Brain & Spinal Injuries · Traumatic Brain Injury
Concussion or TBI that will not clear. And the insurer says the MRI looks fine?
TBIs change lives. We work with medical experts to prove the full extent of the harm and future care.
How we handle traumatic brain injury cases
A crash, a fall, or a blow changed how your brain works. Headaches, memory gaps, mood changes, light sensitivity, speech problems, or worse. The ER may have said "concussion, go home," while your life is not going back to normal. And the insurer is already treating it like a soft-tissue add-on.
Traumatic brain injury cases are won or lost on medicine, documentation, and future-care proof. Mild TBI can still be life-altering. Moderate and severe TBI can demand lifetime support. We build the record insurers try to shrug off.
We are D.R. Patti & Associates, a trial-focused Las Vegas personal injury firm, not a billboard settlement mill. When life-care is on the table, we fund the experts on our dime. Free consultation. Contingency fees. Call (702) 500-7070.
Related: catastrophic injury hub · spinal cord · car accidents · motorcycle accidents · slip and fall · truck accidents · beyond the other driver's insurance · why we fight · results
What is a traumatic brain injury in a legal case? A brain injury caused by trauma: impact, rapid acceleration-deceleration, penetrating injury, or related mechanisms. Labels range from concussion / mild TBI to moderate and severe TBI. The legal fight is proving mechanism, diagnosis, impairment, and future needs. Not winning a vocabulary contest.
Phone and voice searches we hear:
"ER said concussion but I still cannot work."; "Insurance says my MRI is normal so I am fine."; "Personality changed after the crash. Is that TBI?".
Normal imaging does not always equal normal brain function. Neurocognitive testing, specialist care, and consistent documentation matter. We will not invent a TBI out of a headache that resolved in three days. And we will not let an adjuster pretend ongoing cognitive disability is "just stress" when the medicine says otherwise.
What should I do if I suspect a TBI after a Nevada crash or fall? Get appropriate medical care, follow up when symptoms persist, track cognitive and mood changes, and do not give a recorded statement designed to minimize your injury.
Return to the ER or see a specialist if symptoms worsen: severe headache, vomiting, confusion, seizures, weakness.; Ask about concussion / TBI clinics or neurology referrals when symptoms linger.; Keep a simple symptom journal (sleep, work errors, headaches, mood).; Preserve helmets, damaged vehicle interiors, and scene photos when relevant.; Call counsel early. Tim treats intake like family. Life-care cases need early medical architecture, not month-six panic..
Call (702) 500-7070.
Why insurers lowball TBI claims Because many TBIs are "invisible," imaging can be unremarkable in mild cases, and symptoms overlap with depression, pain, and sleep loss. Adjusters exploit that ambiguity.
Their playbook:
Push a recorded statement while you are foggy; Highlight any normal CT; Blame pre-existing mental health or migraines; Argue gaps in treatment; Offer a soft-tissue number before neuropsychological testing exists.
We answer with treating records, specialist opinions, testing when warranted, vocational proof, and, in serious cases, life-care planning.
What does life-care mean in a TBI case? Building the real future cost: therapies, medications, attendant care, vocational loss, assistive technology, and medical follow-up over years or decades. Insurance companies love last month's ER bill. Life-care asks what the next 20, 40, or 60 years require.
When injuries warrant it, experts and investigation are on the firm's dime. Honesty both ways: we will not invent a life-care TBI out of a brief concussion that fully resolved, and we will not chase a fantasy number the records will not support. More: why we fight and catastrophic injury.
Who can be liable beyond the other driver? Municipality / roadway design, manufacturers, property owners (falls), commercial carriers, employers, and other actors when facts support additional fault. Thin auto limits are why multi-defendant investigation matters in severe TBI files. See beyond the other driver's insurance.
Common TBI mechanisms we see Car and truck crashes (including rear-end "minor impact" with real concussion); Motorcycle crashes; Pedestrian and bicycle impacts; Slip-and-fall and premises strikes; Assaults / negligent security (sometimes under premises liability).
Compensation Medical costs past and future, cognitive rehabilitation, lost income and earning capacity, attendant care, pain and loss of enjoyment, and wrongful-death damages when TBI leads to death. No honest flat "average TBI settlement."
Public results live on case results. We do not invent verdicts on this page. We do not mislabel accident types.
Deadlines Most Nevada personal injury and wrongful-death lawsuits generally must be filed within two years of the incident (confirm your clock). Waiting while symptoms evolve still risks evidence loss. Talk to Nevada counsel early.
Fees Contingency. No attorney fee until we recover. Case costs explained before you sign. Free consultation.
When we are right for you Documented brain injury with real functional impact, especially when future care and coverage layers matter. When we are not: resolved brief symptoms with no medical support for ongoing impairment, or demands disconnected from proof.
Talk to Tim. Get Dean's team building the medical and liability record while it still can be built.
Call (702) 500-7070 · Free consultation · Contingency fees · Las Vegas, Summerlin, Henderson, and Reno offices
Catastrophic injury · Spinal cord · Why we fight · Results · Beyond other driver's insurance · Car accidents · Motorcycle accidents
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a TBI if my CT or MRI looks normal?
Yes. Mild TBI / concussion often lacks dramatic imaging findings. Diagnosis can rest on history, symptoms, exam, and neurocognitive evaluation. Imaging helps; it is not the only proof.
How long after a crash can TBI symptoms appear?
Some appear immediately; others evolve over hours or days. Document changes and get follow-up care. Carriers attack gaps and late complaints.
Is a concussion a traumatic brain injury?
Concussion is typically classified as a mild TBI. "Mild" describes a medical category, not "minor life impact." Functional disability can still be serious.
Why does the insurer say my TBI is just anxiety or depression?
Mood and cognitive symptoms overlap, and adjusters exploit that. Differential diagnosis and consistent specialist care answer the minimization script.
What experts appear in serious TBI cases?
Treating physicians, neurologists, neuropsychologists, life-care planners, vocational experts, and sometimes reconstruction experts depending on the mechanism.
What is life-care planning in a TBI claim?
A disciplined projection of future medical and support needs tied to the injury. It is how permanent brain injuries get valued beyond last month's bills.
What if I returned to work too soon and failed?
Unsuccessful work trials can be important proof of impairment. Tell your doctors and your lawyer the truth about what happened on the job.
Do motorcycle and pedestrian crashes cause more TBIs?
They often involve higher unprotected forces. Mechanism matters for medicine and liability. See motorcycle accidents and pedestrian accidents.
What Nevada deadline applies to a TBI lawsuit?
Generally two years from the incident for many personal injury actions in Nevada. A Nevada lawyer can confirm the deadline that fits your facts.
Should I give a recorded statement while I still feel foggy?
Generally no. Foggy recorded statements are gift-wrapped for adjusters. Talk to counsel first.
How much is a TBI case worth in Las Vegas?
No honest flat average. Severity, permanence, coverage, and proof drive value. Anyone quoting a number before records review is selling.
Do you take TBI cases on contingency?
Yes. No attorney fee until we recover. Free consultation: (702) 500-7070.
Will my TBI case go to trial?
Many settle; we prepare serious TBI cases as if they may be tried. Carriers pay attention to trial posture.
What if the at-fault driver has minimum limits only?
Map UIM and additional defendants. Severe TBI files are exactly where "minimum policy" thinking fails. See beyond the other driver's insurance.
Why not hire a settlement mill for a brain injury?
Mills under-invest in neuropsych testing, life-care experts, and trial prep. TBI value lives in that work. See why we fight.
Can a fall at a casino or the Sphere cause a compensable TBI?
Yes when premises negligence caused the fall and the brain injury. See slip and fall and Sphere.