Houston Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer

Diagnosed with a brain injury in Houston, TX? Contact a trusted Houston traumatic brain injury lawyer to seek justice and compensation.

A brain injury rarely looks like what people expect. There is no cast, no visible wound, no obvious sign to coworkers or friends that anything is wrong. But you know something has changed. Names slip. Noise feels louder. The person you were before the accident is not quite the person looking back at you in the mirror.

At DeHoyos Accident Attorneys, we have spent more than a decade proving what an insurance adjuster refuses to see. We work closely with neurologists, neuropsychologists, and rehabilitation specialists to document the full impact of your injury, from cognitive changes to the long-term care you may need. Our attorneys have personally handled more than 1,000 injury cases across the Greater Houston area and recovered over $20 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients, work that earned Ryan DeHoyos a Super Lawyers Rising Star recognition. Whether your injury came from a car crash, a fall, a workplace accident, or another act of negligence, we make sure you get a full accounting of what it has cost you.

Get a free consultation and discover how DeHoyos Accident Attorneys can help you seek the compensation and justice you deserve.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is damage to the brain caused by an external force, a blow to the head, a violent jolt that drives the brain against the inside of the skull, or an object that penetrates the skull directly. TBIs are classified by severity:

• Mild TBI (concussion): A temporary disruption in brain function. Symptoms may seem minor at first or be delayed, and they often do not appear on standard imaging scans.
• Moderate TBI: A longer period of unconsciousness or confusion, with cognitive and physical impairments that can last for months.
• Severe TBI: Significant and often irreversible brain damage that can result in a coma, a persistent vegetative state, or a permanent need for full-time care.

A mild diagnosis does not mean a minor injury. Even a concussion can cause lasting cognitive impairment, chronic pain, and emotional instability, consequences that Texas law recognizes and allows you to pursue full compensation for.

“Insurance companies aren’t there to be your best friend by any means.” – Attorney Ryan DeHoyos

How a Brain Injury Can Affect Your Life

The impact of a TBI goes far beyond physical pain. It can change your personality, limit your ability to work, and put real strain on your closest relationships. Because many of these effects are invisible to others, insurance companies routinely challenge TBI claims, arguing that symptoms are exaggerated or unrelated to the accident at all.

Common impairments linked to a traumatic brain injury include:

• Cognitive difficulties: Memory loss, slowed processing, trouble concentrating, and difficulty making decisions under pressure
• Emotional and behavioral changes: Mood swings, depression, anxiety, irritability, and trouble managing emotions
• Physical symptoms: Persistent headaches, fatigue, dizziness, coordination problems, and seizures
• Sensory disruptions: Sensitivity to light and noise, blurred vision, and ringing in the ears
• Communication problems: Difficulty finding words, slurred speech, or trouble following conversations

These effects may develop or worsen over weeks or months, which is why thorough, early medical documentation matters so much in a TBI case.

One pattern we see often in Houston brain injury claims is a client who feels well enough to decline an ambulance at the scene, only to develop headaches, memory problems, and mood changes over the following days. Insurance adjusters seize on that gap between the crash and the first diagnosis to argue the injury is unrelated, and we work to document the full symptom timeline before that gap can be used against the claim.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

Insurance companies will push you toward a fast, low settlement before the full scope of your injury is even clear. A brain injury claim must account for everything the injury has already cost you, and everything it will cost in the months and years ahead.

In Texas, you can pursue economic damages, your measurable financial losses, and non-economic damages, which compensate for the personal toll the injury takes on your life. Your recovery may include:

• Medical expenses: Emergency care, surgery, imaging, hospital stays, and specialist visits
• Future care: Long-term rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, and any nursing or in-home support you will need
• Lost wages: Income already missed while unable to work during recovery
• Diminished earning capacity: The career-long financial impact if your injury permanently limits your professional options
• Pain and suffering: Ongoing physical pain from the injury and its treatment
• Mental anguish: Documented emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD
• Loss of enjoyment of life: The inability to participate in the hobbies, relationships, and activities that defined your life before the accident

“There’s certain things in your life that really have no monetary value, but you value them.” – Attorney Ryan DeHoyos

How We Build Your Brain Injury Case

Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize TBI claims, especially when injuries do not appear clearly on standard imaging. They probe for gaps in your treatment history and inconsistencies in symptom reports. We build cases that close every one of those openings.

Securing Evidence Before It Disappears

Surveillance footage is deleted within days. Black box data from commercial trucks has a limited retention window. Witness accounts fade quickly. We move immediately to preserve the physical and digital evidence that establishes fault before anything is lost.

Bringing in the Right Medical Experts

We partner with neurologists, neuro-radiologists, and neuropsychologists whose evaluations and imaging studies produce objective, clinical proof of your brain injury. Without that foundation, insurers will hire their own doctors to dispute your condition, and they often do.

Documenting Your Activities of Daily Living

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are the basic tasks of everyday functioning, cooking, dressing, managing a household. Through symptom journals, functional assessments, and testimony from family members, we build a detailed picture of how significantly your life has changed since the accident.

Projecting Your Lifetime Costs

For catastrophic injuries, we work with life-care planners and economists who calculate the full cost of future medical care, rehabilitation, and lost earning potential. A settlement that only covers past bills is not a complete recovery.

Preparing Every Case for Trial

We build every case as if it is going before a Harris County jury. Insurance companies settle for more when they know your attorney is genuinely prepared to take the case to trial and win it.

“Sometimes that’s what it takes, showing them that we’re going to go to trial on this case, in order for them to be fair with you.” – Attorney Ryan DeHoyos

What to Do After a Suspected Brain Injury

Do not assume that feeling okay right now means you are okay. Brain injury symptoms are often delayed, and the actions you take in the first days directly affect both your health and your legal options.

1. Seek emergency care the same day. Same-day medical records are essential to your case and can catch developing complications before they worsen.
2. Follow up with a neurologist. Diagnostic imaging like CT scans and MRIs can detect injuries that a general exam misses. Ask for a referral right away.
3. Keep a daily symptom journal. Record pain levels, cognitive difficulties, and changes to your routine. This record becomes critical evidence.
4. Do not give recorded statements. Insurance adjusters ask questions designed to minimize your claim. Do not speak with them before consulting an attorney.
5. Call us as early as possible. The sooner we are involved, the more evidence we can preserve and the stronger your case will be.

“Before you have a true understanding of what your injuries are, they’ll make an offer to you immediately.” – Attorney Ryan DeHoyos

Who Pays Your Medical Bills While Your Case Is Pending?

Most people cannot afford to wait months for a settlement before getting the care they need. We help you access treatment now through letters of protection, written commitments to your medical providers that their costs will be repaid from the eventual settlement.

Your auto insurance may also include Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or MedPay coverage, which pays for medical expenses regardless of who was at fault. We coordinate these funding sources on your behalf and, at the end of your case, negotiate any outstanding medical liens, legal claims that providers or insurers hold against your settlement, to protect as much of your recovery as possible.

Our Results

Ryan DeHoyos has secured significant recoveries for injured Texans across the Greater Houston area. Every case is unique and past results do not guarantee future outcomes, but these numbers reflect what is possible when a case is built with the right strategy.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

One case that stays with us involved a client who was hurt very badly, with a traumatic brain injury that affected her speech, which mattered enormously because speech was central to the career she was working toward at the time. The recovery we secured covered her injuries, future medical treatment, future pain and suffering, mental anguish, impairment, and disfigurement, and it also allowed her to get the formal training she needed to keep pursuing that career. That case is a reminder that a brain injury settlement has to account for what the injury costs you long after the medical bills stop.

Why DeHoyos Accident Attorneys Is Different

At most large Houston personal injury firms, your case is handed off to a case manager or paralegal shortly after you sign. You rarely speak with the attorney whose name is on the door. At DeHoyos Accident Attorneys, you work directly with Ryan DeHoyos from your first consultation through the resolution of your case.

Ryan brings more than a decade of experience across more than 1,000 cases in Houston’s courts, recognition as a Super Lawyers Rising Star, and a network of investigators, accident reconstruction specialists, and medical experts he has built over years of practice. We deliberately turn away from the high-volume model that pushes clients toward quick, low-dollar settlements. Your strategy is built around your story, your medical needs, and the full cost of what you have lost, not a formula designed to close files.

“AWESOME legal representation. Ryan is an amazing attorney to have on your side. He was very responsive to all of my phone calls and if he was busy then he would make time to talk to me about my case. Outstanding service by this lawyer who puts their clients first. Ryan treated me like I was his only case. I would definitely recommend Ryan to anyone that is involved in a motor vehicle accident. Ryan leveled the playing field with the big insurance company. Definitely exceeded expectations on my recovery!” – David M.

What It Costs and How Long You Have to File

We take every brain injury case on a contingency fee basis, no upfront costs and no legal fees unless we recover money for you. If we do not win, you owe us nothing.

In Texas, most personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the accident under the statute of limitations. Claims involving government entities may carry a significantly shorter window. Contact us as soon as possible so we have the time to investigate and build the strongest case on your behalf.

“I hired Ryan because he actually cared about my case and I actually met with him in the consultation. Ryan explained the whole process to us and what to expect in this difficult time. I definitely benefited from hiring Ryan as he kept me updated throughout the entire case. Additionally, the experience was less terrifying and stressful due to his counsel.” – Angel A.

Brain Injury Questions We Hear Often

Do I Need to Have Lost Consciousness to File a Brain Injury Claim?

No. Many serious brain injuries, including concussions, occur without any loss of consciousness. What determines the legal strength of your claim is the documented impact the injury has on your ability to think, work, and function in daily life.

Can I Recover Compensation if I Had a Prior Concussion or Head Injury?

Yes. Under Texas law, a negligent party is responsible for making a pre-existing condition worse, a principle called the “eggshell plaintiff” rule. We use medical evidence to isolate exactly what the new accident caused from any prior injury history.

What if I Was Partially at Fault for the Accident?

You may still recover. Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule, which reduces your compensation by your percentage of fault. You are only barred from recovery if you are found 51% or more responsible for the accident.

How Long Does a Brain Injury Case Typically Take to Resolve?

There is no fixed timeline, the answer depends on the severity of the injury, the strength of the liability evidence, and how the insurance company responds. We pursue every case as efficiently as possible without sacrificing the value of your claim.

Will Hospitals or My Health Insurer Take Part of My Settlement?

If your providers or health insurer covered your treatment, they may assert a lien, a legal right to be repaid from your settlement. Negotiating those liens down is a standard part of our process and one of the most direct ways we maximize what you take home.

Does the Type of Brain Injury Affect the Value of My Claim?

Yes. A closed head injury differs medically and legally from a penetrating wound or an anoxic brain injury, damage caused by oxygen deprivation to the brain. The type of injury determines which experts we retain, how we document your losses, and ultimately what your case is worth.