At Gary Massey Injury Lawyers, we work hard to build and win brain injury cases across Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley. We provide experienced legal support to help victims secure the compensation and medical care they need.
If you or someone you love recently suffered a brain injury, we’re here to help. Whether your injury occurred on I-24, Highway 27, or during a fall at a local job site or business in Hamilton County, our dedicated attorneys know how to build a strong case rooted in local insight and experience.
We work closely with Chattanooga’s leading neurosurgeons and rehabilitation centers to ensure your recovery is prioritized. And while you’re getting better, we’re advocating fiercely for your rights and fighting for the best possible outcome for you and your loved ones.
Suffered A Brain Injury?
A brain injury is one of the most serious and life-altering accident injuries a person can suffer and one of the most emotionally traumatic for a brain injury victim’s family. There are various types of brain injuries, often difficult to diagnose, and they can permanently alter a person’s physical and emotional functions. Due to the complexity of these injuries and the level of difficulty in filing these types of claims, those injured should seek the assistance of a Chattanooga brain injury lawyer as soon as possible. Through the assistance of an experienced accident lawyer, those injured can hold the negligent party responsible for their actions and ensure they know what to expect at each step of the way.
What Are the Elements of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
The term “brain injury” is generally considered synonymous with “traumatic brain injury” (TBI), though some brain injuries are classified as “acquired brain injuries” (ABI). According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), TBI “is an insult to the brain…caused by an external physical force that may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning.” TBI does not include degenerative or congenital brain injuries and may also result in disturbance or impairment of emotional and behavioral functioning.
Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a broader term that refers to an injury that is not hereditary, degenerative, congenital, or caused by birth trauma but occurs after birth. ABI includes all traumatic brain injuries that a Chattanooga brain injury lawyer may be able to assist with, but also those caused by internal complications such as stroke or lack of oxygen to the brain.
What Are Common TBI-Related Damages?
The most common types of traumatic brain injury damages suffered in catastrophic cases include medical damages, loss of ability to earn income, and impairment of bodily function. All of those factors come together to determine one’s lost ability to enjoy life.
TBI-related damages often hit relationships the hardest. They affect how people connect with friends and family. A plaintiff may struggle to interact with loved ones, and they often can’t do the things they once enjoyed together. This loss gets magnified in traumatic brain injury cases.
These factors can be overlooked. But they often have the biggest impact on life after an injury.
Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries
TBI can range from mild to severe and includes both open head injuries, which involve a skull fracture or displacement, and closed head injuries, which do not involve a skull fracture or displacement but are still caused by an outside force. Common types of TBI that Chattanooga brain injury attorneys can help with include:
- Concussion (most common)
- Contusion
- Diffuse Axonal Injury
- Coup-Contrecoup Injury
- Second Impact Syndrome
- Locked-in Syndrome
- Penetrating Injury
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
The mental, physical, emotional, and behavioral impairments or disturbances resulting from a brain injury in Tennessee may be temporary in mild cases or may cause partial or complete loss of brain and bodily functions.
Common Causes of TBI
Traumatic brain injuries may be caused by a wide range of external events. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the five leading causes of TBI, in order of frequency, are:
- Falls
- Unknown causes
- Motor-vehicle accidents
- Being struck by or against an object
- Assault
Brain injuries also frequently occur in sporting events. Contact sports such as football or sports that do not provide head protection, such as soccer, increase the risk of concussions or contusions.
Consequences of a TBI
A brain injury has many consequences. These often show up as medical conditions that develop because of the TBI.
These conditions can get worse over time. Someone’s TBI may start to act like Alzheimer’s, where brain functions decline progressively. A patient could develop conditions similar to a stroke, like paralysis, memory loss, and loss of speech.
Psychological Conditions
A brain injury can trigger many psychological problems. Some patients experience symptoms tied to post-traumatic stress disorder. These can include paranoia, irrational fears, and severe anxiety and depression.
An inability to control emotions can also develop from a TBI. For example, someone could develop anger management issues or fits of uncontrollable crying. They might react with extreme emotions in situations that wouldn’t normally feel stressful to the average person.
Neurological Issues
Other consequences of a brain injury could include neurological problems. These issues can make people feel things that aren’t actually happening. There’s no physical reason for the feeling, but the faulty signals from the brain can cause a TBI patient to feel sensations in their body or on their skin.
Some people lose seemingly small abilities. They might struggle to switch from one task to another. Others may act like their normal selves on the outside but are unable to learn new skills. This happens when neurons get damaged so badly that they can’t convey messages to different areas of the body.
Steps to Take After Suffering a TBI
The first thing someone should do after a traumatic brain injury is to get immediate medical attention. A doctor can try to prevent their condition from getting worse and hopefully minimize its effects as much as possible.
People with a traumatic brain injury need to see providers who are familiar with brain symptoms. A lot of medical providers don’t recognize that brain injury symptoms are coming from a brain injury. They could ascribe it to some common causes and fail to link it to the trauma.
Individuals who have received blows to the head need to be evaluated by doctors with experience in identifying, testing, evaluating, and treating traumatic brain injuries.
The second thing they should do is seek legal help. An investigation can begin immediately to look into their condition. A skilled injury lawyer can make sure that evidence is preserved and that the case can be proven.
How Are Brain Injuries Treated?
Immediate emergency care is imperative to diagnosing and effectively treating traumatic brain injuries. In cases of less severe brain injuries, such as a mild concussion, the injured victim will usually be treated and released from an emergency facility. If the injury is more severe, however, the victim may require extensive and expensive medical treatments, extended hospitalization, and long-term rehabilitation. In extreme cases, a traumatic brain injury victim may fall into a coma, a minimally responsive state, a vegetative state, or even die.
Where to Get Treatment for a Brain Injury in Chattanooga
If you or a loved one suffered a TBI, it’s important to have access to immediate, comprehensive care from diagnosis through rehabilitation. Here are several respected hospitals in the Chattanooga area that offer specialized brain-injury and neurological services:
- Erlanger Baroness Hospital: Erlanger is a major regional teaching hospital and Level I trauma center, equipped with a full neuroscience program including neurosurgery, neuro-intensive care, and stroke services. Their neurosurgery and spine team provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment of cranial and vascular disorders, including interventions that may be required after a severe brain injury.
- Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation: Siskin offers a dedicated Brain Injury Program certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and staffed by Certified Brain Injury Specialists (CBIS). Their unit features secure access, specialized therapy rooms, and a multidisciplinary team to assist with cognitive, physical, and functional recovery after a TBI.
- Parkridge Medical Center: Parkridge has an Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation unit designed for neurological conditions, including brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke. Their care team combines neurologists, neurosurgeons, physical/occupational/speech therapists, and rehabilitation nurses to support patients through the continuum of brain injury recovery.
- Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Chattanooga: This facility specializes in intensive post-acute rehabilitation and explicitly lists traumatic brain injury and other neurological conditions among its treated cases. Their model emphasizes advanced therapies and simulated real-world environments to help patients regain function and independence.
Chattanooga Support Groups for Brain Injury Survivors
Here are valuable local resources in Chattanooga where survivors of brain injury, as well as their families and caregivers, can connect with others, share experiences, and receive support:
- Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association: This nonprofit organization carries the mission of “comfort for today, hope for tomorrow,” and offers peer-support groups, information, referrals, and advocacy for brain injury survivors in the Chattanooga region.
- Brain Injury Association of America – Tennessee: BIAT hosts a support group meeting every Tuesday at 12:00 pm ET (virtually) for the Chattanooga region, providing an ongoing forum for survivors and caregivers in Tennessee to share insights and resources
Preparing a Case
Traumatic brain injury cases rely heavily on third-party professionals. Explaining how the brain works and how an injury affects the entire body is delicate and complex work that must be done in a specific, detailed way. A Chattanooga traumatic brain injury lawyer spends significant time understanding exactly what injuries the plaintiff has suffered and how these medical problems now affect their life.
It takes a great deal of time and effort for a lawyer to fully understand the case and then effectively communicate it. This involves reviewing medical records, medical tests, and professional opinions about the injury to help prove the case. It also requires researching the medical aspects of the plaintiff’s injury, the defendant’s background, and any law enforcement investigations involved. After understanding exactly what is involved, an experienced injury attorney will develop a strategy to present the case in the most beneficial way for the plaintiff.
Importance Of A Brain Injury Lawyer
The effects of a traumatic brain injury can be permanent. This can cause significant financial and emotional hardships for the victim and their family, especially when the injury was caused by the negligence or recklessness of another person, organization, or entity.
A compassionate injury attorney knows what you are going through from their experiences helping people in your situation. They can fight for the coverage you deserve. By conducting an external investigation, seeking help from third-party medical professionals, and acting as a powerful advocate on your behalf, a lawyer can work towards holding a negligent individual responsible for their actions.
If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury in Tennessee, you may be entitled to compensation for medical costs, rehabilitation costs, lost future wages, reduced quality of life, and other losses. Our compassionate team at Gary Massey Injury Lawyers can help you make the legal decisions that are best for you and your family. Please contact us today to learn more about how we can help you through this difficult time.
