Many personal injury accident victims seek compensation for injuries from which they are likely to recover. With permanent injuries like traumatic brain injuries, the chances of recovery are slim to none. Because of this reality, TBI victims require ongoing medical assistance for the rest of their lives. Our Athens traumatic brain injury lawyers can fight for fair compensation if your injury was due to someone else’s negligence.
Since 1999, the legal team at John Foy & Associates has fought for the compensation injury victims need.
Contact our Athens personal injury lawyer today to discuss the details of your case during a free consultation.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a result of a forceful impact to the head or body. They can occur when your head hits (or is hit by) something or when the body is forcefully thrown or jolted. Some common signs of a TBI include dizziness, loss of consciousness, head pain, and blurred vision.
Typically, TBIs are divided into three levels of severity:
- Mild TBI: Concussions are a type of mild TBI. They can cause temporary confusion, headaches, and dizziness. Typically, they resolve in around a month, but some people experience post-concussion syndrome where symptoms last much longer.
- Moderate TBI: A moderate TBI typically involves a loss of consciousness for a more extended period and signs of the injury on an MRI. You may also experience amnesia within the first few days after an injury.
- Severe TBI: A severe TBI can involve loss of consciousness for more than 24 hours, and there will be signs of the injury on an MRI.
While a mild TBI can have some lingering effects on your life, both moderate and severe TBIs often have long-term impacts,s including permanent disability. TBIs can also lead to death. According to the CDC’s TBI data, there were 15, 970 fatal TBI accidents in December 2024 alone.
What Are the Signs of a TBI?
The symptoms of a TBI can impact a person’s health for the duration of their life. Some of the common symptoms of a TBI include:
- Memory problems.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Blurred vision.
- Concentration issues.
- Mood swings and emotional instability.
Common Causes of TBIs
TBIs can occur after any sudden or forceful impact. Some common causes are:
- Car accidents.
- Truck accidents.
- Pedestrian accidents.
- Motorcycle accidents.
- Bicycle accidents.
- Slip and fall accidents.
Accidents that cause TBIs are unfortunately common. The high traffic and pedestrian congestion on UGA’s campus, for example, lead to increased pedestrian and bicycle accidents. Additionally, according to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, there were 4,173 traffic accidents in 2025.
Common Medical Treatments for TBI Patients
In addition to emergency medical services immediately after an injury, many brain injury victims require ongoing medical care at local hospitals like Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center. Some of the common medical treatments that TBI patients require for their injury include:
- Medications: TBI patients require multiple medications to help cope with health risks like seizures and a lack of oxygen.
- Surgery: TBI patients may require surgery to reduce future damage to their brain. TBI patients are in danger of experiencing additional damage like bleeding to the brain and skull fractures.
- Rehabilitation: TBI patients will require lifelong rehabilitation classes to cope with relearning basic skills. Some rehabilitation services offered to TBI patients include speech therapy, physical therapy, recreational therapy, and occupational therapy.
Get the strong arm
Why Should You Hire a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer in Athens?
TBIs often have significant impacts on a life. Victims may have permanent disabilities or require long-term care in a living facility. Our Athens traumatic brain injury attorneys are here to help accident victims and their loved ones recover fair compensation. We also want to make the legal process as stress-free as possible.
Ways we help include:
Fighting for Your Right to Compensation
You have the right to be fully compensated for the rest of your life following your traumatic brain injury. You will be required to rely on various medical treatments to cope with your injury for the rest of your life.
The compensation you can seek by filing a personal injury claim includes the following:
- Medical expenses for paying both current medical bills as well as expected future medical losses.
- Pain and suffering.
- Emotional distress.
- Lost wages.
- Loss of benefits.
- Loss of future wages.
- Remodeling expenses, if your injury led to paralysis and your home needs to be made wheelchair-accessible
- Punitive damages, in cases of gross negligence or malice.
We will look at the full scope of your losses, including whether you have post-concussion syndrome, as that shows a significant impact on your life over time.
Our results include over $1 billion recovered for our clients. We take your fight for your compensation seriously. That is why we have a reputation as “The Strong Arm” in Georgia.
Collect Evidence to Support Your Claim
A traumatic brain injury attorney in Athens can collect the proper evidence to prove how the other party’s negligence led to your injury. They have the necessary experience speaking with credible medical expert witnesses who can explain how detrimental a traumatic brain injury is. Our personal injury attorneys will collaborate with you and other witnesses involved in your accident to collect the best evidence for your lawsuit.
In some cases where imaging and medical records don’t reflect your injury, insurers and their attorneys may push back against compensation demands. We will help to obtain the medical evidence you need to fight against these tactics. For example, we may push for advanced imaging tests, neuropsychological testing, or use testimony from family, coworkers, and friends to show how the TBI has changed your behavior or abilities.
Prepare for Trial
We will handle all communication with insurance adjusters and negotiate on your behalf. If a fair settlement can’t be reached, we’re prepared to represent you in court.
We will also handle any appeals if your initial personal injury claim is denied by the insurance company.
When Can You Recover Compensation After a Catastrophic Injury?
One of the most challenging aspects of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) lawsuit is determining how negligent another party acted toward the victim. Negligence is one of the most difficult legal concepts to prove in a personal injury lawsuit. Our lawyers will investigate to prove the four elements of negligence for your claim.
What Are the Four Elements of Negligence?
The other party’s negligence will not be established until the facts of the lawsuit cover four key elements. These four elements of negligence include:
- Duty of care: Your attorney must prove that the other party owed a duty of care to you or your loved one.
- Breach: An attorney must prove that there was a breach of that legal duty through the other party’s actions.
- Causation: Your personal injury lawyer must prove that the other party’s irresponsible actions caused your traumatic brain injury.
- Damages: Any damages you have sustained due to your traumatic brain injury can help meet this element.
Causation is the most difficult element to prove out of these four elements. Insurance companies may insinuate that their client’s actions did not directly cause your TBI.
What Kind of Evidence Is Needed to Prove Negligence?
The type of evidence needed to prove negligence will depend on the specific circumstances. For example, in auto accidents, you may need phone records to prove that a driver’s distraction led to the accident.
Some common types of helpful evidence include:
- Witness statements.
- Accident reconstruction.
- Surveillance footage from traffic cameras, store security cameras, or dashcams.
- Blood alcohol content results.
- Skid marks or other types of physical evidence.
- Police reports or incident reports.
Frequently Asked Questions After a TBI in Athens
Below are short answers to questions we hear often.
What is the cost of a personal injury lawyer?
We work on contingency fees so that you won’t pay us anything upfront. In fact, you only pay us if we recover compensation for you.
What is the statute of limitations for my case?
Under Georgia’s statute of limitations, you typically have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death lawsuit. Failing to do so by the deadline can bar you from recovering compensation.
In some cases, this timeline may be abbreviated, so talk to a lawyer as soon as possible.
What if I am partly at fault for my injury?
Under Georgia Law, injury victims can recover compensation even when they are partially at fault for their injury. However, you cannot be more than 50% at fault.
Contact a Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney in Athens
After you have endured a TBI, the trajectory of your life will forever be changed. You will have to learn how to cope with your injury’s additional emotional stress. If you or your loved one were involved in an accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, the legal team at John Foy & Associates can help.
We have the compassion, understanding, and experience to seek the compensation that you deserve. Read our testimonials to learn more about how we help our clients. We are here for you and can help you fight for compensation. Call to schedule a free consultation today.
706-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form