Insurance companies treat concussions as trivial injuries despite causing life-altering consequences. Grass Valley residents injured in accidents on Highway 49, Brunswick Road, or anywhere throughout Nevada County deserve attorneys who understand both the invisible nature of brain injuries and how to prove them in court. With over 25 years serving Nevada County, we fight insurance denials with cutting-edge medical evidence and trial-tested strategies.

Why Insurance Companies Deny Concussion Claims

Understanding insurance company tactics helps you protect your rights after suffering a concussion. These companies systematically undervalue brain injury claims using predictable strategies.

The Profitability of Denial

Insurance companies maximize profits by minimizing payouts. Concussion claims are particularly vulnerable to denial because symptoms are largely invisible and subjective. Adjusters exploit this by questioning whether injuries are real, severe, or accident-related.

Every concussion claim an insurance company successfully denies or undervalues increases their bottom line. They hire teams of lawyers and doctors whose sole purpose is minimizing your compensation. Without experienced legal representation, concussion victims routinely receive inadequate settlements or complete claim denials.

Exploiting Medical Terminology

The term "mild traumatic brain injury" provides insurance companies perfect ammunition for denial. They argue "mild" means insignificant, temporary, and not worth compensation. This deliberately misrepresents medical terminology.

In medical classification, "mild" refers to initial injury severity measured by Glasgow Coma Scale scores and consciousness duration. It says nothing about symptom severity or long-term consequences. Many "mild" TBI patients never fully recover, experiencing permanent cognitive deficits preventing return to previous employment.

Insurance adjusters also exploit misconceptions about loss of consciousness. They claim remaining conscious proves no real injury occurred. Medical research shows most concussions occur without loss of consciousness. This insurance argument has no scientific basis.

The Timeline Weapon

Insurance companies impose artificial recovery timelines. When your symptoms persist beyond their arbitrary deadlines, they deny further treatment and compensation, arguing you should be healed already.

Medical reality contradicts these artificial timelines. While many concussions resolve within weeks, research confirms 15-30% of patients develop post-concussion syndrome with persistent symptoms. Recovery timelines vary dramatically based on individual factors including age, injury severity, previous concussion history, and other health conditions.

Your medical condition should dictate treatment duration, not insurance company cost-cutting policies.

Grass Valley Accident Locations Causing Concussions

Our experience throughout Nevada County means we understand where and how concussions occur in Grass Valley and surrounding areas.

Highway 49 and Brunswick Road Intersection

This major Grass Valley intersection sees frequent collisions. The intersection's complexity with multiple lanes, turning movements, and high traffic volumes creates constant accident risk. Side-impact collisions at this intersection commonly cause concussions through rotational forces even when airbags deploy.

We investigate these accidents using CalTrans accident data, traffic signal timing records, and intersection design analysis. Proving poor intersection design, inadequate sight distances, or signal timing problems strengthens liability claims.

Downtown Grass Valley Mill Street and Main Street

Historic downtown Grass Valley attracts pedestrians and vehicles mixing in close proximity. Parking maneuvers, vehicles backing from angled spaces, and pedestrians crossing between parked cars create collision risks. Pedestrians struck by vehicles frequently suffer concussions from head impact with vehicles, pavement, or both.

Downtown accidents require immediate investigation preserving surveillance footage from nearby businesses, identifying witnesses in shops and restaurants, and documenting road and sidewalk conditions.

Shopping Center Parking Lots

Grass Valley shopping centers along Idaho Maryland Road and elsewhere see frequent parking lot accidents. Low-speed collisions between vehicles, pedestrians struck while walking to stores, and slip and falls on poorly maintained surfaces all cause concussions.

Property owners have legal duties maintaining safe parking lots. Inadequate lighting, poor surface maintenance, unclear traffic patterns, and insufficient snow and ice removal create liability when accidents result.

Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Area

The hospital area sees both vehicle traffic and vulnerable pedestrians including patients, elderly visitors, and people with mobility impairments. Accidents in hospital zones often involve victims with pre-existing health conditions, complicating injury evaluation and treatment.

Hospital area accidents require careful medical documentation separating pre-existing conditions from accident-caused injuries.

Cumulative Effects: When One Concussion Isn't Your First

Many Grass Valley residents suffered previous concussions from youth sports, prior accidents, or military service. Previous brain injuries significantly affect current concussion claims in ways both helpful and challenging.

The Double-Edged Sword of Concussion History

Insurance companies aggressively argue previous concussions caused your current symptoms, not the recent accident they insure. They'll demand access to all prior medical records searching for anything suggesting pre-existing brain problems.

However, medical science supports that prior concussions actually strengthen current injury claims. Research proves cumulative concussion effects including each successive concussion causes more severe symptoms, recovery takes longer with each additional brain injury, previous concussions make you more vulnerable to future injuries, and multiple concussions create permanent brain changes even when individual concussions seemingly resolved.

We prove the recent accident significantly worsened your condition beyond any pre-existing state through baseline neuropsychological testing showing prior functioning levels, advanced imaging revealing new damage from recent trauma, expert testimony explaining cumulative brain injury mechanisms, and comparative symptom analysis showing dramatic worsening after the accident.

Youth Sports Concussion History

Many adults now in their 30s, 40s, and 50s played high school football, soccer, hockey, or other contact sports before modern concussion protocols existed. Coaches sent players back into games after "getting their bell rung." These undiagnosed and mismanaged concussions created lasting vulnerability.

If you suffered multiple sports concussions years ago, your brain never fully healed. Recent accidents trigger more severe symptoms because your brain lacks the resilience of someone without concussion history. You're entitled to compensation for how the accident affected you personally, not a hypothetical person without your medical background.

Advanced Diagnostics That Prove Your Invisible Injury

Winning concussion cases requires proving invisible brain damage objectively. Our brain injury focus means we know which diagnostic technologies reveal injuries standard imaging misses.

The Problem with Standard Emergency Imaging

After Grass Valley accidents, victims typically go to Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital emergency department. Emergency physicians order CT scans to rule out life-threatening bleeding and skull fractures. When CT appears normal, emergency physicians often discharge patients with concussion diagnosis and instructions to follow up if symptoms worsen.

Normal CT scans don't prove concussion absence. CT cannot detect the microscopic axonal injury causing most concussion symptoms. This creates an evidence gap insurance companies exploit by pointing to normal CT as proof no injury occurred.

DTI: Making the Invisible Visible

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) changed concussion litigation by revealing white matter damage invisible on all standard imaging. DTI measures water molecule movement along brain axons. Damaged axons show abnormal diffusion patterns creating objective proof of brain injury.

Key DTI measurements include fractional anisotropy (FA) showing axon structural integrity and mean diffusivity (MD) measuring overall water movement. Concussion patients show statistically significant abnormalities compared to healthy controls. These quantitative measurements provide objective data insurance adjusters cannot dismiss.

Not every imaging center offers quality DTI, and not every radiologist properly interprets results. Our brain injury specialization means we know which facilities provide reliable DTI studies and work with neuroradiologists experienced in traumatic brain injury interpretation.

Neuropsychological Evaluation: Measuring What Matters

While imaging shows brain structure, neuropsychological testing measures how your brain actually functions. These comprehensive evaluations objectively document the cognitive deficits you experience daily but struggle to describe.

Neuropsychologists administer standardized tests measuring attention span and concentration ability, information processing speed, memory across different types and timeframes, executive functions including planning and problem-solving, language and communication abilities, visual-spatial processing, and reaction time and motor coordination.

Your performance gets compared to age-matched, education-matched normative data. Scores falling significantly below expected levels prove cognitive impairment. Testing also includes sophisticated validity measures detecting whether someone is giving genuine effort. Our clients undergo these validity checks and pass them, proving honest symptom reporting and genuine deficits.

Serial Testing Showing Permanency

Insurance companies argue symptoms will eventually resolve so compensation should be limited. Serial neuropsychological testing over time proves whether deficits improve or persist.

Testing at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months post-injury establishes patterns. When testing shows minimal improvement or plateau after 6-12 months, medical experts can testify deficits are likely permanent. This permanency justifies compensation for lifetime cognitive deficits and lost earning capacity.

What Are the Stages of Concussion Recovery?

Understanding concussion progression helps patients and families know what to expect during recovery. While medical literature doesn't define exactly "five stages," concussions follow recognizable phases from injury through recovery or chronic symptoms.

Stage 1: Acute Phase (First 24-72 Hours)

The immediate post-injury period represents the most critical and dangerous timeframe. During these first hours and days, symptoms are typically most severe and the brain is most vulnerable to additional injury. Common experiences during the acute phase include severe headache often described as pressure or throbbing, significant confusion and disorientation, nausea and vomiting, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, marked balance and coordination problems, and profound mental fogginess.

This phase requires strict cognitive and physical rest. The brain needs time to recover from the metabolic disruption caused by injury. Pushing through symptoms during this critical period can worsen injury and prolong recovery. Medical monitoring is essential because rare but serious complications like brain bleeding can develop during these first days.

Stage 2: Subacute Recovery Phase (Days to Weeks)

Most concussion patients enter a gradual recovery phase after the acute period. Symptoms typically begin improving though recovery isn't linear - some days feel better than others. This phase involves headaches decreasing in frequency and intensity, improved tolerance for light and noise, cognitive function slowly returning, balance and coordination normalizing, and gradual resumption of activities as symptoms allow.

During this phase, patients should follow graduated return-to-activity protocols. Physical exertion increases gradually as long as symptoms don't worsen. Cognitive demands increase slowly, starting with light reading and progressing to more complex mental tasks. The key is progressing only as symptoms allow, backing off when symptoms worsen, and advancing when symptom-free at current activity levels.

Approximately 80-90% of concussion patients recover fully during this subacute phase, typically within 7-10 days for adults and 2-4 weeks for children and adolescents.

Stage 3: Persistent Symptoms Phase (Weeks to Months)

When symptoms continue beyond expected recovery timeframes, patients enter a persistent symptoms phase. This doesn't automatically mean permanent injury, but it signals need for more comprehensive medical evaluation and treatment. Patients experience symptoms that plateau rather than gradually improve, symptoms that fluctuate but never fully resolve, new symptoms emerging weeks after injury, and increasing frustration and anxiety about delayed recovery.

This phase requires aggressive treatment including specialized vestibular therapy for balance and dizziness, vision therapy for eye tracking and focusing problems, cognitive rehabilitation for memory and attention deficits, medications targeting specific symptoms like headaches, and psychological support addressing anxiety and depression that commonly develop.

Advanced diagnostic testing becomes critical during this phase. DTI imaging reveals structural damage explaining persistent symptoms. Neuropsychological testing documents specific cognitive deficits guiding rehabilitation. These objective findings also support legal claims when insurance companies argue symptoms should have resolved.

Stage 4: Post-Concussion Syndrome (Months to Years)

When symptoms persist three months or longer, post-concussion syndrome is diagnosed. This represents a chronic condition where brain injury effects become permanent or very long-lasting. Approximately 15-30% of concussion patients reach this stage. Symptoms during post-concussion syndrome include chronic daily headaches, persistent dizziness and balance problems, ongoing cognitive deficits affecting work and daily functioning, mood disorders including depression and anxiety, sleep disturbances, and continued light and noise sensitivity.

Post-concussion syndrome significantly impacts quality of life and employment. Many sufferers cannot work full-time or maintain previous job responsibilities. Relationships suffer due to personality changes and irritability. Social isolation develops as noise and stimulation become intolerable.

From a legal perspective, post-concussion syndrome justifies substantial damages including lifetime medical treatment costs, lost earning capacity over remaining work-life, pain and suffering from chronic symptoms, and loss of life enjoyment. Life care planners project ongoing treatment needs. Economic experts calculate earning losses. Proving post-concussion syndrome requires comprehensive medical documentation and expert testimony.

Stage 5: Long-Term Adaptation or Recovery

The final stage involves either continued gradual improvement eventually reaching full recovery, or adaptation to permanent limitations where patients learn to manage chronic symptoms and maximize remaining abilities. Some patients continue improving even years after injury, though improvement becomes increasingly unlikely after 18-24 months. Others reach maximum medical improvement with permanent deficits requiring ongoing accommodations.

Long-term outcomes depend on multiple factors including initial injury severity, age at injury (younger and older patients tend toward longer recovery), number of previous concussions, presence of other medical conditions, quality and timeliness of treatment received, and adherence to activity restrictions during recovery.

Understanding these stages helps patients set realistic expectations and recognize when symptoms persisting beyond normal timelines require more aggressive medical intervention and potentially legal representation to ensure adequate compensation.

Your Concussion Rights: What Insurance Companies Won't Tell You

Insurance adjusters contact accident victims quickly offering fast settlements. These offers almost always undervalue claims. Understanding your rights protects you from costly mistakes.

You Don't Have to Give Recorded Statements

Insurance adjusters will call requesting recorded statements about the accident and your injuries. They make this sound mandatory. It's not. You have no legal obligation providing recorded statements to the other party's insurance company before filing a lawsuit.

Recorded statements are traps. Adjusters ask leading questions designed to get you to minimize injuries, admit fault, or contradict yourself. They'll use any inconsistency to deny your claim. Politely decline recorded statements and refer adjusters to your attorney.

Don't Sign Blanket Medical Authorizations

Insurance companies will send medical authorization forms requesting you sign. These authorizations often grant unlimited access to all your medical records for your entire life. Insurance companies use this access to search for anything they can argue shows pre-existing conditions or unrelated health problems.

You control access to your medical records. Through your attorney, you can provide records relevant to the accident and injuries while protecting private medical information unrelated to your claim.

Initial Settlement Offers Are Almost Always Too Low

Insurance companies make early settlement offers before injury extent is fully known. These offers typically cover only immediate medical expenses plus minimal amounts for pain and suffering. They don't account for ongoing treatment needs, lost earning capacity, or long-term consequences.

Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, you cannot reopen the claim even if symptoms worsen or complications develop. Never settle concussion cases until reaching maximum medical improvement and understanding whether deficits are permanent.

Social Media Can Destroy Your Claim

Insurance companies routinely monitor accident victims' social media accounts. They search for any posts, photos, or comments they can mischaracterize to deny claims.

A photo of you smiling at a family gathering becomes evidence you're not really suffering. A post about going to the store becomes proof you can work. A comment about enjoying a TV show becomes evidence you don't really have concentration problems. Insurance companies deliberately misinterpret innocent posts to avoid paying claims.

Make all social media accounts private and post nothing about your accident, injuries, activities, or daily life while your claim is pending.

When Children Suffer Concussions

Pediatric concussions raise unique medical and legal issues. Developing brains respond differently to injury than adult brains, and recovery often takes longer.

School Performance and Academic Impact

Concussions significantly impair academic performance. Students struggle with inability to concentrate during lectures and reading, memory problems affecting learning and test performance, slowed processing making assignments take much longer, headaches and light sensitivity worsening with screen time, and mental fatigue preventing completion of full school days.

Many students require temporary homebound instruction or significantly reduced course loads during recovery. Some develop persistent difficulties requiring special education services or academic accommodations.

Schools have legal obligations providing appropriate accommodations including modified schedules, extended time for assignments, reduced homework loads, quiet testing environments, and excused absences for medical appointments. When schools fail to accommodate concussed students appropriately, academic performance suffers unnecessarily.

Youth Sports and Return-to-Play

California law requires youth athletes be immediately removed from play when concussion is suspected and prohibits return until medical clearance is obtained. Despite these legal protections, violations occur frequently.

Coaches inadequately trained to recognize concussion symptoms allow symptomatic athletes to continue playing. Pressure to win leads coaches to clear players prematurely. Parents unaware of concussion dangers push children to return too soon. Medical providers unfamiliar with sports concussion management give premature clearances.

When children suffer second impacts due to premature return to sports, those responsible for return-to-play decisions may face liability for worsened injuries.

Long-Term Developmental Concerns

Concussions during critical brain development periods may affect long-term cognitive development, learning abilities, emotional regulation, and future concussion susceptibility. These long-term concerns justify compensation for ongoing monitoring, potential future treatment needs, and lost future opportunities.

Prognosis for Post-Concussion Syndrome

When concussion symptoms persist beyond normal recovery timelines, patients and families want to know: Will I ever fully recover? Understanding prognosis for post-concussion syndrome helps set realistic expectations and plan for the future.

Factors Affecting Recovery Outcomes

Post-concussion syndrome prognosis varies significantly based on multiple factors. No two patients follow identical recovery paths, making individual prediction challenging. However, research identifies several factors correlating with outcomes.

Age at injury significantly affects recovery. Children and adolescents typically take longer to recover than young adults but ultimately have better long-term outcomes. Middle-aged adults often experience longer recoveries than younger adults. Elderly patients face highest risk of incomplete recovery and permanent deficits. The developing brain's plasticity in youth provides recovery advantages, while age-related decreased brain reserve in older adults limits recovery potential.

Symptom severity and duration predict outcomes. Patients with severe initial symptoms face higher post-concussion syndrome risk. Those whose symptoms persist beyond six months have increasingly lower likelihood of full recovery. By 12-18 months post-injury, most patients who will recover have already done so. Continued symptoms beyond this timeframe suggest permanent or very long-lasting deficits.

Previous concussion history worsens prognosis. Each successive concussion typically causes more severe symptoms with longer recovery times. Multiple previous concussions create cumulative brain damage reducing recovery capacity. Patients with three or more prior concussions face significantly elevated post-concussion syndrome risk.

Comorbid conditions complicate recovery. Pre-existing migraine headaches, anxiety or depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, and chronic pain conditions all correlate with worse post-concussion outcomes. These conditions don't prevent recovery but make it less likely and more prolonged.

Treatment Impact on Prognosis

Appropriate treatment significantly improves post-concussion syndrome prognosis. Patients receiving specialized care show better outcomes than those with only general medical management.

Early intervention matters. Patients starting targeted treatment within first few months post-injury show better improvement than those whose treatment is delayed. This includes vestibular therapy for dizziness and balance problems improving outcomes in 70-80% of patients with vestibular symptoms, vision therapy addressing eye tracking and focusing deficits showing significant improvement in most patients, cognitive rehabilitation helping patients develop compensatory strategies for memory and attention deficits, and targeted medications providing symptom relief allowing better participation in rehabilitation.

However, even optimal treatment cannot guarantee full recovery. Some patients plateau despite aggressive therapy. These patients require long-term symptom management rather than curative treatment.

Statistical Recovery Expectations

Research provides general statistical guidance for post-concussion syndrome prognosis, though individual outcomes vary. Studies show that of patients meeting post-concussion syndrome criteria at three months, approximately 40-50% show significant improvement by one year, 20-30% show some improvement but retain notable symptoms, and 20-30% show minimal improvement with persistent significant symptoms.

By two years post-injury, the majority of recovery that will occur has already happened. Patients with persistent symptoms at this point should be considered to have reached maximum medical improvement with likely permanent deficits. Some continued gradual improvement may occur even beyond two years, but dramatic improvement becomes increasingly unlikely.

Quality of Life and Functional Outcomes

Post-concussion syndrome prognosis involves not just symptom resolution but functional capacity and quality of life. Many patients with persistent symptoms adapt over time, developing coping strategies that improve daily functioning even while symptoms continue.

Employment outcomes vary widely. Some post-concussion syndrome patients eventually return to previous employment with accommodations. Others require career changes to less demanding positions. Some qualify for disability benefits when unable to maintain competitive employment. Vocational rehabilitation services help optimize work outcomes for those with residual deficits.

Social and relationship impacts often persist. Personality changes, irritability, and social withdrawal strain marriages and friendships. Family counseling helps loved ones understand and adapt to changes in the injured person. Support groups provide connection with others facing similar challenges.

Prognostic Indicators: Good vs. Poor Outcomes

Certain findings suggest better or worse prognosis for post-concussion syndrome patients.

Legal Implications of Prognosis

From a legal perspective, prognosis directly affects case value. Claims involving patients with good prognosis for full recovery justify compensation for temporary symptoms, medical expenses, and temporary lost wages. Claims involving poor prognosis with likely permanent deficits justify substantially higher damages including lifetime medical care costs, permanent lost earning capacity, lifetime pain and suffering, and permanent loss of life enjoyment.

Insurance companies argue for minimal compensation claiming symptoms will eventually resolve. Our approach involves obtaining comprehensive medical opinions about prognosis based on current evidence, life care plans projecting future needs if prognosis suggests permanency, economic analyses calculating lifetime earning losses, and expert testimony explaining why prognosis justifies specific damage amounts.

Never settle post-concussion syndrome cases until prognosis is established. Settling based on insurance company pressure before knowing whether symptoms are permanent or will improve leaves substantial money on the table. Patience in settlement timing ensures compensation matches actual long-term consequences of injury.

Building Your Concussion Case: Evidence That Wins

Successful concussion litigation requires multiple types of evidence working together to prove injury, causation, and damages.

Medical Documentation Strategy

Strong medical documentation begins immediately after injury. This includes emergency department records documenting initial symptoms and diagnosis, prompt follow-up with neurologists establishing ongoing care, neuropsychological testing objectively measuring deficits, advanced imaging including DTI revealing structural damage, treatment records showing therapies attempted and responses, and medical opinions establishing causation, prognosis, and permanency.

Gaps in medical treatment damage claims. Insurance companies argue gaps mean injuries weren't serious. Follow all medical recommendations and attend all appointments even when symptoms improve.

Lay Witness Testimony

Family members, friends, and coworkers observe real-world impacts of concussion that medical records don't capture. These witnesses testify about personality changes they've observed, memory problems affecting daily life, increased irritability and mood swings, social withdrawal and loss of interest in activities, and functional limitations in work and home settings.

We prepare lay witnesses to provide specific examples of changes they've observed rather than general statements. Concrete examples like "She used to remember everything, but now she forgets conversations we had yesterday" are more powerful than "Her memory is bad."

Employment Records and Vocational Evidence

Pre-injury work performance evaluations establish baseline functioning. Post-injury documentation showing declined performance, increased errors, or inability to maintain previous responsibilities proves real-world impact. When employment terminates or changes to lower-level positions, termination records and new employment documentation quantify earning losses.

Vocational experts review your work history, current limitations, labor market conditions, and realistic employment options given your education and transferable skills. Their reports calculate lost earning capacity over your remaining work-life.

Day-in-the-Life Documentation

Videos showing daily struggles with routine tasks provide powerful evidence. Brief video clips showing difficulty with concentration, sensitivity to light and noise, balance problems, memory issues, or other symptoms help juries understand invisible disabilities. These shouldn't be staged or exaggerated but simply document real daily challenges.

Trial Experience: Why It Matters

Most personal injury attorneys never try cases. They settle everything, accepting whatever insurance companies offer. This approach particularly harms concussion victims because insurance companies know these attorneys won't go to trial.

The Settlement Mill Problem

High-volume personal injury firms advertise heavily, sign up many clients, then quickly settle cases for whatever they can get. They lack trial experience and avoid courtrooms. Insurance adjusters know these firms will accept lowball offers rather than invest time and money preparing for trial.

Concussion cases require extensive preparation including multiple medical experts, advanced imaging interpretation, neuropsychological testing, vocational evaluation, and economic analysis. Settlement mills won't invest the resources needed to properly develop these cases, forcing inadequate settlements.

Our Trial-Ready Approach

We prepare every concussion case assuming it will go to trial. This means retaining top medical experts early, obtaining all necessary diagnostic testing, conducting comprehensive discovery, developing demonstrative exhibits explaining brain injury to juries, and preparing thorough cross-examination of defense experts.

Insurance companies know we've tried hundreds of cases in our 25+ years of practice. They know we understand brain injury medicine and can effectively present complex evidence. This knowledge makes them take our cases seriously and make reasonable settlement offers.

Nevada County Courtroom Experience

We've practiced in Nevada County Superior Court for over 25 years. This local experience means we understand which judges are receptive to brain injury evidence, how Nevada County juries respond to medical testimony, what expert qualifications local juries find most credible, and which demonstrative evidence techniques work effectively in our courthouse.

Outside attorneys lacking this local experience start from scratch learning Nevada County legal culture on your case. We leverage decades of institutional knowledge to your advantage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will my concussion case take? Case duration varies. Simple cases with clear liability and full recovery may resolve in months. Complex cases with disputed liability, post-concussion syndrome, or inadequate insurance often take 1-2 years or longer. We don't rush cases - we build complete evidence supporting maximum compensation before settling or trying your case.

What if the accident was partially my fault? California follows comparative negligence rules. Even if you share some fault, you can still recover damages reduced by your percentage of fault. If you're 30% at fault and have $100,000 in damages, you recover $70,000. Never assume you can't recover simply because you made mistakes contributing to the accident.

Can I switch lawyers if unhappy with current representation? Yes. Many concussion victims initially hire general personal injury attorneys who lack brain injury expertise. When these attorneys can't properly develop cases, clients can change representation. We've successfully taken over cases from other attorneys and dramatically improved outcomes.

What if my concussion symptoms improve - does that hurt my case? No. Improvement is expected and documented through medical records. What matters is whether you fully recovered or have residual deficits. Even partial improvement justifies compensation for the period you suffered symptoms and any remaining deficits.

Will I have to testify in court? Most cases settle without trial, so you typically won't need to testify. If your case does go to trial, your testimony about injuries and life impact is crucial. We thoroughly prepare clients for testimony so they feel comfortable and confident.

How do you charge for your services? We work on contingency fees - no upfront costs or hourly fees. We charge 29% if we settle before filing a lawsuit (lower than typical 33⅓%), 33⅓% after filing suit, and 40% if the case goes to trial. Fees are calculated on net recovery after deducting case costs. You pay nothing if we don't recover money for you.