If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that you believe was caused by the careless actions of another party, you have a lot to manage. The assistance of a skilled brain injury attorney with experience handling cases like this can help you move forward thoughtfully and logically.
Traumatic brain injuries are life-altering. Those whose lives are impacted by them often face uncertain futures, as do their loved ones. With worrisome questions regarding the possibility of a full recovery and the ability to live independently, the period after an accident is stressful. Our TBI lawyers understand your position and have the knowledge and experience necessary to help.
A TBI can lead to long-term problems requiring costly care and therapy and may plague an individual and his or her family for a lifetime. Many people who have suffered TBIs are frozen with fear and not sure what to do.
That is where the brain injury attorneys at The Stoddard Firm can help. We will take control of your legal issues, providing you the peace of mind you need to focus your attention where it is most necessary — on your recovery. When you engage us, we will handle everything on your behalf including:
Investigating the cause of your TBI
Drafting all legal documents and filing them within the appropriate time frame
Determining and proving the entirety of your damages (economic, non-economic, and punitive, if applicable)
Managing all communication with insurance companies and other attorneys
Negotiating for an appropriate settlement and litigating if necessary.
The legal process regarding brain injuries is complex and time-consuming. We will handle it all for you.
You need advice and counsel from a professional who understands the law and appreciates the stress you are experiencing.
If you or someone you love has suffered a brain or head injury, don’t wait to get appropriate legal guidance. Contact The Stoddard Firm, your Atlanta brain injury lawyer, for a free consultation at 470-467-2200.
Why Hire Us?
We Have the Experience It Takes to Win
When you’ve sustained a TBI, you are facing an uphill battle, both personally and legally. Recovery from a brain injury requires considerable time and a great deal of medical attention, which can be costly. Your physicians and therapists can help you with your medical issues while our TBI lawyers handle your legal concerns.
The personal injury laws that govern traumatic brain injuries are complicated, and the legal process is complex. It is to your benefit to engage a firm that not only has in-depth understanding of Georgia law and firsthand experience handling these types of cases, but one whose approach is geared toward empathetically serving individuals and families that are in distress. Our brain injury lawyers are:
Well-versed in Georgia law: For over 15 years, our founder and TBI injury lawyer, Matthew Stoddard, has been in practice in Atlanta. Initially, he worked defending corporations from personal injury and wrongful death suits. In 2011 he changed tracks, choosing instead to provide quality legal representation to individuals who were victims of negligent injury. He understands the technical aspects of personal injury law from both sides and has a proven reputation for success as shown by our verdicts and settlements.
Familiar with the Atlanta legal system: When you work in a certain geographic area, you regularly encounter the same professionals, time and time again. Knowing them and their tendencies is an asset in building a case. Because of the firm’s long history in Atlanta, our attorneys have a strong foundation on which to serve you. We know what to expect and will leverage this knowledge on your behalf.
Compassionate yet aggressive: You have been through a devastating experience. When moving forward, you want to work with a professional who understands your position and will take the time necessary not only to know your case but also to know you. Our team is well-regarded for the compassion with which we communicate. Our past clients generously share testimonials about their experience with us. We appreciate how difficult everything is right now and will give you all of the time you need. However, while we will be kind and patient when working with you, we will negotiate and litigate for you aggressively.
Maximizing your compensation is our ultimate goal, and we will work tirelessly to get you all that you deserve. We have significant knowledge, extensive experience, and a unique perspective.
TBI Lawsuits: Recovering Some of What You Have Lost
When TBIs Occur Due to Negligence
Most brain injury lawsuits are negligence claims. In these situations, the injured victim believes that someone’s inappropriate or careless behavior (or lack of necessary oversight) was to blame for the TBI. In such circumstances, a lawsuit can secure funds to pay for recovery, long-term care, and other associated expenses.
With that being said, you can’t just blame the other party and claim negligence: you must prove it. Basically, to succeed in making a negligence claim, your attorney must be able to prove the following:
Duty of Care: The person or organization you believe caused your injury had a responsibility to you.
Breach of Duty: The party you believe is responsible failed to exercise reasonable care in fulfilling the duty.
Cause of Injury: Because of the direct action or inaction of the other party, the injury occurred.
Damages Occurred: The injuries or losses occurred as a direct result of the negligence and are significant enough to warrant a claim.
Proving negligence can be complicated. Working with an Atlanta brain injury attorney is critical in order to achieve a positive result. Our attorneys know how to successfully handle TBI cases as exemplified by a few of our cases.
Successes in Brain Injury Claims
Some of our past successes in brain injury claims include the following:
An $8 million settlement for an individual who suffered serious head injuries from hitting a sprinkler pipe in a parking garage while driving. The judgment was based on our law firm’s helping to prove that the parking garage management was negligent by not identifying the sprinkler as a hazard or fixing it.
A $2.1 million judgment on behalf of an individual who suffered a brain injury as a result of an electrical shock while at work. The Stoddard Firm showed that the shock was caused by faulty wiring.
A $700,000 settlement for an individual who suffered a concussion (and permanent corneal scarring) in an accident. Expert witness testimony was leveraged to prove the extent of the injury.
A $500,000 policy limits settlement for an individual who suffered a brain injury as the result of a fall down a staircase. We proved that the staircase was dangerous and did not meet building code requirements.
Our TBI attorneys are proud of our past success and are confident we will continue to serve our clients well in the future.
Understanding How Our Atlanta Brain Injury Lawyers Work
Recovering from a TBI can be complicated, slow, and painful. It will likely require all of your efforts, not to mention a great deal of assistance from your loved ones. As we plan for your TBI lawsuit, first we will gain a complete understanding of your story. Not only do we want to know how the accident happened, but we also want to understand you. We need to know about your life before the accident as well as what it is like today. We also must look to the future.
Insight into the timeline of your recovery and expectations regarding your abilities is crucial to building your case.
We know that TBIs can be “tricky.” While the effects of this type of injury can be significant, they are not always visible, and the future is unsure.
When we handle your case, we will accurately depict what happened to you, your health today, and how the future looks regarding both your medical and care expenses and your ability to work. We will conduct a thorough investigation, leveraging expert witnesses in any number of areas (including those in your job industry as well as highly regarded physicians and therapists, just to name a few) to paint a clear picture of your life and your future.
Additionally, our brain injury attorney will work with these experts to accurately quantify the costs associated with your injury. We want to make sure that we account for all past and future expenses and damages.
Damages in Brain Injury Cases
Every Case Is Unique
In Georgia, the law allows TBI victims to be compensated for a range of damages, including economic, non-economic, and punitive. These may include:
Medical Expenses: Medical expenses for TBIs can be astronomical. Emergency care, follow-up medical appointments, therapies, rehabilitation services, and medication all must be tracked. Additionally, because the effects of a TBI can be long-lasting (sometimes for a lifetime), it is important to gain an accurate accounting of future medical expenses in addition to those already incurred. Other costs that fall under the umbrella of “medical expenses” are care (both in-home and in-facility) and even specialized transportation.
Lost Wages (both past and future): Often people who experience brain injuries are unable to work, particularly right after the incident. You may be entitled to compensation for the wages you lost while recovering from your injury. Some individuals who suffer from TBI will be unable to work in the same capacity in the future. If this is the case, you may be eligible to be compensated for the future wages you will be unable to earn. Legally, this is known as diminished capacity.
Loss of Consortium: These damages may be available to the spouse of a person who suffered a TBI. This civil law term is used to identify losses experienced by the spouse of a person who was injured due to negligence.
Pain and Suffering: Traumatic brain injuries quite clearly result in tremendous pain and suffering, in both the short and long terms. In addition to physical pain, the injured may face limitations on their abilities. These could result in a reduced quality of life and emotional distress.
Punitive Damages: Designed to punish the at-fault party, punitive damages may be awarded when negligence is particularly reckless. In some cases, a portion of the punitive damages must go directly to the state. Your brain injury attorney can explain these instances and determine whether your case would be one in which this rule applies.
We will assess your total damages to help you determine the value of your case.
Frequently Asked Questions About TBI Lawsuits
Our Atlanta Brain Injury Attorney Responds to Your Pressing Concerns
Individuals considering a personal injury lawsuit for a TBI tend to have one thing in common: they have a lot of questions. Here, we share answers to some of the questions we most frequently receive.
Why should I hire a TBI attorney?
The complexity of TBI claims necessitates experienced legal representation. Your attorney must not only be able to prove negligence, but also accurately quantify your damages. Our TBI lawyer is experienced in handling these claims and has a proven reputation for successfully representing clients.
How long do I have to file my lawsuit?
According to the Georgia Statute of Limitations, personal injury cases, under which traumatic brain injuries fall, must be filed within two years of the date of the injury. That said, some exceptions exist. Our brain injury lawyer can explain these exceptions to you.
How can I prove my traumatic brain injury damages?
As your traumatic brain injury lawyer, we will investigate all the evidence in working to prove your damages. This will include engaging healthcare experts to testify on your behalf. Those we may work with include, but are not limited to, doctors, neurologists, and neuropsychologists.
Will my traumatic brain injury case go to trial?
Our goal is to settle your case and get you an appropriate settlement during the negotiation phase of the legal process. If our brain injury lawyer is unable to reach an agreement that you are satisfied with, we will advise you about resolving your case in court. We are known for being aggressive litigators and will put all of our resources to work for you.
The answers above provide general information that we hope you find helpful as you begin the claim process. When we speak with you directly we can provide more specific answers for your case.
Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries
A TBI Is Expensive Financially, Physically and Emotionally
As catastrophic injuries, TBIs are among the most challenging conditions to overcome and among the most costly to treat. How do they happen? According to the Mayo Clinic, TBIs can occur after a blow or jolt to the head or body, when an object penetrates the skull and brain, or when the skull is fractured. They can occur due to falls, car accidents, playing sports, workplace accidents, or due to violent acts. A TBI can be as simple as a concussion or as serious as a deadly head injury.
TBI symptoms may be minor and temporary, or they can be permanent and serious, and not all symptoms present immediately. Unfortunately, even a mild TBI can impact your future. More serious head injuries may cause symptoms that do not appear until days after the accident.
Our brain injury attorney knows that the symptoms and consequences of TBIs can significantly impact the quality of life and result in expensive medical bills.
Some TBI victims experience physical disabilities if the connection between the brain and the body is disrupted. Sometimes TBI patients suffer depression, personality disorders, and detachment disorders. The worst TBIs can be fatal.
However your traumatic brain injury or that of your family member happened, if it was because of another party’s negligence, an experienced Georgia brain injury lawyer may be able to help you get compensation to pay for your financial, physical, and emotional damages.
Client Testimonial
”I am truly thankful to the entire Stoddard team for all of their hard work! The staff made sure that I was taken care of every step of the way! It was my pleasure to have such wonderful people going to bat for me. I am extremely satisfied with the end results! Thanks again for everything!” – T P McCrary (Google Review)
Attorney Matt Stoddard
Matt Stoddard is a professional, hardworking, ethical advocate. He routinely faces some of the nation’s largest companies and some of the world’s largest insurers – opponents who have virtually unlimited resources. In these circumstances, Mr. Stoddard is comfortable. Mr. Stoddard provides his strongest efforts to his clients, and he devotes the firm’s significant financial resources to presenting the strongest case possible on their behalf. Matt understands that his clients must put their trust in him. That trust creates an obligation for Matt to work tirelessly on their behalf, and Matt Stoddard does not take that obligation lightly. [ Attorney Bio ]
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You’re going about your day, trying to get to work, or back home, or wherever your current destination might be. Maybe you’re checking your email, or thinking through your to-do list. Your commute is so routine that it barely demands any attention.
But then, every so often, you glance over the edge of the platform while waiting for your train, and you realize how easy it would be to slip and...
Reach Out for Skilled Legal Help When You Have a Traumatic Brain Injury
Our Atlanta brain injury lawyers are committed to helping TBI sufferers.
Appreciating how the legal process works in Georgia with respect to TBI and personal injury cases can help you establish realistic expectations. Gathering evidence, valuing your damages, negotiating with at-fault parties and their insurers, and other specific steps must be taken. We know that proceedings can be lengthy. While it can be difficult and frustrating, patience is key. You can trust that when The Stoddard Firm brain injury attorneys take on your case, we will work to make the experience as easy as possible and resolve your claim as quickly as possible.
Once we have heard your story, reviewed your case, and determined that your claim is valid and that your TBI was the result of the negligence of another person, we will begin to work diligently on your behalf.
We invite you to schedule a free consultation with our Atlanta brain injury attorney by calling 470-467-2200.
Matt Stoddard is a professional, hardworking, ethical advocate. He routinely faces some of the nation’s largest companies and some of the world’s largest insurers – opponents who have virtually unlimited resources. In these circumstances, Mr. Stoddard is comfortable. Mr. Stoddard provides his strongest efforts to his clients, and he devotes the firm’s significant financial resources to presenting the strongest case possible on their behalf. Matt understands that his clients must put their trust in him. That trust creates an obligation for Matt to work tirelessly on their behalf, and Matt Stoddard does not take that obligation lightly. [ 
