Brain injury damages estimator

Estimates only. TBI damages are highly fact-specific and require a life care planner and economic expert. This tool provides a general range. Always consult a personal injury attorney. See our full disclaimer.

TBI damages estimator

TBI severity classification

Age at time of injury Younger victims have longer life expectancy and more future wage loss, significantly increasing total damages.

Annual income before injury ($)

Medical bills to date ($)

Future care setting

Work capacity after injury

Cause of TBI

Your TBI damages estimate

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Why TBI cases produce large verdicts

Traumatic brain injuries produce the highest average verdicts of any personal injury category for 3 reasons: the injuries are permanent, they affect every aspect of the victim's life, and future care costs are enormous. A 30-year-old with a severe TBI may require 24-hour supervision for the next 50 years. At $150,000 per year for professional care, that's $7.5 million in future care costs alone - before adding lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering.

TBI cases require a multidisciplinary expert team: a neurologist to establish the injury's nature and permanence, a neuropsychologist to document cognitive and behavioral impairment, a life care planner to project future medical and care costs, and an economist to calculate present value of future losses. Top TBI attorneys assemble this team early and build comprehensive damages packages that are difficult to dispute.

Mild TBI - don't underestimate it

Mild TBI (concussion) cases are frequently undervalued by insurance companies who argue the injury is temporary. But post-concussion syndrome can persist for months or years, causing chronic headaches, cognitive fog, memory problems, mood disorders, and inability to work. If symptoms persist beyond a few weeks, thorough neuropsychological testing and imaging are essential to document the full extent of the injury.

Frequently asked questions

A life care plan is a comprehensive document prepared by a certified life care planner that projects all future medical, therapeutic, and care costs for a TBI victim over their lifetime. It covers physician visits, medications, therapy, equipment (wheelchairs, communication devices), home modifications, professional care hours, and facility costs if needed. Life care plans are the foundation of future damages in serious TBI cases and are typically required to support any claim for future care costs in litigation.

Lost wages are the income you've already missed since the injury. Lost earning capacity is the present value of all future income you'll lose over your working life. For a young TBI victim who can no longer work, lost earning capacity is calculated by an economist using your pre-injury income, likely career trajectory, expected working years remaining, and a discount rate to convert future dollars to present value. This can be the largest single component of TBI damages.

Yes. TBIs frequently cause personality changes, emotional dysregulation, irritability, depression, and anxiety that damage relationships and reduce quality of life. These are recoverable as non-economic damages under pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment of life. Spouses can also file consortium claims for the impact on the marital relationship. Neuropsychological evaluations document these changes objectively, supporting substantial non-economic damage awards.

Standard CT scans in the ER catch acute bleeding but often miss diffuse axonal injury and subtle damage from mild to moderate TBI. MRI with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can show white matter tract damage not visible on CT. Neuropsychological testing quantifies cognitive deficits even when imaging appears normal. If you have persistent symptoms after a head injury and your ER CT was normal, request an MRI with DTI and a neuropsychological evaluation from a TBI specialist. This imaging is critical evidence in TBI litigation.

Personal injury statutes of limitations apply, typically 2 to 3 years from the date of the accident. For TBI claims where the full extent of injury isn't immediately apparent, the discovery rule may extend the deadline from when you knew or should have known the severity of the injury. For children with TBIs, the SOL is typically tolled until age 18. Contact an attorney immediately - evidence preservation and expert retention are critical in TBI cases and can't wait until near the deadline.