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After a brain injury, medical scans and paperwork will most likely only tell part of your story. Memory issues, mood swings, headaches, and trouble focusing can all present themselves in the days after your accident. Symptoms may appear at different times and change in intensity, or develop in new ways as you recover.
Our experienced Tacoma brain injury lawyers can help you start getting ahead of your challenges before they grow. In the first week of taking your case, a Tacoma brain injury lawyer can start pulling records from every provider you’ve seen, stop direct calls from insurance adjusters, and line up the specialists you need to assess the full scope of your condition. The work we do can protect the value of your case before an insurer tries to minimize it.
If you or someone you care about is dealing with a brain injury in Tacoma, you may be entitled to compensation. Call (253) 383-4500 to speak directly with one of our brain injury attorneys who can guide you and fight for the compensation your case demands.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) don’t always manifest themselves in predictable timelines. Immediately after an accident, a person can appear alert and able to communicate and walk away without apparent injury. Days later symptoms like memory issues, dizziness, irritability, or headaches can start to appear. Insurance companies can try to use this delay to argue that the symptoms are from something else or that it’s not as serious as claimed.
Gaps in medical documentation can further complicate a case. For example, a break in appointments may be used by insurers to dispute the connection between an accident and the symptoms or the seriousness of an injury.
Further, Washington uses a “comparative fault” rule that reduces your recovery by the percentage of fault assigned to you for the accident. Suppose an individual makes a casual remark at the scene or in a recorded statement. Something as simple as “I’m okay” can be twisted into an admission that reduces the final recovery. Once an insurer has statements like this in their files, they can be hard to walk back.
Brain injuries can be expensive to prove and treat, so insurance companies will move quickly to contain costs. One common tactic is to treat any “normal” imaging results as if they settle the question of injury severity. The problem is, not all brain injuries are immediately apparent from standard scans.
Insurance companies also look for patterns in your medical history to create a shifted narrative. They may find a note about past headaches, a sports injury from years ago, or even an unrelated health issue and attempt to reframe it as the real source of your current problems.
Adjusters may even check your social media for moments they can take out of context. A short video of you smiling at a family gathering can be used to suggest you’re fine, even if you spent the rest of the day in bed.
Be sure to decline any recorded statement requests from the insurance company and direct any calls to the law firm.
Since some brain injuries don’t leave a visible mark on CT or MRI scans, you may need to seek other evidence for your injury.
Standard imaging does not always detect brain trauma. Cognitive testing that measures memory, concentration, and processing speed documents deficits that scans miss.
Progress notes from providers capture how symptoms evolve. Medication changes, like beginning migraine treatment or mood stabilizers, connect ongoing problems directly to the injury.
Supervisor notes, attendance records, and performance reviews establish changes in reliability, accuracy, or communication that did not exist before the accident.
Family members and close friends notice day-to-day shifts in energy, personality, and functioning. Their accounts provide context that medical records alone cannot capture.
Not all brain injuries are alike, and the type of injury can change how an attorney prepares the case.
Every category of brain injury carries different proof challenges. Our brain injury lawyer’s strategy adapts to the medical evidence available, whether that means securing advanced testing, coordinating with multiple specialists, or showing how “invisible” symptoms affect daily life.
After a brain injury, it’s common to see more than one type of specialist. In Tacoma, someone might leave an ER visit at St. Joseph Medical Center, get a neurology referral to MultiCare, and later start speech or occupational therapy at a rehab clinic closer to home.
It takes time to keep all that organized. Our attorneys can send record release forms so notes and test results arrive without repeated requests, help confirm follow-up dates, and stay in touch with clinics so treatments don’t stall.
If there are long time periods between visits or missed steps in treatment, an insurer may argue the injury is not as serious as reported. Steady care helps build a case that clearly shows cause and effect from the injury to the symptoms and challenges.
For injuries that cause permanent disability or life-changing limitations, see our Washington catastrophic injury attorneys page for in-depth information on severe injury cases.
From our first consultation, our focus is on establishing a complete and accurate record. Reports, documentation, and provider notes will all be verified and filed. Aside from the medical aspects, we’ll track down sources of evidence that can fade quickly if not captured: 911 audio, surveillance cam video, witness statements, etc.
If future care or income loss is likely, we’ll connect with specialists who can help predict and project treatment costs and impact on future earnings. We’ll also collect pay records and benefit statements to fully and concretely show the full financial impact of your injury.
Brain injuries can significantly change your daily life and routines. We will document the daily impacts of things like memory lapses, mood issues, difficulty handling normal responsibilities, time away from work, diminished productivity, as well as stresses or changes to relationships or family life, and how these all impact the financial recovery you deserve.
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means payment only comes from the recovery at the end of the case. You do not need to pay anything up front. Individual case expenses, like expert reviews or court filing costs, will be discussed in advance. No surprise costs. We’ll explain how those expenses are paid and give plain examples with actual numbers, so you know exactly how the process works before making any decisions.
The right information helps us evaluate your case and start building a complete picture from day one. Here’s what you should bring:
Bring what you have even if you can’t gather everything right away. We’ll help you track down the rest.
Do I have a case if symptoms appeared days after the injury?
Yes. Many brain injuries develop or worsen over time, and delayed symptoms are common. Medical records and expert evaluations can still connect your condition to the accident.
How soon should I call a lawyer after a head injury?
The earlier the better. Quick involvement allows important evidence to be preserved and helps avoid missteps with insurance.
Can I move forward if I said “I’m fine” at the scene?
Yes. Early statements made under stress are common and do not automatically prevent a case from moving forward.
What happens if the at-fault driver has minimal coverage?
Other options may exist, including uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage or pursuing additional liable parties.
How long do brain injury cases take in Washington?
Timelines vary based on injury severity, medical recovery, and the insurer’s willingness to negotiate. Some cases resolve in months, others take longer when trial is needed.
Will my case go to trial?
Most cases resolve through settlement, but preparation for trial can strengthen your position during negotiations.
Can a brain injury case be reopened if new symptoms appear later?
Only in specific situations, like if the case has not been fully settled or closed. Once resolved, reopening is difficult.
What if I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt when the injury happened?
You may still have a case, though recovery could be reduced under Washington’s comparative fault rules.
Should I talk to the insurance company before hiring a lawyer?
It’s safer to speak with a lawyer first. Anything said to an adjuster can be documented and used to reduce case value.
Do I have to see a doctor chosen by the insurance company?
Not for your own treatment, but they may request an independent medical exam. A lawyer can advise you on how to handle those requests.
You don’t need every document or piece of evidence ready before reaching out. The sooner we speak, the sooner we can start gathering what’s missing and keep insurers from shaping the story without your input.
Call (253) 383-4500 or reach out to us by email for a free consultation. A Tacoma brain injury lawyer will review your situation and build a compelling case to maximize compensation to account for the full scope of your losses, both present and future.