Sherman Oaks Brain Injury Lawyer

You walk away from a crash on the US-101 or Ventura Boulevard, tell the officer you are fine, and a few days later the headaches, fog and short temper begin. Or a family member is in the hospital and nobody can think about insurance forms. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. represents people with brain injuries caused by motor-vehicle crashes in Sherman Oaks and across the San Fernando Valley. Attorney Moe Abdallah handles only motor-vehicle injury cases, answers his own phone, and keeps families updated by call and text. This page explains how Sherman Oaks crashes injure the brain, which symptoms to watch, where treatment is close by, how a brain injury claim gets proven, what insurance may cover, and which deadlines can protect or end your claim. The free review runs 24/7. You owe no fee unless Moe wins.

How a crash in Sherman Oaks can injure your brain

You do not have to hit your head to injure your brain. In a hard crash the brain moves inside the skull, and a sudden stop or twist can bruise or tear tissue even when nothing touches you. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) says a traumatic brain injury can come from a blow, a jolt, or an object that penetrates the skull. Sherman Oaks has several ways for that to happen. Freeway traffic on the US-101 and the I-405 produces rear-end and sideswipe crashes that whip a driver's head forward and back. On Van Nuys Boulevard, Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon Avenue, a pedestrian or cyclist struck by a car can land on pavement, and a motorcyclist faces the same danger even in a helmet. Airbags save lives, but they do not stop the brain from moving. If you were knocked out, dazed, confused, or cannot remember the crash, treat it as a brain injury until a doctor says otherwise. Tell every provider that your head was hurt, because the first record is the one an insurer reads closest.

Symptoms that show up late, and why that matters

Brain injuries do not always announce themselves. NINDS reports that headache, dizziness, confusion and fatigue tend to start right away and often fade, while emotional symptoms such as frustration and irritability tend to develop during recovery. A concussion, which is a mild form of TBI, can take minutes to several months to heal, and symptoms that last for weeks or longer may be post-concussion syndrome. Warning signs that need urgent care include seizures, blurred or double vision, unequal pupils, clear fluid draining from the nose or ears, nausea and vomiting, and new neurological problems. Families often notice what the patient does not: a short temper, trouble with words, sleep changes, sensitivity to light or noise. Write these changes down with dates. A symptom diary, a note from an employer about missed work, and a spouse's description all become evidence. Insurers argue that delayed symptoms mean the crash did not cause them. Your doctors and records can answer that. See a physician soon, and do not stop treatment because the early scans look clear.

Sherman Oaks Hospital, Holy Cross and where serious head injuries go

Where you are treated shapes your records. Sherman Oaks Hospital at 4929 Van Nuys Blvd. has an emergency department and a stroke center, but we found no trauma designation for it. Encino Hospital Medical Center, 16237 Ventura Blvd., offers 24-hour emergency care. Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center is an LA County stroke and STEMI receiving center, and Northridge Hospital Medical Center runs a 24-hour emergency room. For the most severe head injuries, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills is a Level II trauma center. Do not pick a hospital to please an insurer. Go where your symptoms and the paramedics point you. NINDS says CT imaging can show a skull fracture and any brain bruising, bleeding or swelling, while MRI is more sensitive and can pick up subtler changes that a CT scan may miss. A normal CT does not rule out a concussion, so ask about follow-up with a neurologist if symptoms continue. Moe collects every chart, scan and bill so the full course of care is documented.

Proving an injury that may not show on a scan

A broken leg shows on an X-ray. A mild brain injury often does not, and insurers know it. Moe builds your proof from several kinds of evidence. Emergency records show what you said and how you looked on day one. Neurology and neuropsychology testing can measure memory, attention and processing speed. Imaging helps when it shows damage, though a clear scan does not erase symptoms. Employers can describe the change in your work, and family members can describe the change at home. The crash itself matters too. Photos of the vehicles, the speed involved, the airbag deployment and any head strike show how much force reached you. Police reports start with LAPD's Van Nuys Community Police Station, 6240 Sylmar Ave., and LAPD Valley Traffic Division, and the station page links to a collision report request. Moe also asks for scene video before it is overwritten. One real firm result was $105,000 for an uninsured client with a broken sternum, which covered hospital bills and future treatment. Past results do not promise a similar outcome.

What a brain injury claim can cover and the insurance limits

A serious brain injury can cost far more than a policy pays. A claim can seek hospital and rehabilitation bills, future care, lost earnings, reduced ability to work, and pain and suffering. California's minimum auto liability limits are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025, so many at-fault drivers carry far less than a major TBI costs. That is why other sources matter. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may add money, and it applies when a driver flees and the crash involved physical contact if you report within 24 hours and send a sworn statement within 30 days. An employer's vehicle, a rideshare company or a trucking carrier may carry more coverage. Under Proposition 51, each defendant pays non-economic damages only in proportion to their fault, so Moe looks for every responsible party. California also follows pure comparative negligence, so partial fault reduces your award and does not end it. Moe values the case for your whole future before he talks about a number.

Deadlines when thinking is foggy, and how Moe handles a TBI case

In most cases you have two years to sue a private driver or company (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). If a public entity is responsible, such as the City of Los Angeles or LA Metro, you must present a written claim within six months (Government Code section 911.2). City claims go to the Office of the City Clerk at 200 N. Spring St., Room 395. After a written denial, you have six months to sue (section 945.6). Missing the claim deadline may still leave a one-year window to apply for a late claim (section 911.4). Time can stop running for a person who lacks legal capacity to make decisions, but that tolling does not apply to government claims (Code of Civil Procedure section 352). A person who lacks that capacity must appear through a guardian, conservator or guardian ad litem, and the court must approve a settlement for that person (section 372). The nearest Superior Court location is Van Nuys Courthouse East, 6230 Sylmar Ave., and Moe checks the court's Filing Court Locator for the right venue first. He takes your calls himself, moves fast on evidence, and charges nothing unless he wins.

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