Brain Injury Attorneys

Head Injury Questionnaire

Serving Kansas City, Independence, Blue Springs & Lee’s Summit
Doctor examing an x-ray
Every year, about 1.5 million Americans suffer brain injuries. Commonly, brain injuries occur from auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pharmacy errors, construction / industrial accidents, and other dangerous occurrences and conditions.

Brain Injury Legal Representation

Attorneys Doug Horn & Laurie Del Percio of The Horn Law Firm, P.C. are experienced brain injury attorneys, who serve Missouri & Kansas, including Kansas City, Independence, Liberty, St. Joseph, Overland Park, and all surrounding areas. Although these types of cases are complex, we are familiar with the legal strategies that result in fair and full recoveries. Also, we are knowledgeable about the medical science and have worked with medical experts in past cases. In dealing with brain injuries that seem to yield only mild or moderate impairment, we need to always be aware that more pronounced symptoms will probably develop later on in life. As a result, it is important that your case be developed by an expert who will consider past, present, and future impairment. In this regard, it is our responsibility to select the best experts and evaluate the need for neuropsychological testing or additional diagnostic imaging to fully assess the degree of injury. Following are special early considerations that impact the preparation of a brain injury case: Conduct records review and preliminary research surrounding the liability and medical injury issues, obtain medical opinions to the causation, progression, and permanent brain function loss, anticipate the defenses to liability, causation, progression, and evidence challenges; develop deposition and trial strategies, and preserve evidence.

Brain Injury Medical Issues

Brain injury symptoms often involve dizziness, headache, nausea, disorientation, confusion, memory loss, emotional distress, irritability, and insomnia. It is sometimes easy to dismiss these symptoms as just a natural occurrence after an injury accident. However, these symptoms should be taken seriously and reported to treating doctors. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms after being injured in an accident, contact a medical professional immediately. If you believe the accident was caused by a negligent or reckless individual, contact our brain injury attorneys today, serving Kansas City, St. Louis, Independence, Overland Park, and all other Missouri areas.

Initial Diagnosis

The following are three primary factors medical experts take into account to help determine the nature and extent of the injury.
  • Loss of Consciousness
Any period of loss of consciousness (LOC) is a primary indicator of brain injury. Typically the longer the period of unconsciousness, the more severe injury to the brain. In cases where paramedics or other medical personnel are at the accident scene, it is common for the victim to be rated for brain injury potential using the “Glasgow Coma Scale.” The Glasgow Coma Scale is a range from 3 to 15 and victims are scored based upon their acute symptoms of alertness. This type of medical evidence is helpful in predicting the extent of damage.
  • Memory Loss (Post-Traumatic Amnesia)
Loss of memory is common after head trauma and it can range from forgetfulness to a total loss of recall of events. Memory loss can be short-term or long-term. In general, the longer the period of memory loss, the more severe injury to the brain. In Horn Law’s brain injury cases, our attorneys document any type of memory loss through both medical experts and family members or friends. A concussion is a sudden trauma-induced alteration of the alert state. In most cases the brain can recover from a single concussion, but about 20 percent of single concussions involve longer-term symptoms. It is important to have regular medical follow-ups after a head trauma and that all symptoms be reported to treating doctors and rehabilitation specialists. Most often, especially in legal cases, the diagnosis of brain injury is supported and confirmed by medical testing, including neurologic tests, MRI, CT Scans, EEG, PET Scans, SPECT Scan, and other evolving brain testing technologies. If you are seeking legal guidance after a brain trauma, contact the attorneys of Horn Law. Our Independence, St. Louis, Overland Park, and Kansas City offices serve the entire states of Missouri and Kansas.

Recovery

A head injury can have devastating life changing consequences on victims and their families. Without doubt, a brain damage can cause significant physical, emotional, and financial distress. The brain injury attorneys at Horn Law can provide special assistance to victims of motor vehicle accidents, falls, industrial accidents, medical / medication errors, and other events that cause head injury. Aside from handling the complex legal issues and maximizing the financial recovery, Horn Law will retain experts and specialists who can make recommendations and consult on rehabilitation options. Second, Horn Law will handle all types of insurance issues that bear on the case even if the insurance is outside primary legal work involved in the representation. Third, as attorneys who concentrate in catastrophic cases, we can evaluate recovery for the life care of our client, taking into account vocational / educational options, future medical care and rehabilitation, future medication requirements, home and nursing care, transportation needs, wheelchair needs, home modifications, aids for independent functioning, and other special needs. It is important that you address all symptoms with your treating doctors at the earliest possible time. Moreover, follow up medical appointments are also important even if there has been improvement in your condition, but symptoms still exist. Pain, suffering, discomfort, interference, and disability are often hard concepts to talk to your doctor about. To help you communicate with your treating doctors, it is valuable to think in terms of how the accident has affected your:
  • Sleep
  • Work / School (physical and mental)
  • Driving
  • Leisure time (your ability to rest, relax, and refresh)
  • Relationships (spouse, parents, children, etc.)

Missouri Head Injury Accident Attorneys

We specialize in traumatic brain injury caused by car accidents, recreational accidents, and work-related accidents suffered in Kansas City, Columbia, St. Louis, Springfield and rural counties in Missouri. Persons who have suffered an accidental head injury require first rate medical and legal help to put them on the road to recovery. From a medical standpoint, it is important that persons who exhibit symptoms of a head injury (loss of memory, concentration, dizziness, headache, vision difficulties, etc.) be examined by a neurologist or other specialist to determine the nature and extent of the injury. From a legal standpoint, it is important that a victim of this in Missouri first obtain legal consultation with an attorney who concentrates in head injury cases. Choosing A Missouri Brain Injury Lawyer Never choose a brain injury lawyer solely on an advertisement or a website search. Instead, look for an attorney who has a concentration in complex personal injury cases and has a track record of success in cases involving trauma to the head or brain. It is important that the attorney offer free consultation have a good familiarity with how brain injuries are treated, including how they are diagnosed and what types of rehabilitation treatments are utilized to restore proper brain function. From the outset, the attorney who you retain should document the types of symptoms you are experiencing. At Horn Law, we are especially concerned with problems brought on by a cranial injury. Horn Law Legal Representation In order to get the best results possible, it is necessary for your attorney and law firm to devote their full professional abilities and resources to your case. It is important that top rate medical experts be retained to give medical opinions that relate to diagnosis, nature and extent of brain function loss, treatments, rehabilitation, and prognosis for outcome. Often time this means the attorney must retain a board-certified neurologist who regularly treats brain injury victims, neuropsychological experts, and traumatic rehabilitation specialists. In addition to the damages, a goal of the legal representation is to prove a genuine brain injury by showing why the injury occurred and why the trauma resulted in the loss/breakdown of plaintiff’s brain function.  Next, it is imperative that the legal representation prove brain function loss/breakdown by having a neuropsychologist and other specialists identify and explain significant test results. Horn Law Brain Injury Settlements & Awards The end goal of legal representation is to obtain a full settlement or compensation awards for our client. This includes money for loss of health, loss of brain function, pain, suffering, discomfort,  loss of quality of life, income loss, medical expenses, and future needs. Because our clients are usually entitled to only one financial recovery, it is vital that the settlement or award be maximized. Loss of health damages are a major part of brain injury settlements and awards and include compensation for the past, present, and future physical, cognitive (brain function/processing), mental, and emotional loss of health. For instance, these are items that are associated with pain, loss of concentration, speech, hearing, and vision difficulties, loss of sleep, and other symptoms that impact well-being. Loss of quality of life is another major area of damages for victims. This concerns the comparison of life before versus after the accident and involves the loss of enjoyment, productivity and freedom of life. In many cases loss of quality of life also contains the mental and emotional distress associated with the longer term consequences of a head injury. Contact Us Horn Law offers you a free investigation. Legal consultation, case assessments, and examinations from an experienced personal injury attorney are important when you are working with insurance claim agents or other insurance company representatives. Contact Horn Law at 816-795-7500 free of charge for legal consultation.

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