Brain Injuries

In this video, renowned Northern California trial attorney Mike Danko discusses the unique legal and medical challenges associated with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). Unlike physical fractures that are easily identified on X-rays, brain injuries are frequently categorized as “invisible injuries” because they often do not appear on standard MRI or CT scans.

Mike explains the common tactics used by insurance companies to devalue brain injury claims by pointing to “normal” imaging results. At Danko Meredith, we counter these defense strategies by focusing on the “human evidence”—documenting cognitive changes, memory loss, and personality shifts through the testimony of family, friends, and employers.

If you or a loved one are suffering from the long-term effects of a concussion or serious head trauma, you need a legal team with the specialized resources to hold negligent parties accountable. We leverage a nationwide network of medical experts, including neuropsychologists and neuroradiologists, to ensure your injury is seen, understood, and compensated.

Contact Danko Meredith today for a free consultation. You pay nothing unless they win your case.

 

Key Takeaways

  1. Specialization in “Invisible” Injuries: Danko Meredith understands that a “normal” MRI does not mean a client is uninjured. Their expertise lies in bridging the gap between medical technology and the reality of a client’s daily struggle.
  2. Strategic Use of Expert Witnesses: The firm maintains relationships with the nation’s top neurologists and neuroradiologists, providing the high-level scientific testimony required to win complex TBI cases against well-funded insurance companies.
  3. Holistic Evidence Gathering: Beyond medical records, the firm utilizes “before and after” testimony from employers and family members to build a compelling narrative of how the injury has fundamentally altered the victim’s quality of life.
  4. Proven Success with High-Stakes Litigation: With a track record that includes a $11 million brain injury recovery, the firm demonstrates the financial resources and trial experience necessary to pursue maximum compensation.
  5. Empathetic Client Advocacy: Mike Danko highlights the behavioral and emotional shifts—such as irritability and memory loss—that others might overlook, ensuring that the client feels heard and represented with dignity.

Transcript

A brain injury is really different from any other type of injury because it can’t be seen. If you have a broken leg or a broken arm, it shows up on an X-ray. Even a back injury or a neck injury often shows up on an MRI. But a brain injury—even a very serious one—often doesn’t show up on any kind of imaging study at all.

What that means is that the insurance company is going to tell the jury that because the MRI is normal, there is no injury. We know that’s not true. We know that the brain is a very delicate organ and that it can be damaged even if the MRI is normal.

To prove a brain injury, we have to look at the person’s life. We have to look at how they’ve changed. We talk to their family, their friends, their employers, and their coworkers. We find out what they were like before the accident and how they are different now.

Often, a person with a brain injury looks perfectly fine. But they’re not fine. They may have trouble concentrating, they may be irritable, they may have trouble with their memory, or they may have trouble sleeping. These are all real symptoms of a real injury.

At Danko Meredith, we have the experience and the resources to prove these ‘invisible’ injuries. We work with the best experts in the country—neurologists, neuropsychologists, and neuroradiologists—to explain to a jury exactly what has happened to our client and why they deserve to be compensated.