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San Antonio Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers

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Your Dedicated Head Injury Lawyer in San Antonio

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is among the most severe harm an individual can sustain.

A TBI can change someone’s life in a fraction of a second, and it doesn’t require a massive physical impact. Unlike other injuries like broken bones, which can repair themselves over time, the brain won’t always heal.

If you or a loved one has suffered head trauma in an accident in San Antonio, you could recover a substantial settlement or judgment to support your rehabilitation, recover your losses, and compensate you for the devastating impact of your injury on your life.

Our firm, led by San Antonio personal injury lawyer Dr. Louis Patino, prides itself on prioritizing our clients’ needs and well-being, fiercely protecting their legal rights, and securing the maximum payout allowed by law.

As a Texas State Bar and American Bar Association member, we represent clients in all courts across Greater San Antonio.

Our dedicated representation and life-changing results have seen us recognized by consumers — we boast hundreds of five-star reviews from former clients — and the legal industry. In 2023, we were named Best Law Firm and Best Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers, Best Business of 2023 by Three Best Rated, and Best Trial Lawyer in America by the National Institute of Trial Lawyers.

We provide personal injury advice and representation in Spanish and English and offer a free, no-obligation case review so that you can see if you have a claim and learn what to expect during your traumatic brain injury claim.

You don’t pay fees until we win, and we’re available 24/7/365.

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Here’s how you can reach us:

Call Us

You can always reach us by telephone. Call 855-LAW-NINJA, and you will be redirected to our San Antonio office or out-of-hours line.

Send a Message via Our Contact Form

If you’d prefer to write to us, you can submit a confidential contact form on our dedicated contact page or any page on our website. After receiving your message, we will reach out to discuss your case further.

Video Call

We offer video calls if you cannot visit us in person, giving you all the benefits of an in-person consultation from the comfort of your home. 

Visit Our Office

You can also attend our office in person if you are able. We are located at:

Alamo Towers is two miles from the San Antonio International Airport and easily reached by car and bus. We are in the left building if approaching via NE I-410 Loop and on the right if coming from Cheever Boulevard.

We Come to You

We understand your injuries may make it difficult for you to attend our office. We want to make recovering your rightful compensation as easy and stress-free as possible, so if you can’t visit us in person, we can potentially come to you. Just call or send us a message letting us know where you are, and we will arrange a time and date that works for you.

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  • Veteran-owned personal injury firm
    • 6 & 7-figure settlements
  • Experienced negotiator and trial advocate
    • We can help you with your medical bills
  • Free, no-obligation case review
    • Serving Greater San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley
  • You don’t pay fees until we win.
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SPEAK TO A LEADING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ABOUT YOUR CASE

Areas in Greater San Antonio We Serve

Wherever you are in Greater San Antonio, our head injury lawyer can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Click on the areas below to see how we can help if you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury:

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A TBI happens when the brain is damaged by a sudden external force, such as a blow to the head. While this injury varies in severity, it is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that can cause a range of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms.

The definition of a TBI according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is “an injury that affects how the brain works”.

According to the Texas Division of the Brain Injury Association of America, more than 144 thousand Texans sustain a traumatic brain injury every year. Approximately 5,700 of those injuries cause permanent disability, resulting in a total of around 380 thousand Texans living with a TBI-related disability.

You have the right to hold the person or organization responsible for your accident accountable.

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Why Hire a Brain Injury Lawyer?

Traumatic brain injuries often cause cognitive, emotional, and physical impairments that can severely affect a person’s quality of life. Accident survivors who have sustained brain injuries can develop secondary conditions such as dysarthria, requiring long-term speech and language therapy to relearn how to communicate verbally. Others might develop depression and become withdrawn or even feel suicidal. Some can never work again, become reliant on their loved ones for basic care, lose all independence, and will need ongoing treatment and monitoring for the rest of their lives with little to no likelihood of recovering their previous brain function.

You are entitled to recover your past and future incurred costs and additional compensation for the consequences of your injury that do not have a subjective monetary value — such as emotional distress, embarrassment, loss of independence, and the inability to enjoy activities and hobbies you loved to do before your injury.

A San Antonio traumatic brain injury attorney can ensure you receive the compensation you’re entitled to. Unfortunately, insurance adjusters appointed to your claim will try to minimize the settlement they pay, leading them to make low-ball offers that don’t come close to your claim’s full value. A lawyer can gather evidence to prove the other party’s fault, negotiate with insurers to get you the best possible result, protect your rights, and prevent you from being taken advantage of while you are vulnerable. We can also file a lawsuit and represent you in court if negotiations fail.

Doctor, attorney, veteran, and the founder of Patino Law Firm, Louis “Doc” Patino is a top San Antonio brain injury attorney dedicated to helping San Antonio residents recover compensation for accidents that weren’t their fault.

What Are the Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Every accident is unique, as are the injuries sustained, and TBIs are no exception. The symptoms of a brain injury vary massively based on several factors, including the part of the brain injured, the severity of the impact, and the victim’s age and medical history.

For example, an injury that causes bleeding will likely be more severe and cause different symptoms than a knock that doesn’t penetrate the skin. A TBI is also more likely to be more dangerous if you’ve hit your head before.

A doctor will classify a brain injury into one of three categories:

  • Mild TBI
  • Moderate TBI
  • Severe TBI.

This classification is determined by the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), a system used to score a person’s consciousness level. By assessing verbal, motor, and eye responses, doctors can determine an accident victim’s alertness and brain function. Each response is scored, with the total indicating the severity of the traumatic brain injury.

The GCS uses an inverse outcome scale, where a lower score indicates a more severe brain injury. The scoring ranges used, as outlined by the Cleveland Clinic, are:

Score TBI Severity
3-8 Severe traumatic brain injury
9-12 Moderate traumatic brain injury
13-15 Mild traumatic brain injury

Despite the name, even “mild” brain injuries are serious. For example, concussion — a type of mild TBI occurring when a blow to the head causes the brain to move — can lead to persistent symptoms that impact quality of life or make victims vulnerable to more severe head trauma.

No two TBI victims will have the same experience, but some of the most common brain injury symptoms shared across all categories include the following:

  • Fatigue
  • Depression
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Inability to work or go to school
  • Loss of memory
  • Dysarthria (slurred speech)
  • Trouble reading or understanding language
  • Inattention
  • Weakness or paralysis
  • Dizziness
  • Poor coordination
  • Loss of fine motor skills (individuals may struggle to pick up a pen and write or eat with utensils)
  • Seizures
  • Mood swings
  • Feeling nauseous
  • Vomiting
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • Headaches
  • Blurred vision
  • Trouble regulating emotions, resulting in frustration.

Who Is Liable for a Traumatic Brain Injury in San Antonio?

Many parties can be liable if you suffer a TBI in an accident in San Antonio. Depending on how your accident happened, a single person may be at fault, or you may be able to recover compensation from multiple parties that all played a role in causing the accident.

For example, you may be able to claim from the truck driver and the trucking company that employed them if your accident happened because the trucker was not qualified to operate the semi-truck. Other potentially liable parties in an auto accident include a manufacturer, contractor, or other organization.

If you have a TBI because of a condition or accident resulting from medical malpractice, you may be able to hold the doctor or medical professional liable. This can happen if a doctor prescribes the wrong medication and it causes you to collapse and hit your head or if a consultant fails to diagnose a medical condition that leads to you having a stroke.

If you slip at a restaurant or on someone else’s property because it wasn’t maintained or hazards weren’t signposted — such as wet floor signs near a spillage — the business or property owner may be held liable.

Or, if a defective product causes a TBI, several parties may be responsible, including the manufacturer of the product and the company that sold it.

Determining who’s at fault for your TBI is always one of the first steps in seeing if you have a personal injury claim. A San Antonio traumatic brain injury attorney can help you understand your rights and options, as well as advocate on your behalf to get you the maximum compensation possible.

How Do You Prove Fault after a TBI Accident?

Recovering compensation in a personal injury claim can be challenging as there are strict criteria under the law you must prove. Personal injury claims are a type of civil claim and have the lowest burden of proof, but that does not mean showing a party’s liability is easy.

To be entitled to compensation, you must prove several elements by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning your injuries were more likely than not caused by the party you are bringing a claim against.

These elements are:

  • Duty of care (the responsible person or party was obligated to act in a way that would not harm you).
  • Breach of duty (the at-fault party breached that duty through negligence or recklessness).
  • Causation (the party’s negligent or reckless actions caused your injuries).
  • Damages (you suffered losses as a result — whether lost wages or money you’ve had to spend on medical bills or a loss of good health because you are in pain).

Proving these elements comes down to having substantial evidence. Evidence can take the form of:

  • Medical records: Medical records, including diagnostic tests and treatment records, can help to establish the presence of a TBI and its severity.
  • Expert testimony: Expert testimony from medical professionals can provide insight into the treatment already administered and what future treatment is needed to achieve maximum recovery.
  • Eyewitness testimony: Individuals who witnessed the event that caused the TBI can testify about what they saw (such as a visible head injury) and even who was responsible.
  • Surveillance footage or photos: Surveillance footage or photos of the event that caused the TBI can show when your injury occurred (preventing the other party from claiming it happened later) and help establish who was at fault.
  • Accident reports: In an auto accident, accident reports, such as the crash report filed by police at the scene, provide a record of how the accident happened and the injuries sustained.
  • Bills and wage slips: Invoices, estimates, and payslips can prove your previous income and the bills you’ve incurred, allowing you to recover treatment costs and lost wages.

It is important to work with an experienced brain injury lawyer in San Antonio, who can help you gather and present the evidence necessary to prove your TBI and recover the compensation you’re owed.

How Much Compensation Can You Recover for a Traumatic Brain Injury?

If your personal injury claim is successful, you will receive compensation for your injuries. There are various types of compensation you may receive.

Medical Expenses

After a traumatic brain injury in San Antonio, you’ll likely need significant medical treatment. You can recover past and future medical costs, including emergency room fees, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, therapy, rehabilitation, and travel to and from the hospital. You can also recover the cost of any home modifications that aid independence.

Lost Wages

Even if your brain injury heals and you can live a normal life without any long-term difficulty, you will still need time off work to recover immediately after your injury. You can claim the wages you would have received had you not been injured, along with any future losses you’ll incur if you cannot work again.

Property Damage

As traumatic brain injuries are serious injuries, they often occur in catastrophic accidents that cause significant damage. If you sustained property damage in your accident, such as damage to your vehicle in a car or truck accident, you can recover the cost of repairing or replacing it in your claim.

 

Pain and Suffering

Your TBI will also likely cause physical pain and emotional distress and prevent you from doing certain activities you used to enjoy. This type of compensation is tricky to calculate as you can’t easily put a price on the pain you’ve suffered, but it can be significant.

Loss of Consortium

You may be entitled to damages for the loss of companionship or support if your TBI has affected your relationship with your spouse or parent, such as if they are unable to provide you with affection because of their injury.

Punitive Damages

If you go to trial and receive a favorable verdict, the jury may award punitive (or exemplary) damages. This compensation is unique — rather than paying for your losses, its purpose is to punish the defendant for their conduct, such as if they were highly reckless or intended to cause severe harm.

Speak to a Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney in San Antonio

Dr. Louis Patino’s background as a U.S. Army Combat Medic and chiropractor gives him a unique perspective and experience that not many other attorneys can boast. This helps him explain the realities of living with a brain injury to his clients as well as secure the compensation that will support them financially.

While he knows that no amount of money will likely ever fully compensate them for the pain and suffering they’ve endured and the symptoms they might continue to experience for the rest of their lives, it can give them the support they need as they adapt to life with their injury.

If you’ve suffered a brain injury in San Antonio or the surrounding cities, you may be entitled to significant compensation that can help you as you rebuild your life. 

To book a free, no-obligation appointment with our San Antonio traumatic brain injury lawyer, call 855-LAW-NINJA, contact us online, or visit our office on NE I-410 Loop.

It takes less than a minute to get in touch, and you can reach us 24/7.

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Frequently Asked Questions Our TBI Attorney Receives

Every personal injury claim is subject to a time limit called the statute of limitations. The personal injury statute of limitations in Texas is two years from your accident, although exceptions can apply depending on when you became aware of your injury.

You cannot recover compensation if you do not claim within this window. Two years can seem like plenty of time, but the claims process can be complex. During this time, you must identify the person or party responsible, gather evidence proving their fault, understand the long-term consequences of your injuries, and negotiate with insurance companies that often drag out proceedings to encourage you to accept a smaller payout. You may decide to sue if negotiations fail, but you must leave enough time to kickstart the process by filing the appropriate paperwork in court.

That’s why we advise contacting a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your injury.

How much compensation you may recover after your brain injury depends on multiple factors, such as:

  • Whether you’ve sustained a mild, moderate, or severe brain injury
  • Whether you will recover from your injury
  • The strength of your evidence proving the other party is liable for your accident
  • If you can return to work
  • How quickly you want to settle
  • The egregiousness of the defendant’s behavior.

Moderate and severe brain injuries may leave injury victims with permanent disabilities with little chance of improvement, requiring lifelong rehabilitation just to slow deterioration. These impacts, called non-economic damages, can entitle victims to life-changing compensation.

Our San Antonio personal injury attorney can advise you on how much your case might be worth based on your accident’s unique facts and fight to secure the best possible result. We will never encourage you to settle quickly when we are confident we can recover more, and we will always keep you updated on the progress of your case.

The treatment for a TBI depends on the type of injury and its severity. Mild TBIs, like concussions, often heal with rest. More severe injuries may require pain management and anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling and surgery.

Some head injuries affect the brain’s ability to communicate with the body. For example, dysarthria affects the facial muscles and causes slurred speech. Physical therapy and speech and language therapy can help injury victims improve their range of motion or strengthen weakened muscles.

Individuals with TBIs can also benefit from occupational therapy to support independence, improve their quality of life, and treat the devastating emotional impact of a TBI.

A TBI’s prognosis largely depends on its severity, but several other factors play roles too. Some individuals may experience a substantial recovery and regain most lost function. Others might never see an improvement and rely on continual rehabilitation only to prevent their symptoms from worsening.

Sadly, treatment is usually less about full recovery and more geared toward managing a condition or disability.

A traumatic brain injury and the long-term symptoms it can cause mean victims often need to adjust to living with it. Severe TBIs can lead to degenerative conditions such as dementia, as well as shortened life expectancy.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that a moderate brain injury reduces life expectancy by nine years. It also makes an individual 50 times more likely to die from a seizure, nine times more likely to die from an infection, and six times more likely to die from pneumonia.

If a person survives a traumatic brain injury, they’re likely to require multiple trips to the hospital over time. They may even lose their job and will likely need help from family or friends to complete the most basic tasks. Living with a TBI can also mean a loss of enjoyment and overall satisfaction with life, which can result in substance or alcohol abuse.

Under Texas law, any person who sustains a brain injury in an accident caused through no fault of their own may be able to recover compensation from whoever was responsible. Our San Antonio head injury lawyer at the Patino Law Firm can help you determine if you have a claim.

Of course, a TBI can have a devastating, even permanent, impact on the person who has suffered head trauma, but it’s easy to forget about the effect it also has on those closest to them.

If your loved one has suffered a brain injury, you can be a pillar of strength, support, and encouragement, but it’s vital to know that it’s okay — and completely normal — if you’re struggling, too.

It is heartbreaking to see a loved one deteriorate, struggle to communicate, or lose their independence, and to know that they might never get better and be the person they were before their accident.

TBIs can also massively impact financial stability:

  • A stay-at-home parent might suddenly become the breadwinner of a household.
  • A family might need to consider moving house to accommodate a disabled loved one.
  • Rising medical treatment and rehabilitation costs might lead to bankruptcy or force you to take out loans, destroying your credit rating.

Family members should acknowledge that it’s not selfish to care for yourself, too. Looking after yourself might include taking an afternoon to enjoy a hobby or go to a class, speaking to a therapist, or visiting a support group.

A San Antonio brain injury lawyer can help by exploring your options for loss of consortium compensation, helping you pay for medical treatment by organizing loans or delaying payment until a personal injury claim is resolved, and taking pressure from your plate by collecting evidence for your loved one’s claim and dealing with insurance adjusters.

The decision to return to work after a concussion depends on the severity of the injury, the type of work you do, and your healthcare provider’s recommendations.

The CDC states that most individuals will be well enough to return to work after a concussion after two or three days, but those with more severe symptoms such as dizziness or headaches may need longer, especially those who are on their feet all day, drive, lift heavy objects, or work with complex or dangerous equipment.

You should always follow your doctor’s guidance. If they advise you to take a week off work but you feel well and are anxious to return to work, you should still stay at home. Likewise, if they recommend rest and minimal screen time, you shouldn’t spend your days off going to town or staring at your cell phone.

If you return to work too soon, you put yourself at risk of aggravating your injury. Sustaining even minor head trauma before a concussion has fully healed can cause a moderate or severe brain injury.

Violating your doctor’s orders can also impact your personal injury claim, particularly if your health deteriorates. For example, you might return to work the day after sustaining a mild concussion because you feel fine, only to have a dizzy spell and bump your head, causing a minor bleed. If you need surgery and additional time off work to recover, you might struggle to recover those losses because you should not have been back at work.

There are many potential causes of traumatic brain injuries in San Antonio, ranging from auto collisions like car accidents and truck accidents to slips and falls or workplace injuries.

Slips and falls: Falls are a common cause of TBI that can affect anyone. A slip while walking down the street can cause catastrophic injury to young children or older adults, but head injuries can be equally devastating to someone who suffers a work injury by falling from a height, such as a ladder, staircase, or raised platform.

Motor vehicle accidents: Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of TBI. They can occur when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, or object, such as in:

Sports: People who play certain sports, such as football and boxing, are more at risk of sustaining a TBI due to the physical nature of the sport, where it’s not uncommon to sustain head trauma.

While certain types of accidents are more likely to cause TBIs, a traumatic brain injury can occur in any scenario resulting in a blow to the head, whether a punch, explosion, shunt, or fall on a hard surface.

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury due to the actions of someone else, our brain injury attorneys in San Antonio can explore whether you have a claim and help you get the compensation you deserve.

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