Traumatic brain injury is generally caused by a severe blow to the head. Some of the most common causes include personal injuries, such as car accidents, trucking accidents, physical violence, and falls.
If you or someone you know has sustained an injury to the head, they may have also experienced a brain injury. Some symptoms of brain injury don’t show up immediately. In this blog, we’ll go over signs and symptoms of traumatic injury, which may appear days or even weeks after an accident. Then we’ll talk about treatment options.
For the last 37 years, Snyder & Wenner has worked hard to protect members of our community. Today, Howard Snyder, David Wenner, and Brian Snyder still work tirelessly to ensure that every client is fully taken care of and receives the best settlement or trial verdict possible. Snyder & Wenner only handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death personal injury cases in the greater Phoenix area (including Scottsdale, Avondale, Paradise Valley, Mesa, Glendale, Anthem, and other surrounding cities). So what is a “catastrophic injury,” and what areas of personal injury does Snyder & Wenner focus its practice on?
What are “catastrophic injuries”?
“Catastrophic injuries,” are those that severely and permanently affect a person’s life. It is important to understand, though, that this does not mean that someone with a sprained ankle does not have a legitimate injury that is bothersome. Instead, it simply means that the injuries do not resolve and will continue to affect the person for the foreseeable future (or permanently). Snyder & Wenner focuses only on catastrophic personal injury cases because those victims have injuries that will require extensive care and treatment. When that happens, the medical bills can become overwhelming, which can send many people into bankruptcy. Every injured person deserves the very best legal services, but those who have suffered catastrophic injuries particularly need experienced, successful, well-versed attorneys because their injuries are not as simple as, “I was rear-ended in a car crash, I hurt my neck.” Many injuries, such as brain injuries, foot drop, spinal injuries, and neurologic injuries, require a long-term approach with care outlined by expert witnesses. Those services cost money, so law firms with experience and success are a “must.”
What type of cases resulting in catastrophic injuries does Snyder & Wenner handle?
Snyder & Wenner handles all catastrophic injuries resulting from: dog bites, car accidents, truck crashes, defective products, and insufficient/inadequate security. Every case is different, and every type of case is different, so here is a quick primer on each area:
Dog Bites: Dogs are great companions and wonderful pets, but they can also cause serious, life-long injuries. In Arizona, if you are a guest on someone’s property, and the property owner’s dog attacks you, the owner is responsible. There is no such thing as a “one free bite” rule, meaning that even if the dog has never harmed someone before, the owner is still responsible. The only way this is not true is if you provoke the dog or cause it to bite you. Unlike other negligence claims, though, there is a one year statute of limitations for the automatic (strict) liability. Once the one year mark passes, you will have to prove that the dog owner knew or should have known of the dog’s propensity to attack/bite. That is a much more difficult standard, so it is best to file your case within one year. In 2017, Snyder & Wenner had the largest verdict in the State of Arizona for a dog bite case.
Car Accident: Even minor car crashes can cause a major disturbance in someone’s life. The more serious the crash, the larger the physical impact. Did you know that neck and spine injuries from crashes that may SEEM like they resolve quickly can still be problematic 10-20 years later? The worst thing any injured person can do is simply assume that the injuries will get better and not seek appropriate treatment.
Truck Crashes: Many people think that truck crashes are just big car accidents. That could not be further from the truth. Truck accidents have many layers that run-of-the-mill car accidents do not, including federal regulations for truck drivers and trucking companies, and more sophisticated tools imbedded in the truck that can help determine why the truck driver was driving so fast or did not brake in time. Truck accidents obviously cause devastating injuries due to the sheer size of the big-rig, but proving that the truck driver and truck company are fault is something that requires experience. Using a basic personal injury lawyer for these cases is a recipe for disaster.
On July 1, 2018, Arizona passed its first statewide law banning texting while driving for teenagers aged 16-18. While the law fails to address the overarching problem of distracted driving, since it applies only to a small subset of the population, it is a step in the right direction. As it currently stands, Arizona is one of two states in the country that does not completely ban texting while driving for all drivers. Attorney Brian Snyder joined Good Morning Arizona to discuss the new law and the impact it will have on our state.
The new law applies only to 16-18 year olds who are within the first 6 months of getting their license. Police officers are not permitted to pull the driver over only for texting while driving, though. Instead, it is a secondary offense, meaning that there has to be another reason to pull the driver over. If someone is texting while driving, though, chances are that h or she is drifting in the lane or driving carelessly. Doing so is enough for an officer to pull the person over. A first offense is a $75 fine. A second offense is a $100 fine and one month gets added on to the probationary period. For a third offense, the driver is fined $100 and loses his or her license for one month.
Distracted driving causes over 400,000 injuries per year. It is a major epidemic that needs to be addressed. Otherwise, injuries and deaths will continue to occur at a rapid rate. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured when a distracted driver crashed into your car, please do not wait. Contact us today so we can help. Snyder and Wenner is a proud supporter of End Distracted Driving, and Brian Snyder is available to speak at local high schools on the dangers of distracted driving.
Snyder & Wenner is proud to announce that on April 2, 2018, one day before he was set to start a 4 week trial against Phoenix trucking company Houston Transport (and it’s driver), attorney Brian Snyder settled the trucking crash case against the defendants for $900,000.
On December 10, 2014, defendant truck driver James McCulloh was travelling westbound on Route 260 near Show Low. It was very foggy outside, but Mr. McCulloh decided not to slow down in his 18-wheeler, and was driving between 50-66mph in very limited visibility. At that time, plaintiff Robert Langford was driving his garbage truck on a side street that connected with Route 260. He stopped at the stop sign and looked both ways. Not seeing any vehicles coming, he turned right onto Route 260 and accelerated to 19-25mph. Mr. Langford drove 40 yards down the highway when, out of nowhere, defendant McCulloh crashed into him from behind at full speed. McCulloh never hit the brakes and never took any evasive action. The impact was so severe that plaintiff’s garbage truck flipped over, and he was knocked unconscious. Mr. Langford sustained a moderate to severe brain injury, and has been receiving treatment since the date of the injury. During litigation, defendants hired several experts to testify that plaintiff had NO injuries at all, and that he was actually to blame for the crash. Nevertheless, on the eve of trial, defendants agreed to pay $900,000 to settle the claims against them.
Trucking cases can be very complex since numerous safety rules apply to commercial vehicle drivers that do not apply to everyone else on the road. It is important to hire an attorney with experience litigating trucking crash cases so you can obtain the best possible result that you deserve.
On October 31, 2017, a jury unanimously awarded Esmeralda Tripp $15 million for the personal injuries she sustained at the hands of two inexperienced doctors at Banner UMC in Tucson, Arizona. The verdict was the largest of any kind in Arizona in 2017, and was the largest medical malpractice verdict in Arizona in the last 25+ years. Attorneys David Wenner and Brian Snyder were thrilled with the record-setting verdict, as it sent a message to Banner UMC Hospital that our community will not stand for careless doctors ruining the lives of innocent patients.
"I've personally dealt with three of the attorneys at Snyder & Wenner and would wholeheartedly recommend them. Not only are they extremely knowledgable about their subject matter, they care very much for their clients and work very hard on every case. The lawyers are experts in their field, but also have the passion—and compassion—each client deserves."
-Emilie Williams
"Brian Snyder represented my daughter and I for injuries we sustained in a car accident. I am very happy with the representation and the outcome. Brian took care of all of the issues that arose and always stayed in constant contact with us. I would be happy to recommend Snyder & Wenner to all of my family and friends."
-Devi O.
Snyder & Wenner, PC
When you need undivided attention, personal care, and proven results, there's no better law firm than Snyder & Wenner, PC, Phoenix's Premier Personal Injury Law Firm. Schedule your free consultation.
Traumatic brain injury is generally caused by a severe blow to the head. Some of the most common causes include personal injuries, such as car accidents, trucking accidents, physical violence, and falls.
