their lives and roles within the family changed and what stood out about working with Pierce Skrabanek during that time. They describe the firm's communication, integrity, responsiveness, and attention to the details of their case.

Watch the Tillmans share their experience with Pierce Skrabanek:

What Compensation Is Available After a Brain Injury?

The cost of a TBI extends beyond the hospital bills generated immediately after an accident. Compensation in a personal injury claim may address both the losses you have already experienced and those expected to continue because of the injury.

Damages may include:

• Medical expenses: Emergency care, hospitalization, diagnostic testing, surgery, physician visits, medication, rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and other treatment.
• Future medical care: A serious TBI may require continued therapy, specialist care, medical equipment, home health assistance, or other long-term services.
• Lost wages: Time away from work during treatment and recovery can result in substantial lost income.
• Reduced earning capacity: Cognitive or physical limitations may prevent you from returning to your former occupation or earning at the same level.
• Pain and suffering: A claim may include compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, impairment, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Home and personal assistance: Severe injuries may create a need for help with transportation, household responsibilities, personal care, or modifications to the home.
• Wrongful death damages: When a brain injury results in death, eligible family members may have a wrongful death claim under Texas law.
• Punitive damages: In cases involving conduct that meets Texas's legal requirements for exemplary damages, additional damages may be available.

Pierce Skrabanek has handled cases involving the significant future costs associated with catastrophic injuries. That experience includes a $14 million result for an offshore worker who suffered a severe head injury on the job.

How Do You Determine the Value of a TBI Claim?

There is no standard settlement amount for a traumatic brain injury. Two people with the same diagnosis may have very different medical needs, occupations, symptoms, and long-term limitations.

The value of a claim may depend on factors such as:

• The severity of the brain injury
• The treatment and rehabilitation required
• Whether symptoms are temporary or permanent
• Future medical and personal-care needs
• Time missed from work
• Reduced ability to earn income
• How the injury affects independence and daily activities
• The strength of the evidence establishing liability
• Available insurance coverage and other sources of recovery

For serious injuries, determining future losses may require input from neurologists, neuropsychologists, rehabilitation specialists, vocational experts, economists, life-care planners, or other professionals.

A Houston brain injury attorney evaluating the case should also look at who the injured person was before the accident. A TBI that prevents an offshore worker from returning to a physically demanding job creates different losses than an injury that prevents a physician, engineer, teacher, or business owner from performing work requiring sustained concentration and memory.

How Is a Traumatic Brain Injury Proven in an Injury Case?

Brain injury cases can present an unusual problem: the person may look physically healthy while struggling with symptoms that profoundly affect everyday life.

Medical evidence is central to establishing the diagnosis, but the full picture may come from several sources. Emergency-room records can document the initial injury. Neurological and neuropsychological evaluations may identify cognitive problems. Therapy records can show difficulties with speech, movement, memory, or daily tasks.

People who knew you before the accident may also notice changes that are difficult to capture during a short medical appointment. A spouse might describe memory problems that did not exist before the injury. Coworkers may notice that tasks take considerably longer. Family members may see changes in mood, personality, sleep, or independence.

For a Houston traumatic brain injury attorney, building the damages portion of the case means connecting that evidence to the ways the injury has affected your work, health, relationships, and daily life.

What Does a Brain Injury Attorney Do for Your Case?

A serious TBI case involves two separate questions: who was responsible for the accident and how much harm the injury caused. Both require evidence.

Pierce Skrabanek's investigation may include:

• Identifying the people and companies responsible for the accident
• Preserving photographs, video, electronic records, equipment, and other evidence
• Reviewing police reports, incident reports, and witness accounts
• Obtaining relevant employment and company records
• Reviewing medical records and the history of treatment
• Working with medical and other experts when necessary
• Documenting past and future financial losses
• Handling communications and negotiations with insurers
• Preparing the case for trial when a fair resolution cannot be reached

The investigation itself will depend heavily on how the injury occurred. Evidence from a crash on I-45 will look different from evidence involving a fall at a Houston construction project or an explosion at an industrial facility along the Houston Ship Channel.

A Houston TBI lawyer at Pierce Skrabanek brings the liability evidence and medical evidence together to show how another party's conduct resulted in a serious brain injury and the losses that followed.

Why Legal Representation Matters in a Serious Injury Claim

Insurance companies investigate claims with their own financial interests in mind. In a high-value TBI case, an insurer may dispute how the accident happened, argue that symptoms are unrelated to the incident, challenge the need for future treatment, or question whether the injury truly prevents someone from returning to work.

There is also a measurable difference between the outcomes reported by represented and unrepresented personal injury claimants. A Martindale-Nolo Research survey found that more than nine out of ten respondents with legal representation received a settlement or award, compared with about half of those who handled their claims without an attorney. The survey involved personal injury cases generally and was not specific to traumatic brain injury claims.

For someone facing the long-term effects of a TBI, legal representation also means the claim does not have to be managed around medical appointments, rehabilitation, work limitations, and family responsibilities.

Why Choose Pierce Skrabanek for a Houston Brain Injury Case?

Pierce Skrabanek is based in Houston and represents people injured in serious accidents throughout the area. Our attorneys have experience with catastrophic injury cases arising from motor vehicle collisions, industrial accidents, offshore incidents, workplace injuries, dangerous properties, and other forms of negligence.

Our results include multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements, including a $14 million recovery for an offshore worker who suffered a severe head injury.

We handle cases on a contingency-fee basis. Pierce Skrabanek covers the upfront costs of investigating and pursuing your claim. You pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you. Clients and families throughout Houston can receive assistance in both English and Spanish.

Choosing a Houston brain injury attorney after a catastrophic TBI means having someone responsible for the litigation while you concentrate on medical care and recovery. Your case may require months of treatment and expert evaluation before the long-term effects are fully known.

Proudly Representing Houston Residents