The emergency room doctor's words echo in your mind: "traumatic brain injury." In the days since your accident, you've struggled with confusion, personality changes, and devastating physical symptoms. Meanwhile, the insurance adjuster is pushing for a quick settlement that barely covers immediate medical bills—let alone the decades of care you might need.
This moment demands more than a routine legal response. At Alderson Law, trial-ready attorney Ryan P. Alderson specializes in serious injury cases throughout upstate South Carolina, including traumatic brain injury claims. He knows how to build powerful cases that insurance companies cannot dismiss, working with leading medical experts to document injuries that may not be fully apparent for months or years after your accident.
Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries and Their Life-Changing Impact
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when external force causes damage to the brain, disrupting normal function. Unlike a broken bone that heals with time, brain injuries often create permanent changes that affect every aspect of a person's life.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that “a moderate or severe TBI may lead to long-term or life-long health problems that may affect all aspects of a person's life. These health problems have been described as being similar to the effects of a chronic disease.” Although statistics change often, the CDC also cites ongoing research that estimates when someone experiences a serious TBI:
- “57% are moderately or severely disabled.”
- “55% do not have a job (but were employed at the time of their injury).”
- “50% return to a hospital at least once.”
- “33% rely on others for help with everyday activities.”
Common Causes of TBIs
While any blow or jolt to the head can cause injury, certain circumstances create particularly high risks:
- Motor vehicle collisions. Auto accidents, especially those involving head-on impacts or rollovers, frequently cause TBIs when occupants strike their heads on windows, steering wheels, or other surfaces—or when the force of impact causes the brain to move violently within the skull.
- Falls. Slip and fall accidents in grocery stores, construction sites, or poorly maintained properties can result in serious head trauma, particularly for older adults whose balance and bone density make them more vulnerable to injury.
- Workplace accidents. Construction workers, warehouse employees, and others working in industrial settings face elevated risks from falling objects, equipment malfunctions, and falls from heights.
- Sports injuries. Contact sports create repeated impacts that may cause both acute injuries and cumulative damage over time, with symptoms sometimes not appearing until years after the original trauma.
- Assaults. Physical attacks involving blows to the head or shaking often cause significant brain damage, particularly in cases involving domestic violence or child abuse.
What Are Key Symptoms of TBIs?
Brain injury symptoms vary widely depending on the severity and location of damage. Some appear immediately, while others emerge gradually over the course of weeks or months.
Physical symptoms often include:
- Persistent headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vision problems
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Difficulty with balance and coordination
Many victims also experience profound fatigue and sleep disturbances that affect their ability to function normally.
Cognitive changes can be equally devastating. Victims may struggle with:
- Memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Slowed thinking
- Trouble processing information
These challenges often make it impossible to return to previous employment or manage daily responsibilities.
Emotional and behavioral symptoms frequently include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Personality changes that strain relationships with family and friends
Some victims experience inappropriate social behavior or lack of impulse control that creates new challenges in their personal and professional lives.
Long-Term Impact of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Mild traumatic brain injuries, often called concussions, typically resolve within weeks or months with proper rest and treatment. However, even these seemingly minor injuries create lasting problems when not managed correctly or when repeated injuries occur before full recovery.
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries often result in permanent impairments that require decades of specialized care. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, the lifetime cost of care routinely surpasses $3 million, which includes, but isn’t limited to:
- Long-term medical care and rehabilitation services
- Home modifications to accommodate wheelchairs or other mobility aids
- Specialized equipment and assistive technology
- Full-time or part-time caregiving assistance
- Lost income from inability to work
- Reduced earning capacity throughout the victim's lifetime
- Pain and suffering from permanent disability
- Loss of enjoyment of life and inability to maintain relationships
Why Is Legal Representation Critical in Brain Injury Cases?
When negligence is involved, these claims involve substantially higher stakes than most personal injury cases, making insurance companies far more willing to dispute liability and minimize damages. Attempting to handle these claims without experienced legal representation puts your family's financial future at risk.
South Carolina brain injury lawyer Ryan Alderson's background as a prosecutor gave him extensive courtroom experience that translates directly to savvy personal injury litigation. Insurance companies pay attention when they see trial-ready attorneys who know how to present compelling cases before juries.
This reputation often leads to better settlement offers, as insurance companies recognize that Ryan won't accept inadequate compensation just to avoid trial. When settlements fail to provide fair recovery, he stands ready to take cases before juries who understand the devastating impact of brain injuries on you and your family.
What Compensation Might Be Available in TBI Claims?
When you suffer a brain injury due to someone else’s wrongdoing, South Carolina law allows you to pursue several categories of damages.
Economic
These include all quantifiable financial losses, from medical bills and rehabilitation costs to lost wages and reduced earning capacity. Economic damages also cover the cost of home modifications, specialized equipment, and long-term care needs.
Non-Economic
Physical pain, emotional suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and inability to maintain relationships deserve compensation even though they cannot be calculated with mathematical precision. Juries often award substantial non-economic damages in brain injury cases after hearing testimony about how injuries have devastated victims' quality of life.
Punitive
In cases involving particularly reckless conduct—such as drunk driving or gross negligence—courts may award additional damages designed to punish wrongdoers and deter similar behavior in the future.
How Does Our Greenville Brain Injury Lawyer Establish Your Case?
TBI claims require sophisticated legal strategies that go far beyond standard personal injury claims. These cases often involve conflicting medical opinions, complex causation questions, and insurance companies willing to invest substantial resources fighting high-value claims.
Ryan Alderson approaches every brain injury case as if it will go to trial, building a foundation that gives him maximum leverage during settlement negotiations while preparing to present compelling evidence before a jury if necessary.
Establishing Clear Liability
It’s critical to prove that another party's negligence directly caused your injury. This requires thorough investigation of the accident circumstances, collection of physical evidence, witness interviews, and often consultation with accident reconstruction experts who can demonstrate exactly how the incident occurred.
For example, in motor vehicle cases, this might involve analyzing traffic camera footage, vehicle black box data, and cell phone records. In premises liability claims, it’s necessary to document hazardous conditions, review maintenance records, and establish the property owner knew or should have known about dangers that caused your fall.
Working With Leading Medical Experts
Insurance companies frequently hire doctors to examine brain injury victims and provide opinions minimizing the severity of injuries or suggesting alternative causes for symptoms. Countering these defense tactics requires equally qualified medical experts who explain your injuries clearly to juries and refute spurious claims.
At Alderson Law, our team works with neurologists, neuropsychologists, and other specialists who can:
- Document the full extent of brain damage through advanced imaging and testing.
- Explain how injuries affect daily functioning and future capabilities.
- Provide detailed life care plans projecting future medical needs and costs.
- Testify about causation linking symptoms directly to the accident rather than pre-existing conditions.
Calculating Comprehensive Damages
Quick settlement offers from insurance companies rarely account for the true lifetime cost of traumatic brain injuries. Ryan works with economists and life care planners to develop detailed projections of future needs. He’s in pursuit of a successful result that doesn’t leave anything on the table and establishes a foundation for proper care and financial stability.
Time Is Critical in Brain Injury Cases
South Carolina's statute of limitations generally gives injury victims three years from the date of their accident to file lawsuits. However, waiting even weeks to retain legal representation can jeopardize your claim.
Critical evidence disappears quickly after accidents. Security footage gets overwritten, witnesses forget crucial details, and accident scenes change as property owners make repairs or weather alters conditions. Insurance companies deploy teams of investigators within hours of being notified about serious injuries, gathering evidence to minimize their liability while you're still reeling from trauma.
Starting your case immediately allows Ryan Alderson to level the playing field, acting as your advocate who understands what's at stake and stands ready to fight for the full compensation you and your family deserve. We’re at our best to get you through the worst.
Call a Greenville Brain Injury Lawyer You Can Trust
After experiencing life-altering traumatic brain injuries due to someone else’s wrongdoing, you need a trial-ready attorney who goes the distance. Our Greenville office serves clients throughout the upstate region, including Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee, Cherokee, Union, Laurens, Abbeville, Greenwood, Newberry, and Chester counties. Contact us today to schedule your no-obligation consultation.
