
Did a head injury change your life, or someone you love?
If you or a family member hit your head in a crash, a fall, at work, or playing sports, you are in the right place.
Are you in an emergency right now?
- Watch for danger signs: a worsening headache, vomiting, slurred speech, weakness, or seizures.
- Call 911 right away if any danger sign appears.
- Do not let the injured person drive or be left alone.
- Get medical care even if the person seems fine at first.
- This page is for after you are safe.
This page covers brain injury claim deadlines and what to do right now. We are the injured person's advocate. We connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves. Always free. Talk to an advocate. We usually reply within minutes, at most one business day.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury that changes how the brain works, from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. A concussion is a mild form of TBI. Falls cause about half of TBI-related emergency room visits, followed by being struck by objects and motor vehicle crashes (CDC).
Why brain injuries are easy to underestimate

Symptoms can appear late. The CDC reports that some symptoms, like mood changes or sleep trouble, may only show up a week or two after the injury (CDC symptoms page). Keep a symptom log so a late-appearing problem is documented.
A clear scan does not mean you are fine. In one national research project, many people with a normal head CT scan still had real problems months later (TRACK-TBI study). Up to about 15% of people with a "mild" TBI still have disabling problems 3 months or more after the injury, including trouble returning to work (NIH-indexed study). Do not let an early "mild" label decide your case.
An offer made in week one is based on what is known in week one, and very little is known about a brain injury that early. Wait until doctors understand your recovery before considering any offer.
Protect your case
- Get checked by a medical professional, even if you feel okay. Go to emergency care for danger signs (CDC).
- Talk to an advocate at WeHelpInjured. It is free.
- Start a dated symptom journal: headaches, sleep, mood, memory, and missed work each day.
- Keep every paper: discharge notes, imaging reports, work absence records, and witness names.
- Warning: don't wait! The filing deadline is a trap. Some states give 1 year, others give several, so people wait, and waiting kills cases. The longer you wait, the fuzzier memories get and evidence gets lost. Talk to an advocate immediately. And important: medical claims can have different, often shorter deadlines. Do not assume the standard rule covers a hospital or doctor case. Find your state on our state pages.
Never do these

- Never give a recorded statement to an insurance company, even your own. Talk to an advocate first.
- Never accept a fast settlement offer before doctors understand your recovery.
- Never sign a release before your prognosis is reasonably clear. Talk to an advocate first.
- Never post about your injury or recovery on social media.
What real brain injury cases have paid
These are publicly reported results. They are examples only. No one can promise or predict what any case is worth, and many cases resolve for far less.
- $1 billion (uncapped) class settlement: the NFL concussion settlement covering thousands of former players, with individual awards up to $5 million (PBS Frontline).
- $229.6 million verdict: a Baltimore jury award for a child's brain injury at birth requiring around-the-clock care (Seattle Times/AP).
- $101 million verdict: a Cook County jury found hospital staff ignored a baby's oxygen levels for hours, causing brain damage (CBS Chicago).
- $18 million verdict: Bryan Stow, beaten outside Dodger Stadium, suffered a severe TBI needing lifelong care (CBS Los Angeles).
- $18 million verdict: the NCAA was ordered to pay a former college player and his wife over repeated head injuries (CBS News).
- $10 million settlement: Walmart settled with the children of comedian James McNair after the truck crash that also gave Tracy Morgan a traumatic brain injury (CBS New York).
When it goes wrong: a true story
Frank LeMaster played in a Pro Bowl. Later in life he had dementia and filed a claim in the NFL concussion settlement. He fought the claims process for years. The last payment he was owed arrived at his house a few days after he died at age 71. A Washington Post investigation found players waited over 15 months on average just to see doctors, and over 70 dementia claims were denied even with board-certified diagnoses (Washington Post, 2024). The system is slow and unforgiving. Talk to an advocate. They will introduce you to a lawyer who pushes and follows up on your claim.
What we can help with
We help you understand what documentation supports a brain injury claim, learn about state benefits you may qualify for, and connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours. All of it is free to you. We never take money from injured people.
Talk to an advocate. A brain injury is hard enough.
Sources
- CDC, Facts About TBI: https://www.cdc.gov/traumatic-brain-injury/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
- CDC, Symptoms of Mild TBI and Concussion: https://www.cdc.gov/traumatic-brain-injury/signs-symptoms/index.html
- CDC/MMWR, TBI-Related Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5829835/
- TRACK-TBI pilot study (outcomes after normal CT): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7287871/
- NIH-indexed study on persistent mild TBI problems: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5397200/
- PBS Frontline on the NFL concussion settlement: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/nfl-concussion-settlement-wins-final-approval-from-judge/
- Washington Post investigation, 2024: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/interactive/2024/nfl-concussion-settlement/
- Case result coverage: Seattle Times/AP, CBS Chicago, CBS Los Angeles, CBS News, CBS New York (linked above)