Orange County Brain Injury Lawyer
Living with a concussion or traumatic brain injury after an accident in Orange County? You may look fine to others while struggling with headaches, memory, and concentration, and insurers often dismiss what a scan doesn’t show. We document the injury and its long-term effects and pursue compensation for its full cost.
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Case Results
Recent Personal Injury Results
Faud Haghighi has resolved cases resulting in tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. Recent recoveries are shown below.
Last updated: October 2026 · Reviewed by Faud Haghighi, Esq., Founder & Lead Trial Attorney
How Can an Orange County Brain Injury Lawyer Help?
An Orange County brain injury lawyer proves that an accident caused a traumatic brain injury, including a “mild” injury that doesn’t show up on a scan, and documents its long-term effects on memory, work, and daily life so the compensation reflects the injury’s full and lasting cost.
Brain injuries are among the hardest injuries to see and the easiest for insurers to dispute. A person can look fine while struggling with headaches, memory problems, and changes in mood or concentration. The Law Offices of Faud Haghighi represents people with traumatic brain injuries, and their families, throughout Orange County and Southern California from offices in Aliso Viejo and Tustin. Faud Haghighi’s practice centers on cases with complex causation and serious injuries, and he handles each case personally.
| Brain injury claims at a glance | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Normal scans | A normal CT or MRI does not rule out a brain injury; testing and consistent records often prove it. |
| “Mild” TBI | Describes the first score, not the effect on your life; some people have lasting problems. |
| People who know you | Family and co-workers often notice changes first, and their observations are evidence. |
| Don’t settle early | The long-term picture should be documented before any settlement is considered. |
| Fees | Free, confidential consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover for you. |
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is damage to the brain caused by a blow, jolt, or penetrating injury to the head, such as striking a windshield, the ground, or a hard object, or the brain moving violently inside the skull in a sudden stop. Concussions are the most common form. TBIs are often caused by car, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian crashes, falls, and falling objects.
Symptoms That Can Appear Hours or Days Later
- Headaches, dizziness, or sensitivity to light and noise
- Memory problems, confusion, or trouble concentrating
- Slowed thinking or difficulty finding words
- Changes in mood, irritability, anxiety, or depression
- Sleep problems and fatigue
- Nausea, blurred vision, or ringing in the ears
If you or someone close to you notices these symptoms after an accident, see a doctor and mention the head impact. Family members often notice changes before the injured person does.
How Is the Severity of a Brain Injury Measured?
Doctors commonly classify TBI severity with the Glasgow Coma Scale, which scores eye, verbal, and motor responses from 3 to 15: 13 to 15 is mild, 9 to 12 is moderate, and 3 to 8 is severe (NCBI, Glasgow Coma Scale).
| Classification | Glasgow Coma Scale score | What it can mean for a claim |
|---|---|---|
| Mild TBI (including most concussions) | 13 to 15 | Imaging is often normal, so symptoms must be documented carefully; some people have lasting effects |
| Moderate TBI | 9 to 12 | Often involves imaging findings, hospitalization, and months of rehabilitation |
| Severe TBI | 3 to 8 | Often requires intensive care and long-term or lifelong care |
“Mild” describes the initial score, not the effect on a person’s life. A mild TBI can still keep someone from returning to demanding work.
How Do You Prove a Brain Injury Claim?
By connecting consistent medical records, test results, and the observations of people who know you to the accident, especially when CT and MRI scans are normal.
- Prompt medical care that records the head impact, loss of consciousness or confusion, and early symptoms.
- Neuropsychological testing, which measures memory, attention, and processing speed and can show deficits a scan cannot.
- Specialist evaluation by neurologists and, where needed, other treating doctors.
- Before-and-after evidence from family, co-workers, and friends about how you have changed.
- Work records showing missed time, reduced performance, or a job you can no longer do.
- Consistent treatment; gaps in care are used to argue the injury resolved. See why treatment gaps hurt a case.
Insurers often argue that symptoms come from something else, such as stress or an earlier condition. Carefully organized records and qualified experts are how those arguments are answered. Read more about why expert witnesses matter.
Where Are Brain Injuries Treated in Orange County?
Serious brain injuries are usually taken to a designated trauma center: UCI Medical Center in Orange is Orange County’s only Level I adult trauma center, Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo is a Level II adult and pediatric trauma center serving South County, and Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana is also a designated trauma center. Many milder brain injuries are first seen in an emergency room or urgent care, which is why a follow-up with a doctor who documents the head injury matters. Which hospital treats you depends on where the accident happened and on paramedic decisions. (We are not affiliated with any hospital.)
In Orange County, brain injuries often come from high-speed freeway crashes, pedestrian and bicycle collisions, motorcycle crashes, and falls in stores, apartment buildings, and on public sidewalks. Each raises its own liability questions; see car accident, motorcycle accident, and slip and fall claims.
What Compensation Is Available for a Brain Injury?
A brain injury claim can include past and future medical care, rehabilitation, lost earnings and earning capacity, in-home help, and the loss of enjoyment of life, and for serious injuries those future costs can be substantial.
- Emergency care, hospitalization, and imaging
- Cognitive, speech, occupational, and physical therapy
- Future medical care, medication, and supervision or attendant care
- Lost wages and reduced ability to earn in the future
- Pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life
- A spouse’s or registered domestic partner’s loss of consortium
For moderate and severe injuries, a life-care planner projects future needs and an economist calculates their present-day value. If both sides share fault, California’s comparative negligence rule reduces the award rather than eliminating it; a person with $180,000 in losses found 30% at fault still recovers $126,000. For the most serious injuries, see catastrophic injury claims, and read more about what affects case value.
There is no reliable “average brain injury settlement.” These factors usually move value:
| Can increase value | Can complicate or reduce recovery |
|---|---|
| Objective findings, such as abnormal imaging or neuropsychological test results | Normal imaging with few early records of symptoms |
| Documented effect on work and earning capacity | Gaps or delays in treatment |
| Need for future therapy, supervision, or care | Prior head injuries or conditions with similar symptoms |
| Consistent accounts from family and co-workers | Limited insurance coverage |
How Long Do You Have to File a Brain Injury Claim?
Generally two years from the injury, or six months for a written claim against a public agency. The two-year period may pause while the injured person lacks the legal capacity to make decisions, which can matter after a serious brain injury.
| Situation | Deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury lawsuit | 2 years from the injury | CCP §335.1 |
| Injured person is a minor or lacks legal capacity to make decisions | The 2 years may be paused (not for government claims) | CCP §352 |
| Claim against a public agency | Written claim within 6 months | Gov. Code §911.2 |
| Fatal injury: family’s wrongful death claim | 2 years from the death | Wrongful death claims |
Don’t rely on a pause in the deadline without legal advice; the rules are fact-specific.
This page explains California law in general terms as of October 2026. Laws change and exceptions apply, so it is not legal advice about your situation.
How Does Faud Haghighi Prepare for the Long-Term Impact of a Brain Injury?
Brain injury cases turn on medical proof and careful presentation, and insurers contest them hard. Faud Haghighi has practiced law in California since 2012, focuses on complex-causation and serious-injury cases, and prepares each case as if it will go to trial. He handles each case personally, works directly with clients and their families, coordinates with treating doctors and experts, and makes sure the long-term picture is documented before any settlement is considered. When an insurer refuses to pay what the injury is worth, we are prepared to file in the Orange County Superior Court.
We represent people with brain injuries throughout Orange County and Southern California, including Irvine, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, and Santa Ana. Brain injuries often occur alongside other serious injuries; see spinal cord injury claims and our Orange County personal injury practice.
Living with a brain injury after an accident? Call (949) 313-7656 or request a free consultation. There is no attorney fee unless we recover for you.
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Faud Haghighi, Esq.
Founder & Lead Trial Attorney
An Orange County trial attorney representing people injured by someone else's negligence — in car and truck crashes, slip-and-falls, premises accidents, and other serious-injury cases. Faud builds each case with the right medical and liability experts, preserves the evidence early, and prepares every file for trial — and you work directly with him, start to finish.
CA State Bar since 2012 · Aliso Viejo & Tustin
Free Consultation Read full bio ›Personal Injury Services
Why Clients Choose Us
A Firm Focused on Winning Injury Cases
We represent injured people — not insurance companies. Every case is prepared as if it is going to trial, and every client works directly with their attorney from the first consultation through settlement or verdict.
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No case managers, no runaround. You work one-on-one with your attorney and are kept informed about where your case stands.
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We build every file for the courtroom. Insurers pay more when they know your lawyer is prepared to try the case.
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We understand how insurance companies operate — and we don't let clients get pressured into accepting less than their case is worth.
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Your consultation is free, and there is no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Orange County Brain Injury FAQs
Yes. A concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury, and if someone else’s negligence caused it, you can seek compensation. The key is prompt medical care and consistent records that connect your symptoms to the accident.
You may still have a brain injury. Many mild traumatic brain injuries don’t show up on standard imaging. Neuropsychological testing, specialist evaluations, and observations from people who know you can document deficits that a scan cannot.
Doctors commonly use the Glasgow Coma Scale, scored from 3 to 15: 13 to 15 is mild, 9 to 12 is moderate, and 3 to 8 is severe. The score describes the initial injury; a mild TBI can still have lasting effects.
Headaches, dizziness, memory problems, confusion, trouble concentrating, mood changes, sleep problems, sensitivity to light or noise, and nausea. Some appear hours or days later, so see a doctor and mention the head impact.
Yes. Many traumatic brain injuries happen without any loss of consciousness. What matters is the medical evidence of the injury and its effects, not whether you blacked out.
It depends on the severity of the injury, the treatment and future care needed, its effect on your ability to work, and the insurance available. For serious injuries, life-care planners and economists help calculate future costs. No one can give an honest figure before reviewing the facts.
That is a common defense. Medical records from before and after the accident, neuropsychological testing, expert opinions, and testimony from family and co-workers can show how the accident changed you.
Yes. If the injured person can’t manage their own affairs, a court-appointed guardian ad litem or conservator can pursue the claim for them. The deadline to sue may also pause while the injured person lacks legal capacity (CCP §352), but not for government claims.
Usually not. The full effects of a brain injury can take months to become clear. Settling before the prognosis is understood can leave you without money for future treatment or lost earning ability.
Generally two years from the injury (CCP §335.1), or six months for a written claim against a public agency (Gov. Code §911.2). The two years may pause for a minor or someone who lacks legal capacity, but get advice before relying on that.
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you, and the consultation is free.
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6 Steps Process
How We Handle Your Orange County Brain Injury Case
From your first call to the final resolution, here’s what working with the Law Offices of Faud Haghighi looks like — a clear, six-step path built to take the pressure off you and pursue the full recovery you’re owed. There’s no attorney fee unless we recover for you.
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1352 Irvine Blvd #204, Tustin, CA 92780
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