Brain Injury Lawyer in Richmond, VA
Get help pursuing a claim that accounts for changes in your memory, work, and everyday life after an accident.
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80+ Years Combined
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Practicing Personal Injury Law
Since 1973
A Brain Injury May Be Hard to See
You may have left the emergency room able to walk and talk, then found that reading an email, following a conversation, or getting through a workday takes much more effort. Those changes deserve medical attention, even when there is no obvious wound.
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, affects how the brain works. It can result from a blow to the head or a forceful movement of the head and brain during an accident. A concussion is a form of mild TBI. “Mild” does not mean the symptoms are unimportant, and some symptoms may take hours or days to appear.
Recovery differs from person to person. Many people improve after a concussion; others have symptoms that persist. Moderate and severe injuries may require ongoing rehabilitation or assistance. Your healthcare providers should assess your symptoms and guide your treatment and return to activities.
Get emergency help for danger signs. After a head injury, a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, seizures, increasing confusion, or difficulty waking can require immediate emergency care. Call 911 or go to an emergency department. These are examples, not a complete list.
How a Brain Injury Can Affect Everyday Life
A person who looks physically recovered may still struggle with tasks that were routine before the accident.
- Memory and concentration: remembering appointments, keeping track of instructions, or completing a task without repeatedly starting over.
- Work: maintaining pace, handling interruptions, making decisions, or tolerating a full shift.
- Mood and relationships: changes in patience, emotional responses, or the ability to participate in family conversations.
- Sleep and physical comfort: headaches, fatigue, disrupted sleep, sensitivity to light or noise, and balance problems.
- Independence: needing reminders or help with activities the person previously managed alone.
Not everyone experiences all of these changes.
Accidents That Can Lead to a Brain Injury Claim
Brain injuries can occur in car accidents, truck crashes, and motorcycle collisions, as well as collisions involving pedestrians or bicyclists. Falls and impacts from falling objects can also cause head trauma.
For an injury caused by an unsafe property condition, our slip and fall and premises liability pages explain the accident-related issues.
An injury alone does not establish liability. A negligence claim requires proof that someone owed you a legal duty, failed to meet it, and caused your injury and losses.
If the injury happened at work, workers’ compensation rules can restrict who may be sued. A claim against a legally responsible third party may be possible, but another company’s involvement does not automatically make it a proper defendant. Collier & Collier handles third-party personal injury claims, not workers’ compensation claims.
What If the Insurance Company Blames You?
Virginia’s contributory negligence rule can bar recovery when your own negligence was a proximate cause of the accident, even if your part was small. Being blamed by an adjuster is not the same as that defense being proved. The circumstances and any applicable exceptions need legal review.
Documenting the Injury and What Changed
A traumatic brain injury claim has to connect the accident, the medical findings, and the effect on your life. Different records answer different questions.
Medical records establish the clinical history. Emergency evaluations, follow-up visits, and work restrictions help show how symptoms developed. Clinicians may also assess memory, attention, and other thinking skills. Your healthcare providers determine which tests you need.
Daily-life evidence makes the effects specific. Shortened work shifts or new help needed with appointments show how your routine has changed. Family members and coworkers may have relevant observations that support, but do not replace, the medical record.
Keep records you already have, and tell your healthcare provider about new or continuing symptoms. You do not need to assemble a complete medical file before asking us to review your case.
Compensation for the Effects of a Brain Injury
Depending on the evidence and legal responsibility, a brain injury claim may include compensation for:
- Medical evaluation and treatment, including reasonably expected future care.
- Rehabilitation and assistance needed because of the injury.
- Income lost while you could not work and a supported reduction in future earning ability.
- Physical pain, mental anguish, and inconvenience caused by the injury.
- Lasting effects on your health and ability to carry out everyday activities.
Future losses need support. A temporary work restriction, for example, does not by itself establish that someone will never work again. Medical opinions, the person’s job duties, and other evidence help distinguish current limitations from reasonably expected long-term consequences.
Changes in family life can help explain the injured person’s losses. They do not automatically give every family member a separate compensation claim.
How Long Do You Have to File in Virginia?
Virginia generally allows two years from the date an injury is sustained to file a personal injury lawsuit. Discovering symptoms later does not automatically start a new two-year period.
Exceptions can apply, including rules involving minors or legal incapacity. A brain injury diagnosis alone does not establish that a deadline is paused. Claims involving government entities can also have earlier notice requirements, and medical-negligence cases require separate analysis.
Have the applicable deadlines checked early. Contacting an insurer or asking a law firm to review a case is not the same as filing a lawsuit.
Working With Collier & Collier
Collier & Collier is a small, family-operated personal injury firm in Richmond. Clients have direct contact with the attorneys and staff handling their cases. We represent injured people in Richmond and surrounding communities, including Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover.
If we take your case, our work includes gathering evidence, dealing with the insurance company, and preparing to pursue the claim in court when needed. You can discuss an offer with your attorney in light of the medical evidence and the losses it would need to address.
Case reviews are free. The firm works on a contingency basis, with attorney fees payable only if the case settles or is won. Litigation expenses are separate from attorney fees; their treatment should be clear in the written fee agreement before representation begins.
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Brain Injury Claim Questions
If the accident also caused a spinal cord injury, our spinal cord injury lawyer page explains how a claim may address its effects on movement, independence, and care needs.
For an overview of claims involving serious, lasting harm, visit our Catastrophic & Severe Injuries page.
Talk With a Richmond Brain Injury Lawyer
If an accident has left you dealing with changes in memory, concentration, or the ability to work, contact Collier & Collier for a free case review. We can discuss what happened and whether a personal injury claim may help address your losses.
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