Few moments are more frightening for a parent than hearing that their child has suffered a brain injury. Whether the injury occurred in a car accident, bike crash, or another incident caused by negligence, the weeks that follow can bring hospital visits, medical decisions, insurance claims, and concerns about how the injury may affect the child’s future.
Adolescents are at a unique stage of development because their brains are still maturing. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can interfere with learning, memory, emotional regulation, and social development. Many young people recover well, while others may need ongoing therapy, rehabilitation, or educational support.
If your child suffered a brain injury because of someone else’s negligence in San Diego, California, they may have the right to seek compensation. Mission Personal Injury Lawyers can help.
Contact us today at (619) 777-5555 to schedule a free consultation with a San Diego adolescent brain injury lawyer.
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Why Choose Mission Personal Injury Lawyers for Help After an Adolescent Brain Injury in San Diego, CA?
Brain injury cases in San Diego, CA, involving children and teenagers can be complex. The full effects of an injury may not become apparent right away. A teenager who seems to recover physically may later experience problems with learning, memory, behavior, or concentration.
Our San Diego personal injury lawyers can investigate what happened and evaluate how the injury may affect your child in the years ahead.
Families turn to Mission Personal Injury Lawyers for:
- A team of attorneys with over 43 years of combined experience handling personal injury cases.
- Over $150 million recovered for injury victims
- Detailed accident investigations
- Access to qualified experts, which is especially important because brain injury cases may require input from neurologists, life-care planners, economists, and other experts
- Attention to your case and reliable communication with your legal team
Mission Personal Injury Lawyers can handle the legal and insurance issues while you focus on your child’s treatment and recovery. Call us today to schedule a free consultation with a San Diego personal injury attorney.
What Is a San Diego Adolescent Brain Injury Case Worth?
The value of a claim usually depends on the seriousness of the injury and how it affects the child’s life. A concussion that resolves relatively quickly will be evaluated differently from an injury involving permanent cognitive impairment.
Factors that may affect the value of a claim include:
- The nature and severity of the brain injury
- The length of hospitalization
- Whether surgery was necessary
- The cost of past medical treatment
- The expected cost of future care
- The need for physical, occupational, or speech therapy
- Changes in memory, concentration, or judgment
- Emotional or behavioral changes
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Available insurance coverage and other potential sources of recovery
An adolescent may have decades of medical, educational, and personal needs ahead. Those future needs should be evaluated before a claim is resolved.
Our San Diego adolescent brain injury attorneys can help you understand the full scope of your child’s current and future needs and fight to ensure you receive fair compensation.
What Damages Are Available to Adolescent Brain Injury Victims in San Diego?
A brain injury can create financial losses and affect many parts of a teenager’s life. California personal injury damages may compensate an injured child for harm caused by another party’s negligence.
Economic damages can compensate for financial losses related to the injury.
Depending on the case, they may include:
- Emergency room treatment
- Hospitalization and surgery
- Prescription medications
- Physical, occupational, or speech therapy
- Future medical treatment
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Additional educational support and related expenses
A child with permanent impairments may also need a life-care plan estimating the cost of future treatment, assistance, equipment, and related services.
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, may compensate for the more personal, subjective losses that are not easily quantified.
These can compensate for losses such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety or depression
- Loss of quality of life
- Cognitive impairment
- Loss of independence
- Disfigurement
The value of these damages depends on how the injury affects the individual child.
Punitive damages are available only in limited cases. In California, an injured person generally must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with oppression, fraud, or malice. These damages are intended to punish particularly wrongful conduct and deter similar behavior.
Does a California Court Have to Approve My Child’s Brain Injury Settlement?
California has special procedures for resolving injury claims involving minors. A settlement of a child’s claim generally requires court approval so that the proposed resolution can be reviewed for the child’s benefit.
Depending on the circumstances, settlement funds may need to be deposited into a blocked account or handled through another court-approved arrangement. An attorney can explain how these procedures may apply to your child’s case.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a San Diego Adolescent Brain Injury Lawyer?
Mission Personal Injury Lawyers handles brain injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This arrangement allows families to obtain legal representation without paying attorney’s fees upfront.
Under this fee structure:
- You do not pay an initial attorney retainer
- Attorney’s fees are not billed by the hour
- The attorney’s fee is paid as a percentage of the compensation recovered
Our San Diego personal injury lawyers can explain the fee agreement and any case-related costs during a free consultation.
Contact a San Diego Adolescent Brain Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
An adolescent brain injury can affect a child’s health, education, independence, and plans for the future. Parents and other family members may also face difficult decisions as treatment continues.
If your child suffered a traumatic brain injury because of someone else’s negligence, your family may have legal options. Contact Mission Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation today. Our San Diego adolescent brain injury attorneys can review what happened, explain the claims process, and discuss the next steps available to your child.