Portland Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, often leaves a person impaired and unable to function as they had prior to the injury. In many cases, a TBI is completely life-changing, leading to chronic pain, reduced function or disability, and a lifetime of challenges, or loss of life. If you are suffering from the effects of a TBI that was the result of negligent actions of another party, the Portland traumatic brain injury attorneys at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC can help. Call today for a free case evaluation.
Portland Brain Injury Resources
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Why Choose Our Brain Injury Attorney?
Meet John Coletti
Common Traumatic Brain Injuries
Who is Most at Risk of Suffering a Brain Injury?
Traumatic Brain Injury Statistics
Liability for a Traumatic Brain Injury
How Long Do You Have to File a Claim?
Why Do You Need a Brain Injury Lawyer?
Potential Compensation in Your Case
Portland Brain Injury FAQs
Areas We Serve
Speak to a Lawyer Today
Why Choose Our Portland Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney?
The attorneys at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC understand the legal and strategic aspects of brain injury cases. We bring unique capabilities to representing victims of traumatic brain injury, including:
- We are aggressive negotiators and experienced Portland personal injury trial lawyers. We will not hesitate to take your brain injury case to trial to seek to recover the maximum possible compensation.
- We maintain a small caseload so that we can give personal, undivided attention to the clients that we represent.
- We are honest and transparent with our clients, acting at all times in their best interests rather than our own.
Meet Brain Injury Attorney John Coletti
As one of the partners at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC, John Coletti has years of experience handling complex brain damage cases across the state of Oregon. Mr. Coletti has dedicated his career to fighting on behalf of accident victims who have suffered harm due to the negligent acts of other people or parties. From collecting evidence to negotiating with the other party’s insurance company, clients trust him to handle every aspect of their case with care and attention.
Mr. Coletti works closely with the other lawyers at his firm, so every client benefits from the combined perspectives and experience of multiple legal professionals. He has secured numerous favorable trial verdicts and settlements for former clients.
Common Traumatic Brain Injuries
A brain injury can occur in a wide range of accidents. However, there are certain types of incidents in which they are more common, including:
- Automobile, bicycle, or motorcycle crashes
- Boating accidents
- Accidents at construction sites (e.g., objects falling from above, falling off of ladders or scaffolding)
- Sports accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
Whatever the root cause of your injury, we can help. From vehicle accidents to sports injury lawsuits in Portland, our attorneys have the experience and skills necessary to litigate your case. Depending on the type of impact, a TBI can cause substantial and long-lasting harm. Each type of injury can have effects that range from mild to severe.
- Concussion: An impact that causes the brain to move within the skull.
- Contusion: A bruise on the brain resulting from a blow to the head. This injury can require surgery and can result in serious long-term effects.
- Coup-Contrecoup: An impact so great that it causes the brain to strike against the skull on the opposite side. Both sides of the brain are damaged in these cases.
- Diffuse Axonal Injury: An impact so violent that it causes tears in the brain stem. This is an especially dangerous injury, one that frequently leads to loss of life.
- Penetrating Injury: The skull and brain are penetrated by an object. This can cause severe bleeding, blood clots, loss of oxygen flow or death. Multiple surgeries and other treatments may be necessary for those who survive.
Who is Most at Risk of Suffering a Brain Injury?
When we examine information available from the Brain Injury Association of America, we can see that brain injuries are the leading cause of disability and death in children and younger adults across the country. The two age groups at most risk of sustaining a brain injury are those ranging from 0 to 4 and from 15 to 19.
Every year, approximately 62,000 children sustain brain injuries that require hospitalization. The main causes of these injuries typically revolve around traumatic incidents, such as motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, falls, physical abuse, and various other causes. Approximately 564,000 children are seen in emergency departments every year for a brain injury and released before hospitalization.
Traumatic Brain Injury Statistics
When we examine information available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we can see that there are approximately 69,000 traumatic brain injury-related fatalities in the US in 2021, the most recent reporting year of data we have on file. That equates to approximately 190 traumatic brain injury deaths each day across the country.
Information available from the Mayo Clinic states that those most at risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury include the following:
- Children, particularly newborns through age 4
- Young adults between the ages of 15 and 24
- Adults age 60 and over
Overall, males are more likely to sustain traumatic brain injuries than females, typically due to their level of activity, the sports they play, and the jobs they maintain. However, the fact that males are more likely to sustain traumatic brain injuries should not be taken to mean that females are not at risk at all. They are. Traumatic brain injuries can affect individuals of any age, regardless of sex.
Who is Liable for a Traumatic Brain Injury in Portland?
Liability for a traumatic brain injury is complicated, and these incidents require extensive investigations. These investigations can take place by law enforcement officials, depending on how the injury occurred, and should always include investigations by attorneys involved with the case. The goal of these cases is to determine the negligence of the at-fault party.
For a traumatic brain injury, some of the possible liable parties include:
- Vehicle drivers
- Property owners
- Property managers
- Companies or manufacturers of defective products
- Landlords or tenants
Determining liability will be different depending on how the traumatic brain injury occurred. For example, investigating a vehicle accident is a different process than investigating a slip and fall incident at a grocery store. When you work with a skilled Portland brain injury lawyer, you will have an advocate with the resources needed to conduct an investigation into the incident, speak to any eyewitnesses, and handle all communication with other parties.
Every case must be professionally investigated to identify all liable parties, and Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC can help.
How Long Do You Have to File a Claim?
It is important for traumatic brain injury victims to file their claims in a timely manner. When we examine Oregon law, we can see that a traumatic brain injury case must be filed within two years from the date the injury occurred, per the state’s personal injury statute of limitations. This means brain injury victims have a two-year window with which to file a personal injury lawsuit, or they will not be able to recover the compensation they are entitled to.
We do want to issue a word of caution about insurance carriers because they have deadlines as well. We encourage you to file your claim with any insurance carriers involved in the case as quickly as possible to avoid a denial or delay of the case.
Why Do You Need a Portland Brain Injury Lawyer?
Your Portland brain injury attorney is your advocate for these claims. The process of filing and winning a brain injury case is challenging and begins with your attorney getting involved and conducting a complete investigation into the incident. Most individuals do not have the resources needed to handle these cases themselves, but an attorney will take through the facts of the case, speak to eyewitnesses, and even bring in outside expert witnesses if necessary.
Your lawyer will also ensure you are evaluated by trusted medical and economic professionals, and they will handle any negotiations with the insurance carriers to reach a fair settlement. In the event the other side refuses to offer a fair settlement, your attorney will file a civil personal injury lawsuit in court and begin the discovery process. If the case makes it to trial, your lawyer will represent you in the courtroom.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Traumatic Brain Injury?
There may be various types of compensation available for brain injury victims in the Portland area if their claim is successful. Our goal is to ensure clients recover compensation for their economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages after a Portland brain injury include the calculable expenses victims will likely endure. By gathering receipts, invoices, and bills that come in after the incident occurs, an attorney can paint a picture of the calculable types of losses you endure. This typically includes:
- Coverage of all emergency and ongoing medical bills
- Payment of any medications, physical therapy, or medical devices
- Compensation for lost wages if a victim cannot work
- Assistance with various household out-of-pocket expenses
- Property damage expenses
Non-economic damages after a brain injury include the more immeasurable and subjective losses individuals are likely to incur. These types of injuries can have a profound impact on a person’s day-to-day life and long-term viability. Non-economic damages seek to provide compensation for a victim’s physical and emotional pain suffering, as well as any loss of quality of life they endure.
There is no set amount of economic or non-economic compensation available for these claims. The total amount will vary depending on factors related to each specific case, along with the insurance carrier and jury calculations.
In rare instances, punitive damages may be awarded. These types of damages are reserved for situations where the actions of the defendant were found to be grossly negligent or intentional.
Portland Brain Injury FAQs
Our Portland brain injury lawyers understand that you probably have a lot of questions following your serious accident. We’ve answered some of the most commonly asked questions pertaining to brain injuries in the following section. If your question is not answered below, please give our law firm a call to schedule your free initial consultation. We are happy to discuss the details of your unique case and explain your legal options.
How Long Does a Typical Brain Injury Lawsuit Take?
Every head injury claim is unique, and there’s no set timeline for how long a specific case will take to be fully resolved. A serious brain injury frequently has a life-changing impact on the victim and is oftentimes considered a catastrophic injury. Cases involving serious injuries can take longer to litigate, as your attorney will need to collect evidence, interview witnesses, negotiate with the insurance company, and secure expert testimony. Please contact our law offices to schedule a consultation to discuss the timeline of your unique case in greater detail.
How Will a Lawyer Prove That Your Accident Was Caused by Negligence?
In order to demonstrate that your brain injury was caused by another person or party’s negligence, your attorney must show the following four conditions:
- The other party owed you a duty of care.
- The other party breached that duty of care.
- Your injury is directly connected to the other party’s failure to uphold their duty of care.
- You suffered significant harm due to the other party’s negligent actions.
A brain injury claim can quickly become complex. You should seek the assistance of an injury attorney that is familiar with this type of case, as they will be able to investigate your accident and determine who may be held liable for your wounds.
How Can You Choose the Right Attorney for Your Case?
Searching for legal help can be a daunting task, particularly if you have never had cause to work with an injury attorney before. Some questions that you should ask of a lawyer before deciding to hire them for your case include:
- What kinds of cases do you handle regularly?
- How much experience do you have with brain injury lawsuits?
- How long have you handled brain injury cases?
- Do you try lawsuits in court?
- How am I expected to pay for the legal services I receive?
- Who will be my main point of contact throughout the duration of my case?
- How long do you expect a case of this nature to take?
- Can you provide an approximate valuation of what you believe my case may be worth?
Keep in mind that, while not every case goes to trial, it’s a good idea to select an attorney that has trial experience. In some cases, going to trial may be the only way for you to secure fair compensation for your injuries, and you don’t want to accept an insufficient settlement offer. It’s important to also remember that you may be working alongside the lawyer(s) assigned to your case for a period of months or even longer than a year. Choose an attorney whose personality meshes well with your own.
Areas We Serve
We serve areas across Portland, including but not limited to:
Arlington Heights, Forest Park, Goose Hollow, Hillside, Linnton, Northwest District, Old Town, Pearl District, Downtown, Sylvan – Highlands, Arnold Creek, Ashcreek, Bridlemile, Collins View, Crestwood, Far Southwest, Hayhurst, Hillsdale, Homestead, Marshall Park, Multnomah, South Burlingame, South Portland, Southwest Hills, West Portland Park, Arbor Lodge, Bridgeton, Cathedral Park, East Columbia, Piedmont, Portsmouth, St Johns, University Park, Alameda, Concordia, Eliot, Lloyd District, Cully, Hollywood, Rose City Park, Hazelwood, Parkrose Heights, Pleasant Valley, Woodland Park, Brooklyn, Eastmoreland, Kerns, Laurelhurst, Montavilla, North Tabor, Richmond, Sunnyside, Woodstock.
Contact Us Today
Call Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC or contact us online for a free, confidential case consultation. We charge no fees unless we win.