Pasadena Brain injury attorney in Los Angeles, California Attorney

A traumatic brain injury changes everything. The person you knew before the accident — their personality, their memory, their ability to work and care for themselves — may be fundamentally different afterward. Some brain injury survivors recover most of their function over months or years. Others face permanent cognitive impairment, chronic headaches, seizures, and personality changes that their families struggle to understand and cope with.

The lifetime cost of treating a severe traumatic brain injury can exceed $3 million, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That figure includes acute medical care, rehabilitation, lost productivity, and long-term support services. Insurance companies know these numbers, which is why they fight brain injury claims harder than almost any other type of personal injury case.

At McNally Law Offices, our Los Angeles brain injury lawyers have over 30 years of experience representing TBI survivors and their families. We understand the medical complexity of these cases, and we know how to prove the full scope of a brain injury to insurance companies and juries who may not see visible evidence of the damage.

Types of Brain Injuries We Handle

Brain injuries exist on a spectrum from mild concussions to catastrophic damage:

• Concussions — Often called “mild” TBIs, but there is nothing mild about persistent headaches, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and emotional instability that can last weeks, months, or years after the initial impact.
• Contusions — Bruises on the brain caused by the brain striking the inside of the skull. Large contusions may require surgical removal.
• Coup-contrecoup injuries — The brain is injured at both the point of impact and the opposite side, where it rebounds against the skull. Common in high-speed vehicle collisions.
• Diffuse axonal injuries — Caused by rapid rotation or deceleration of the head, tearing nerve fibers throughout the brain. These are among the most severe TBIs and frequently result in coma or persistent vegetative states.
• Penetrating injuries — Objects that break through the skull and enter the brain tissue. These injuries carry high risks of infection, bleeding, and permanent localized damage.
• Anoxic brain injuries — Caused by oxygen deprivation rather than physical trauma. Near-drownings, surgical complications, and carbon monoxide exposure can all cause anoxic injuries.

Common Causes of Brain Injuries in Los Angeles

• Motor vehicle accidents — car crashes, motorcycle collisions, truck accidents, and pedestrian impacts are the leading cause of TBIs in adults
• Slip and fall accidents — particularly dangerous for older adults and young children
• Bicycle and scooter accidents — even with a helmet, the force of impact with a vehicle or the ground can cause serious brain injury
• Workplace accidents — falls from heights, struck-by incidents on construction sites, and industrial machinery accidents
• Assaults — physical attacks that involve blows to the head
• Sports and recreational injuries — contact sports, skateboarding, surfing, and other activities where head impacts occur

Why Brain Injury Cases Require Specialized Legal Representation

Brain injuries are invisible on the outside. An MRI may look normal even when a person cannot remember their children’s names or hold a conversation for more than five minutes. Insurance adjusters exploit this disconnect. They see a claimant who looks fine on the outside and question whether the injury is as serious as claimed.

Our firm counters this by working with neurologists, neuropsychologists, and neuroradiologists who can document and explain brain injuries using advanced imaging, cognitive testing, and functional assessments. We build cases that show:

• The mechanism of injury and how it caused brain damage
• Objective evidence from CT scans, MRIs, DTI imaging, and PET scans
• Results of neuropsychological testing that quantify cognitive deficits
• Testimony from family members, coworkers, and friends about the changes they observe
• Expert economic analysis of lifetime care costs and lost earning capacity

Compensation for Brain Injury Victims

Brain injury cases often involve the largest damage awards in personal injury law because the costs are so high and the impact is so lasting:

• Medical expenses — emergency neurosurgery, ICU stays, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient therapy, medications, and future medical needs
• Cognitive rehabilitation — speech therapy, occupational therapy, and specialized brain injury programs
• Lost wages and permanently reduced earning capacity
• In-home care and assistance with daily activities
• Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life and loss of consortium for spouses
• Home and vehicle modifications needed for permanent disabilities

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a brain injury show up days or weeks after an accident?

Yes. Symptoms of a concussion or more serious TBI may not appear immediately. Headaches, confusion, memory problems, mood changes, and sleep disturbances can develop gradually over days or weeks. This is why we always recommend getting a medical evaluation after any accident involving a blow to the head — even if you feel fine at the scene.

What if the MRI and CT scan come back normal?

Standard MRI and CT scans do not detect all types of brain damage. Diffuse axonal injuries, in particular, may not show up on conventional imaging. Advanced techniques like diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional MRI can reveal damage that standard scans miss. We connect our clients with specialists who use these tools.

How is future care calculated in a brain injury case?

We work with life care planners — medical professionals who evaluate what treatment, therapy, equipment, and support a brain injury survivor will need for the rest of their life. Their report forms the basis of our future damages calculation and is backed by medical evidence that holds up in court.

Contact Our Los Angeles Brain Injury Lawyers

If you or a family member suffered a brain injury in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, McNally Law Offices can help. We serve clients throughout Los Angeles County from our Pasadena and Century City offices.

Call (626) 584-5744 for a free consultation. We handle brain injury cases on contingency — there is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.