Salt Lake City Brain Injury Attorneys

Serving Utah Injury Victims Since 2000

Brain injuries have life-long consequences and require enormous expenditures for medical treatment. Unlike other wounds, there is no “recovery” from brain damage—meaning patients may continue to need care indefinitely. Finding the means to care for yourself or a loved one with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be difficult. However, if someone else was to blame for this injury, our team may be able to help.

Because brain injury cases are so complex, obtaining a successful result in a TBI claim requires a special skill set that few attorneys possess. Our team at Cutt, Kendell & Olson is highly experienced in cases involving traumatic brain injuries. We understand the special care and services victims and their families require in order to live meaningful lives. We also understand how to build strong and persuasive cases that maximize the compensation our clients receive.

Over our decades in practice, we’ve built a reputation for being able to fight complex cases and have developed solid relationships amongst the brain injury community. If you or a loved one needs legal support, please reach out to us for your free consultation.

Call Cutt, Kendell & Olson at (801) 901-3470 to speak with one of our Salt Lake City brain injury attorneys. We are here to fight for those who were hurt by others’ negligence. 

How We Determine the Value of Your Brain Injury Case

In cases involving traumatic brain injuries, Cutt, Kendell & Olson works closely with the treating physicians to understand the extent of the injury and its effects on the patient. We also bring in specialists such as neurologists and neuropsychologists to ensure each patient has a thorough evaluation that allows us to consider how your TBI will impact your future.

By partnering with speech therapists, vocational and rehabilitation specialists, life-care planners, and economists who are trained to identify the additional care and services the client will need in the future, we itemize the costs of a TBI in a way that a judge and jury can understand. Because an insurance company is likely to challenge the amount of compensation you are requesting after a severe injury like a TBI, we work with these experts to create claims that are specific and evidence-based.

Our firm will fight to recover compensation for the following damages:

• Medical treatment, hospital bills, and doctor visits.
• Quality of life services for long-term disability.
• Loss of future earning potential.
• Lost wages from missing work.
• Pain and suffering and other non-economic damages

Having the resources to care for yourself and loved ones after a brain injury can change the course of your future drastically. Our team takes every step to make sure you are—and will be—taken care of.

We Are Active Supporters of Brain Injury Victims

FAQ: Brain Injury and TBI

If you or a loved one suffered a TBI, you may have questions regarding the nature of the injury and how your life will change because of it. In addition to contacting national and local resources like the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and the Brain Injury Alliance of Utah (BIAU), we recommend a free consultation with our firm about your legal options. If you are eligible to receive financial compensation, we want to do our part to help.

We talk to many prospective clients who are exploring their options after a TBI, and in these discussions, we have identified questions that arise more often than not. Here are the basics of TBI as it relates to personal injury law. For more clarification, or if you have further questions, please contact our firm.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

According to CEMM, “a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a blow or jolt to the head or penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain.”

TBIs can range from mild to severe and result in short- or long-term problems with independent function. Not every brain injury is a TBI. As their name suggests, TBIs are typically linked to traumatic events.

What Causes TBI?

The leading causes of TBI among Americans are falls and motor vehicle accidents.

An in-depth report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found:

• 35.2% of TBIs result from falls
• 17.3% of TBIs are caused by traffic accidents
• 16.5% of TBIs occur when the head is “struck by or against” something
• 11% of TBIs are the consequence of an assault

Blast injuries are also a leading cause of TBI for active-duty military personnel, and especially among youth, sports injuries are a common culprit as well.

How Do You Determine the Severity of a TBI?

TBIs can be mild, moderate, or severe and classification is based on how long you are unconscious, whether your memory or mental state is affected, and the results of neuroimaging tests.

If you suffer a brain injury, prompt treatment and monitoring can mitigate the symptoms and long-term effects of your injury.

Symptoms of mild TBIs, sometimes referred to as “concussions” include:

• Headaches and dizziness
• Excessive fatigue
• Irritability
• Ringing in the ears
• Blurred or double vision
• Problems with balance
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Problems concentrating or remembering

If you suffer a mild TBI, you should recover consciousness within 30 minutes and return to a normal frame of mind within 24 hours. While your brain can “bounce back” from a concussion, multiple concussions can lead to more serious injuries including lasting brain damage.

Moderate to severe TBI is characterized by a loss of consciousness that exceeds 30 minutes and lasting symptoms. While patients with these injuries may be able to recover somewhat through rehabilitation, there is no guarantee of significant improvement, and doctors cannot identify when a patient is more likely to regain some functionality.

Moderate and severe TBIs cause symptoms including:

• Extended unconsciousness
• Seizures and convulsions
• Coma
• Severe headaches
• Chronic pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Muscle spasms
• Paralysis
• Sleep disturbances
• Amnesia and/or memory loss
• Confusion, restlessness, or agitation
• Trouble understanding and concentrating
• Inability or difficulty speaking
• Sensory changes or deprivation
• Vision changes or loss of vision
• Loss of bowel and/or bladder control

As the names suggest, moderate TBIs are the less serious type of injury; patients may display fewer symptoms and be more likely to recover from these injuries. However, even a “moderate” TBI can make someone unable to return to their previous job or live their life as they did before.

How Will a Brain Injury Impact My Day-to-Day Life?

Depending on its severity, your brain injury could cause permanent disability. If your injury results in cognitive impairment, you may be unable to hold an intellectually demanding job. If your injury affects the emotional systems of your brain, you may need psychological care and have difficulty maintaining personal relationships. Unfortunately, 46% of people with moderate to severe TBIs go through a divorce within 5 years of their injury.

Often, brain injuries impair movement and strength, as well. If this is the case for you, you may need assistive care and devices. The extent to which a TBI affects your life will depend on your specific symptoms and their severity. We can connect you with a life care planner if you have questions about what your life may look like in the future.

At Cutt, Kendell & Olson, we proudly contribute time, money, and legal insight to the Brain Injury Association of Utah. Helping brain injury victims and their families is a central mission at our firm. While legal assistance is the best tool for some TBI patients, others need the kind of support that only an established organization like BIAU can provide.

If you want to determine whether you are eligible for compensation after suffering a TBI, our trial attorneys can help. Our civil court system protects those who were injured by others. However, securing the help you need may only be possible with an experienced attorney on your side. Our team has the experience and knowledge to help you fight a TBI case.

For case-specific questions and personalized legal support after a TBI, reach out to our team at (801) 901-3470. We offer free, no-obligation consultations to patients in and around Salt Lake City.