Oklahoma City Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer

Were you injured in a crash that caused a traumatic brain injury in Oklahoma City, OK?

At Polchinski & Smith Personal Injury Lawyers, we provide dedicated traumatic brain injury representation grounded in decades of plaintiff-side trial work.

If you or a family member suffered a brain injury in a crash, our Oklahoma City, OK traumatic brain injury lawyer can carry the legal burden while you focus on recovery. We manage the insurance company, work with your medical providers to document the injury, and pursue compensation that reflects its lasting effect. At Polchinski & Smith Personal Injury Lawyers, we bring 54 years of combined experience to serious injury claims, and we prepare each one for the possibility of trial. A brain injury is rarely simple, and our attorneys handle the details on your behalf. Contact our office to arrange a free consultation.

Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer Oklahoma City, OK

A traumatic brain injury occurs when a sudden impact or jolt disrupts normal brain function. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a traumatic brain injury results from an outside force, such as a blow to the head during a crash. The severity ranges from a brief concussion to a lasting, life-altering condition.

The effects are not always visible. A person may appear alert at the scene and later experience memory loss, headaches, mood changes, or difficulty concentrating. A traumatic brain injury claim in Oklahoma City seeks to recover the cost of that injury from the driver whose negligence caused the collision.

Types of Traumatic Brain Injury Cases We Handle in Oklahoma City

Brain injuries most often result from high-force collisions, where the head strikes an object or the brain moves violently within the skull. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that motor vehicle crashes are among the most common causes of traumatic brain injury, according to CDC injury data. We handle brain injury claims that arise from the following collisions.

• Head-on collisions. The combined speed of two vehicles produces extreme force. Occupants may strike the windshield, the steering wheel, or the dashboard. These crashes frequently cause the most severe brain injuries.
• T-bone accidents. A side impact offers little protection to the head, and the skull can strike the window or door frame on contact. Which driver had the right of way often decides fault.
• Multi-car pileups. Repeated impacts can injure the brain more than once in a single event. Determining which driver caused each collision requires thorough investigation. We work to hold every responsible party accountable.
• Distracted driver accidents. A driver who fails to brake strikes at full speed, and that force increases the risk of a serious head injury. Phone and vehicle data can help establish the distraction.
• Motorcycle accidents. Riders have little between their head and the road, and a brain injury remains a real risk even with a helmet. We account for the bias riders sometimes face from insurers.
• Pedestrian accidents. A person on foot has no protection from a vehicle’s weight, and head injuries in these cases are frequently severe. We pursue the full value of the harm done.
• Truck accidents. The size of a commercial vehicle can produce catastrophic force, and brain injuries from these crashes often require long-term care. We investigate the trucking company as well as the driver.

Why Choose Polchinski & Smith Personal Injury Lawyers as My Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer in Oklahoma City, OK?

A Record of Serious-Injury Work

A brain injury claim calls for careful preparation and courtroom credibility, and our attorneys bring 54 years of combined experience to that work. Houston Smith has practiced for thirty-five years and is licensed in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas, having earned his law degree from Texas Southern University. Ryan Polchinski has practiced for eleven years and had an appellate opinion published before the age of thirty, after completing law school at Oklahoma City University. Andrew Polchinski has practiced for eight years, has tried several jury trials to verdict, and earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University. All three attorneys are members of the Oklahoma Bar Association.

Contingency Representation and Proven Results

Our firm has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients throughout Oklahoma, and we handle brain injury cases on a contingency basis, so no attorney fee is owed unless we obtain a recovery. Our car accident lawyer in Oklahoma City, OK handles the broader crash claim that a brain injury often forms part of, from liability through damages.

What Is Important to Understand About a Traumatic Brain Injury Case?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Traumatic Brain Injury Cases

A brain injury can affect earning capacity, independence, and quality of life for years, so the damages in these cases are often substantial. Recovery depends on proving that another driver’s negligence caused the crash. Under Oklahoma’s comparative negligence rule, any award is reduced by your share of fault, and recovery is denied when your fault exceeds the other driver’s. The lasting nature of these injuries affects the value of a claim, which may include the following categories of damages:

• Current and future medical care, including surgery, therapy, and rehabilitation.
• Long-term or lifetime care for a severe injury.
• Lost income and diminished earning capacity.
• Pain, cognitive changes, and a reduced quality of life.
• The support a family provides during recovery.

Questions of who pays after a serious injury can involve more than one insurance policy, and when a brain injury occurs alongside a spinal cord injury, the cost of care rises further. When a brain injury proves fatal, the claim may become a wrongful death matter brought by the family.

What Are Important Aspects of a Traumatic Brain Injury Case?

Several features distinguish brain injury claims. The injury is often invisible on the surface, which makes documentation and medical opinion central to the case.

• Early diagnosis. Prompt evaluation links symptoms to the crash and guides treatment.
• Medical evidence. Imaging, neuropsychological testing, and treating-physician records establish the injury.
• Witness accounts. Those close to the injured person can describe changes in memory, mood, and behavior.
• Life-care planning. A severe injury may require a plan that projects future medical and support costs.
• Insurer skepticism. Adjusters may minimize an injury they cannot see, so strong medical proof is what makes a case worth pursuing.

What Is the Traumatic Brain Injury Case Timeline?

Brain injury cases can take longer than other claims because the full extent of the injury may take time to understand. In Oklahoma, the statute of limitations allows most injury victims two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit.

• Medical stabilization and diagnosis in the period after the crash.
• Investigation, when we collect records, imaging, and evidence of fault.
• Assessment of long-term needs once the injury’s course becomes clearer.
• A demand to the insurer supported by the full medical picture.
• Negotiation, followed by a lawsuit when the insurer will not offer fair value.

What Should You Bring to Your Traumatic Brain Injury Consultation?

A few items help us evaluate a brain injury claim at your first visit. If you cannot locate everything, we can obtain records on your behalf.

• The crash report or the investigating agency’s details.
• Medical records, imaging, and any diagnosis of a brain injury.
• A list of symptoms and how they have affected daily life.
• Insurance information for each driver involved.
• Notes from family members regarding observed changes.

At the free consultation, we will assess the facts, outline your options, and give you an honest view of the case. There is no charge to meet with an Oklahoma City traumatic brain injury attorney.

What Are Important Oklahoma Legal Resources for Traumatic Brain Injury Cases?

Several official resources can help you understand the rules that apply to an Oklahoma brain injury claim. They direct you to the law and to support rather than replace legal advice.

• The two-year deadline for most injury lawsuits appears in Oklahoma Statutes Title 12.
• Oklahoma’s comparative negligence statute sets out how shared fault affects recovery.
• The losses an injured person may recover are addressed in the state damages statute.
• The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services offers brain injury support services for survivors and their families.

Reach Out to Polchinski & Smith Personal Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation

If a crash caused a brain injury to you or someone you love, our Oklahoma City traumatic brain injury lawyer is prepared to review your case. Polchinski & Smith Personal Injury Lawyers provides a free consultation and works on a contingency basis, so no attorney fee is owed unless we recover for you. Contact us to discuss what happened, and we will explain the process and answer your questions.