Helping TBI and spinal injury victims recover compensation and care.
SGB represents clients who have suffered all manner of traumatic brain injury (TBI). We have sought and recovered damages for traumatic brain injuries with a wide variety of type and severity. These injuries can be caused by:
- medical negligence
- birth trauma causing hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
- defective products
- auto collisions
- poor roadway design
- bicycle accidents
- train derailments
- bus crashes
- negligence at construction sites
- sports injuries
- falls
Such injuries can range from mild concussions to severe traumatic brain injuries causing catastrophic life changes. Any TBI raises the stakes in a legal matter for you, for the defendant, and for the defendant’s insurer.
Evaluating traumatic brain injuries is an often complex process, as is the litigation of traumatic brain injury cases. For example, determining the cause of brain injury at birth, and whether it was the result of medical negligence, can be challenging. The lack of blood flow to the brain during birth can result in permanent, debilitating anoxic brain injuries and serious neurological conditions like cerebral palsy. But often such injuries can be avoided with prudent care by medical providers.
Likewise, concussions from traumatic accidents can have very serious and long-term consequences even if there is no observable brain injury on medical imaging. The brain is very susceptible to damage from the forces generated in vehicular collisions. The brain can be knocked back and forth against the inside of the skull (often called “acceleration/deceleration injuries”), causing permanent injury. The injures can be serious and debilitating, even if they do not show up on CT or MRI scans.
Here at SGB, we understand something else: brain injuries are brutal. The “invisible injury” is a heavy burden to bear, and its impact spreads beyond the injured person to their family, friends and loved ones. Working with our clients has taught us what life is like for a brain injured person and their family. Social-emotional problems, executive functioning difficulty, explosive behavior, learning disabilities, physical limitations, sensory processing disorders, fatigue, visual and auditory disturbances, and pain—these are the daily companions of our brain injured clients. The arc of neurological recovery is long, and it is not linear. We understand, as well as anyone can who has not suffered it themselves, what a brain injury can do to a person and their family. And we have learned what it takes to accommodate, care for, and support a brain injured person. We are committed to fighting for our clients who have suffered brain injury to obtain a recovery that will not merely allow them to survive, but will let them thrive. As part of our commitment to helping survivors of brain injury, we support the Brain Injury Alliance of Washington - a local non-profit that provides much needed services to survivors.
If you have suffered a brain injury due to the negligence of another, you need attorneys with the right experience and commitment to the case. You need attorneys and experts trained in spotting and evaluating serious brain injury. A neurologist can help determine the signs, symptoms, and causes of a brain injury. A neuropsychologist can administer a battery of tests that can identify loss of brain function that shows a pattern typical of traumatically injured brains. These tests can be combined with other evidence demonstrating significant loss of brain function—which is critically important for any adequate compensation settlement or verdict. It is the brain injury lawyer’s job to bring together all of the evidence showing the nature and extent of the brain injury, how this injury was caused by the incident, and how the injury is likely to affect the client and their family into the future.
Our goal, as with any injury case we handle, is to maximize your recovery through ethical, thorough and zealous representation. We take our responsibilities to you and your family seriously. We recognize that if there has been a serious brain injury, you will be very apprehensive about the future. We will do our best to protect your legal rights and work to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
Team Members
Adam Berger
Thomas Breen
Kristin Houser
Liz McLafferty
Sims Weymuller
What sets SGB attorneys apart?
At SGB, we fight for justice on behalf of those who have been wronged or harmed. With decades of experience and a track record of success, our attorneys have taken on some of the toughest cases, holding negligent corporations, institutions, and other powerful entities accountable. We combine deep legal expertise with a passion for righteous justice, ensuring that our clients receive the dedicated advocacy they deserve.
Our firm is known for its innovative approach to the law, whether in personal injury, medical malpractice, employment disputes, or consumer protection cases. Our attorneys have helped shape legal precedent in Washington State and beyond, advancing protections for people just like you.
At SGB, we don’t just represent clients—we stand beside and fight alongside them.
“Great attention to detail, compassion and dedication”
My husband was diagnosed with mesothelioma and we reached out to Kaitlin to represent us, we are so grateful we did. Kaitlin not only knows everything about asbestos law, but she was the most caring attorney we've dealt with. This was a difficult time for us, but Kaitlin made us feel we could leave it up to her.
Frequently Asked Questions
We can help determine whether you have a case – it’s often difficult to know until you’ve spoken to an attorney. Depending on your claim, there can be tight timelines for filing a lawsuit, so as soon as you suspect you may have a case, you should speak with a qualified attorney right away.
Yes. The information you share with an SGB attorney or a member of the SGB staff is protected by the attorney-client privilege. Even if you decide against filing a lawsuit, the communication is private.
We operate on a contingent fee basis. If we recover funds for you, we are paid out of those funds; if we do not recover funds for you, you do not pay us for any attorney work we have performed.
We live here and we work here. We know Washington law. The best lawyer for you will have specialized, local knowledge of not only the courts where your case may be tried, but will understand countless other nuances of the laws and history of similar cases in your area. If you live in Washington, why would you want a lawyer from Texas, New York, or any other state?
There are strict time limits for filing charges of employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. To preserve the ability to pursue your claims, you should contact one of our skilled employment law attorneys as soon as unfair treatment is suspected. If you fail to act in time, you may be forever barred from bringing the claim before a judge or jury. SGB can represent you in this process and ensure that your claims are not waived.
Trial is typically scheduled 16-18 months from the date you file a complaint in court; however, this time period does not include time needed for investigation and (in certain cases) administrative review with a government agency. In addition, appeals may extend the duration of the lawsuit.
The vast majority of cases are resolved at some point before trial; however, there is no way to predict when or if a defendant will be interested in offering you a fair settlement value for your claim. SGB is prepared to take every case we file to a jury. In our view, this is the only way to encourage a defendant to take your case seriously.
Every case is different, but below are the general steps of litigation.
- Investigation & Filing - First, the attorney gathers factual information and determines whether there is a legal basis for a lawsuit. An investigation might include legal research, a review of public records, hiring a private investigator or an expert, requesting a client’s medical or employment records, interviewing potential witnesses, etc. At this stage, the attorney may contact the defendants or their attorneys to determine whether it is possible to settle the case out of court. To initiate a lawsuit, the attorney files a complaint in state or federal court, or (in certain types of cases) the attorney may be required to file a claim with a governmental agency prior to filing suit.
- Discovery - During the discovery phase of litigation, the parties (the plaintiff and defendant) exchange information and learn as much about the case as possible. The court rules permit the parties to exchange written requests for information (such as requests for documents, emails, etc.), ask questions of one another under oath at a deposition, subpoena documents and records from third-parties, and subpoena witnesses to answer questions under oath.
- Pretrial & Mediation - In anticipation of trial, the parties often file motions (written requests) with the court seeking to dismiss the case, gain additional discovery, exclude certain types of evidence, or to request other forms of relief. At the close of the discovery phase of the lawsuit, the court rules typically require the parties to engage in a mediation to try and settle the case, though this process may occur at any time during litigation.
- Trial - In the event that a case does not settle, the case proceeds to trial. The attorneys present evidence through testimony and documents to the jury, who in turn determines whether a defendant is liable and if so, whether the plaintiff should be awarded any money.
- Appeal - Occasionally, a party appeals a jury verdict or a judge’s ruling to an appellate court. An appeal can take anywhere from one to several years, depending on the case.
Unlike the communication you have with your attorney, nothing you say (or post, text, blog, email, etc.) to others is confidential. This includes any “private” posts on social media pages, like Facebook or Instagram. You should always ask your attorney whether it is a good idea to share information about your lawsuit with anyone else before you do so.
The court rules impose an obligation on all parties to preserve any information (including electronically stored information) that might become relevant in a lawsuit. This duty begins as soon as you think you might file a lawsuit. A court can impose serious penalties (including dismissal) if you destroy evidence.
Whatever you say to witnesses or anyone else (other than your attorney), is information that a defendant has a right to know about. For this reason, you should talk to your attorney before doing any investigation on your own.
If you or someone you love has suffered from a serious brain injury, SGB is here to help. Let us help you. There is no charge for us to review your potential claim. If we take your case, we do so on a contingency basis, meaning that you don’t pay our fees unless we successfully resolve the claim in your favor. Contact us for a free, confidential case review or call us at 1-800-809-2234.