A brain injury is more than an inconvenience. These injuries can change how someone lives life day to day. Reading can take longer. Names disappear mid-sentence. Headaches arrive without warning. One’s professional abilities and career may suffer.
The team at LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers wants to hear how you or your loved one suffered a brain injury. We represent Arkansans who got hurt because of other people’s failings. We also stand up for those misled and mistreated by insurers and corporations.
Your case review is free, and we charge no upfront fee. To request a consultation with a qualified brain injury lawyer in Fort Smith, contact our Arkansas law firm today.
Compassionate Representation for Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors in Fort Smith
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) does not affect every person in the same way, but we know that such injuries can interfere with:
- Short- or long-term memory
- Concentration
- Processing speed
- Speech and communication
- Balance and coordination
- Vision
- Sleep
- Emotional regulation
- Ability to drive
- Work performance
- Independent living
Brain Injuries Can Have Serious Effects on Long-Term Quality of Life
For the injured person, that can mean losing pieces of a routine that once felt easy. For relatives, it may mean taking over driving, scheduling appointments, managing medications, handling finances, or providing supervision.
That is why a brain injury claim can be large in scope, with much riding on the outcome. Choose to heal. A brain injury lawyer can handle the significant time and effort your case will require.
Understanding Mild, Moderate, and Severe TBIs
Doctors may describe traumatic brain injuries as mild, moderate, or severe. Know that even a “mild” TBI or concussion can still be a significant injury to a fragile brain.
The CDC’s traumatic brain injury and concussion information notes that symptoms may affect how a person feels, thinks, acts, or sleeps, and may include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Balance problems
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Fatigue
- Vision problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory problems
- Feeling mentally slowed or “foggy”
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Changes in sleep
Importantly, these injuries may not be immediately obvious after the injury happens. Some only emerge with time.
Assessing the Impact of Moderate and Severe TBIs
Moderate and severe TBIs may involve more extensive neurological injury and can produce long-term cognitive, physical, emotional, or behavioral problems. However, from a legal standpoint, the label attached to the injury is only part of the analysis.
We talk to the injured party, evaluating:
- Can the survivor return to the same job?
- Is driving still safe?
- Can the person manage appointments and finances?
- Has memory or judgment changed?
- Is supervision necessary?
- Will therapy continue?
- Has the injury affected relationships?
- Is independent living still realistic?
Let a traumatic brain injury attorney in Fort Smith, AR answer those questions as we build your case.
Common Causes of Head Injuries in Sebastian County
Brain injuries can result from many different kinds of trauma. A direct blow to the head is one possibility, but sudden movement of the head and brain can also cause injury.
In Fort Smith and nearby communities, TBI claims may arise from:
- Car crashes
- Commercial truck collisions
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle crashes
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and fall incidents
- Falls from height
- Construction accidents
- Falling objects
- Workplace accidents
- Other negligence-related events
Relevant Documentation and Medical Records for TBIs
Loss of consciousness is not required for a person to have suffered a TBI. An obvious wound to the head is not required either. A more telling evaluation looks at the medical history over time, and relevant documentation of your TBI may include:
- Emergency department records
- Diagnostic imaging
- Neurology records
- Primary-care notes
- Rehabilitation records
- Physical or occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Neuropsychological testing, when performed
- Work restrictions
- Prescription history
The evidence from any case-related accident matters just as much. Police reports, witness accounts, photographs, video, vehicle damage, and workplace records may help establish how the brain injury occurred and who was responsible.
Calculating Long-Term Medical Costs and Life-Care Needs
The financial impact of a TBI can be overwhelming, but it may unfold slowly. The slow or moderate drip of expenses, challenges, and realizations about a TBI’s effects can feel torturous.
Know this: Your brain injury may be costly. This is why you should fight for a recovery that will cover that cost, and why you should task us with that job.
Long-Term Needs After Suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury
Necessary care for a TBI might involve:
- Neurology visits
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech or cognitive therapy
- Prescription medication
- Mental health treatment
- Assistive devices
- In-home help
- Transportation assistance
- Home modifications
- Ongoing medical monitoring
Fort Smith residents with neurological care needs may also receive treatment through facilities such as the Baptist Health Neuroscience Center in Fort Smith. Such medical care may be the centerpiece of your case, but far from your only recoverable damage.
Other Serious Effects of a TBI on Daily Life
A TBI survivor may also:
- Miss months of work
- Return on a reduced schedule
- Need additional breaks
- Move into a lower-paying role
- Be unable to perform physically or cognitively demanding work
- Leave the workforce altogether
A claim for TBI accident compensation in Arkansas may, therefore, require a forward-looking analysis. This is precisely the lens through which we will approach your case.
How Our Law Firm Builds Comprehensive TBI Claims for Families
Brain injury cases often involve seeming contradictions.
A medical note may say a patient is alert, oriented, and able to speak. That note may not show that the same person now forgets appointments, becomes overwhelmed in a grocery store, loses track of conversations, or cannot complete a full workday without significant fatigue.
LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers knows that not every TBI-related loss can be easily described or categorized. Our attorneys document both the objective and subjective losses that you have suffered, and we can build your case by:
- Investigating the accident itself
- Preserving photographs and video
- Interviewing witnesses
- Gathering records from multiple medical providers
- Tracking rehabilitation
- Documenting missed work
- Comparing pre-injury and post-injury functioning
- Identifying future care needs
- Reviewing applicable insurance coverage
- Addressing attempts to minimize delayed or less-visible symptoms
Considering Your Life Before and After a Traumatic Brain Injury
Family members can be especially important in this process. They often notice changes that the survivor does not fully recognize. Our clients are family, and we encourage the collaboration of any party whose perspectives are relevant to our case.
If you are unsure whether your case qualifies as a brain injury case, our attorneys here in Fort Smith can discuss your situation in more detail.
Why the People of Fort Smith Trust LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers
LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers keeps matters simple for our clients. We take a team-based representation led by Alan LeVar, so you know our entire firm is behind you.
- The Personal Attention You Deserve: We handle a small caseload at our firm to ensure every client and their family members get the full attention they deserve, especially after a TBI.
- We’re Ready to Take Your Case to Trial: Our attorneys are ready and willing to take your case all the way to trial if it means maximizing your compensation and keeping insurance companies honest.
- Legal Services in Spanish: Our law firm offers legal services in Spanish to best serve the needs of Spanish-speaking families in Sebastian County and all of Arkansas.
- Free, No-Obligation Case Reviews: You don’t need to pay a thing to speak with our lawyers. Tell us about the brain injury, how it’s changed your life, and we’ll let you know if you have a case and what steps to take next.
- You Pay Nothing Unless We Win: We work on a contingency fee basis. In other words, clients don’t pay unless we secure a settlement or win your case in court. If we don’t win, you do not pay.
Contact Our Fort Smith Brain Injury Attorneys Near You
A TBI can change your life and the lives of your loved ones. LeVar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers is here to help you live with dignity and get the full compensation you deserve. For a free consultation with a local brain injury lawyer in Fort Smith, contact our law firm today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brain Injury Lawsuits
Below are some common questions about head trauma and brain injury lawsuits we’ve received from past clients over the years.
CDC guidance states that some mild-TBI and concussion symptoms appear right away, while others may not become apparent for hours or days. If you notice new symptoms, worsening symptoms, or changes in concentration, memory, sleep, mood, balance, or physical functioning, tell your healthcare provider and contact our firm if you have not already done so.
The amount of any TBI claim depends on the severity and duration of the injury, related economic and non-economic damages, and certain other factors.
A person who recovers within a relatively short period presents a different picture of damages from someone who will need long-term therapy or cannot return to the same occupation. Yet the value of a case ultimately lies in the careful evaluation of past, present, and future damages.
The strongest presentations of evidence in TBI cases often combine evidence of the accident with relevant medical proof and documentation of damages. We need to show:
- Who is responsible for the injury
- How the injury has affected the victim(s)
Easier said than done? Perhaps. But that is our job.
Arkansas generally applies a three-year statute of limitations for negligence actions, but the exact deadline can vary with the type of case and the parties involved.
The filing deadline is not the only reason to act promptly. Surveillance video can be overwritten, accident scenes can change, witnesses become harder to locate, and records can become more difficult to obtain.
A timely review allows the applicable deadline to be identified while the evidence is still relatively fresh.