Serving Parkersburg Families After a Car Crash Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury Car Accidents: What This Page Covers

Big Bubba Injury Law represents people seriously hurt in car and commercial truck crashes, including brain injuries. We serve Parkersburg and Wood County. This page explains how a traumatic brain injury car accident claim works for people hurt in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is brain damage caused by a sudden outside force, such as a blow or jolt to the head. The ACL traumatic brain injury page explains that automobile accidents can cause this kind of injury. In a crash, the head may strike a steering wheel, window or airbag.

This page is for drivers, passengers, pedestrians and motorcyclists who have a head injury after a crash. It is also for family members who support someone in that situation. The firm handles car accidents, truck accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. This page focuses on brain injuries from car crashes.

Crashes We Handle in Parkersburg and Wood County

We serve Parkersburg and the surrounding Wood County area, including crashes on Route 50 and Interstate 77. Brain injuries happen in many kinds of crashes, not only high-speed ones. Common examples include:

• Rear-end and highway collisions
• Intersection crashes
• Head-on and sideswipe crashes
• Rollovers
• Crashes on rural roads
• Collisions involving a commercial truck or other commercial vehicle

Commercial crashes can involve more than one party. A driver, a carrier, a vehicle owner or a company that hired the driver may each play a role. Investigators look at who else may share responsibility.

If the other driver has little or no insurance, the crash details matter even more. Write down what you remember while it is fresh. We also serve injury victims across West Virginia, including Clarksburg and Fairmont.

Why Brain Injury Symptoms Can Be Hard to Spot Early

Brain injury symptoms can appear hours or days after a crash, so a prompt medical checkup matters. Many people feel shaken and assume they will feel better on their own. Symptoms to watch for include:

• Headaches that keep coming back
• Dizziness or balance trouble
• Confusion or memory problems
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Sleep changes
• Irritability or trouble concentrating

A doctor’s exam creates a record that links your symptoms to the crash. Your doctor can explain which tests fit your injury, such as imaging or neurological testing. Keep a symptom journal. Note what you notice, when it happens and how it affects work or family life. Follow medical advice, including referrals for cognitive or rehabilitation therapy.

Gather these items before a free case review: medical records, the crash report number, photos of the scene and vehicles, and a list of missed work.

What a Brain Injury Claim Can Address

A brain injury claim can seek compensation for losses tied to the injury. Those losses usually fall into a few groups:

• Medical bills, including emergency care, hospital stays, imaging, neurology visits and rehabilitation
• Future care when symptoms continue
• Lost wages and lower earning ability when the injury affects work
• Non-economic losses, such as pain, reduced quality of life and changes in daily activities

In commercial truck cases, West Virginia law limits certain damages. That cap is not available if the employer does not carry at least $3 million in commercial motor vehicle insurance covering the injury. Under W. Va. Code § 55-7-32(d), the limits in this section do not apply in certain cases, such as when an operator or driver is found to have operated a commercial motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of .04 or more, or while under the influence of a controlled substance, among other listed conditions.

Federal limits on driving time for drivers of property-carrying commercial motor vehicles appear in 49 C.F.R. § 395.3. After a truck crash, those rules can become part of the review. You can read the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations directly.

No one can predict how a claim will turn out. Each claim turns on its own evidence and how the injury is documented.

Prior Concussions and Other Common Concerns

Past head injuries are sorted out through medical records, which show what changed after the crash. Your records and your doctor’s notes help show the difference between old symptoms and new ones. Be complete and honest about past head injuries when you describe your history.

West Virginia generally gives two years to file a personal injury claim. The W. Va. Code § 55-2-12 sets that two-year limit, running from when the right to bring the action arises. Missing that deadline can end a claim, so note the date your right to bring the action arose.

West Virginia’s comparative fault statute, W. Va. Code § 55-7-13a, provides that recovery in personal injury, property damage, and wrongful death actions is based on comparative fault, with each person’s liability allocated in direct proportion to that person’s percentage of fault. Under W. Va. Code § 55-7-13c, your own fault does not bar recovery unless it is greater than the combined fault of all others responsible. If it is less, your recovery is reduced in proportion to your share of fault.

Insurance adjusters often reach out quickly.

How the Process Works, Step by Step

The process starts with a free case review and moves through evidence, medical documentation and negotiation. A lawsuit becomes a possibility if the claim does not resolve. Here is the typical path:

1. First contact, by phone or online request, describes the crash and the head injury.
2. A free case review follows. It is confidential, with no obligation to continue.
3. The firm gathers evidence, such as crash reports, medical records, witness statements, vehicle data and, in truck cases, carrier records.
4. Medical documentation is organized, and the firm coordinates with treating providers.
5. A demand goes to the insurer or other responsible party, followed by negotiation.
6. If needed, a lawsuit is filed and the case proceeds through litigation.

Timelines vary with the injury, the medical course and the parties involved. The firm reviews progress with you at each stage.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brain Injury Car Accidents in Parkersburg