Chicago Brain Injury Lawyer
A traumatic brain injury changes a person's life in a fraction of a second. If you or someone you love suffered a brain injury in Chicago or the surrounding Cook, DuPage, Will, and Kane County communities, Ori Law Group can help. Joe and Kristen Ori personally handle every brain injury case — you will never be handed off to a junior associate or an intake screen. With more than 40 years of combined trial experience and over $150 million recovered for injured clients — including a $12 million result for a child who suffered an anoxic brain injury — we represent families whose lives were upended by someone else's negligence, and we prepare every case to be tried, not just settled.
A traumatic brain injury rewrites a family’s life in an instant. One moment everything is normal; the next, you’re sitting in an ICU trying to understand words like anoxic, diffuse axonal, and Glasgow Coma Scale — and wondering how you will ever pay for what comes next. At Ori Law Group, Joe and Kristen Ori have spent decades representing people and families in exactly this position, including a child who suffered an anoxic brain injury and whose case we resolved for $12 million. They handle every case personally, from the first phone call to the final resolution. You won’t be passed to a junior associate. You’ll work with the two attorneys whose names are on the door.
Brain injuries are different from almost every other injury, and that difference shapes the entire case. The harm is frequently invisible — imaging can look clean while a person can no longer concentrate, remember, regulate their mood, hold a job, or care for their children. Insurance companies know this, and they build their defense around it: the injury isn’t real, the symptoms are exaggerated, the problems come from something else. Overcoming that defense takes more than medical bills. It takes neurologists and neuropsychologists to document the deficits, a life-care planner to project decades of future care, and an economist to value a lifetime of lost earning capacity. We assemble that team and build the proof that makes an invisible injury undeniable — across catastrophic injury, construction accident, and car accident cases throughout the region.
The stakes are measured over a lifetime, not a single hospital stay. The cost of a severe TBI can climb into the millions once you account for surgery, rehabilitation, in-home nursing, assistive equipment, home modifications, and the wages a person can no longer earn. Illinois places no cap on damages for pain and suffering or loss of a normal life, so the full human toll is recoverable — when it is properly proven. And the law sets real deadlines: you generally have two years to bring a claim under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, though the discovery rule can extend that window for delayed-onset symptoms, and a brain injury caused by medical care follows the separate limitations and four-year repose rules of 735 ILCS 5/13-212. The consultation is free, there’s no upfront cost, and we work on a contingency basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Call Joe or Kristen at (312) 621-0000 to talk through what happened and what comes next.
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What to Do After Your Accident
- Get emergency medical care immediately and tell the ER about any blow to the head, loss of consciousness, or confusion — a documented Glasgow Coma Scale score becomes foundational evidence later.
- Follow every treatment recommendation and keep all follow-up appointments — gaps in care become the insurer's argument that the injury wasn't serious.
- Keep a daily symptom journal — headaches, memory lapses, mood changes, sleep problems, and dizziness often appear or worsen days and weeks after the injury.
- Preserve evidence — photos, the incident report, names and numbers of witnesses, and anything that shows how the injury happened.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault party's insurance company before talking to an attorney.
- Keep every bill, record, and note about how the injury affects work, relationships, and daily life.
- Talk to a brain injury lawyer before accepting any settlement — once you sign a release, the claim is closed for good, even if your symptoms get worse.
Common Causes & Types
- Car, truck, and motorcycle crashes — the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries — rapid acceleration and deceleration slam the brain against the inside of the skull.
- Falls — slip-and-fall, falls from heights, and unsafe premises, especially for young children and older adults.
- Struck-by and crush injuries — falling objects, machinery, and debris on construction sites and in workplaces.
- Medical negligence and anoxic injury — oxygen deprivation during surgery, anesthesia errors, birth injury, delayed diagnosis, and medication mistakes that starve the brain of oxygen.
- Sports and recreation — concussions and repeat sub-concussive impacts from football, hockey, soccer, and unsupervised or improperly managed youth sports.
- Assaults, violent acts, and any incident where another party's carelessness caused a blow to the head.
Who Can Be Held Liable
- The at-fault driver or individual whose negligence caused the injury
- An employer, when the at-fault party was acting in the scope of employment
- A property owner or manager who failed to maintain safe premises
- A general contractor or site owner responsible for an unsafe construction site
- A hospital, physician, or anesthesia provider whose error caused an anoxic or hypoxic brain injury
- A manufacturer of defective equipment, safety gear, or a product that caused or worsened the injury
Injuries We Handle
- Concussion and mild traumatic brain injury — symptoms that are real even when imaging looks clear
- Moderate traumatic brain injury — lasting cognitive, physical, and behavioral effects
- Severe traumatic brain injury — coma, permanent disability, and lifelong care needs
- Anoxic and hypoxic brain injury — brain damage from oxygen deprivation
- Coup-contrecoup, diffuse axonal injury, hematoma, hemorrhage, and edema
- Catastrophic and permanently disabling injuries
- Fatal brain injuries resulting in wrongful death
Illinois Law & Deadlines
Damages You Can Recover
- Past medical expenses — emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, and rehabilitation
- Lifetime future medical care, therapy, and rehabilitation — often the largest part of a brain injury claim
- Lost wages and diminished future earning capacity over an entire working life
- In-home nursing, attendant care, and the cost of caregiving by family members
- Assistive devices, medical equipment, and home and vehicle modifications
- Pain, suffering, and loss of a normal life — Illinois places no cap on these damages
- Emotional distress, cognitive and personality changes, and loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium for a spouse
How the Legal Process Works
- Free consultation & investigation
We review your case, gather medical records, ER and imaging reports, the incident report, and witness accounts, and explain your options at no cost.
- Medical workup & expert team
We coordinate with treating physicians and retain neurologists, neuropsychologists, and a life-care planner to document the full extent of the injury and what it will cost over a lifetime.
- Demand & negotiation
We build the claim with a life-care plan and economic projections, then negotiate with the insurer for the full value of your case.
- Litigation, if needed
If the insurer won't be fair, Joe or Kristen files suit and prepares your case for trial in the county where it belongs.
Why Brain Injury Cases Are Different
A brain injury is not like a broken bone. The harm is often invisible — a CT or MRI can read as normal while a person struggles with memory, concentration, mood, and the ability to work or care for a family. That invisibility is exactly what insurers exploit. They argue the injury isn't real, that the symptoms are exaggerated, or that they trace to something other than the accident.
Brain injury cases are also among the most expensive injuries a person can suffer. The lifetime cost of a severe traumatic brain injury can reach into the millions of dollars once you account for surgery, rehabilitation, in-home care, lost earning capacity, and equipment and home modifications. Proving that future need is its own discipline — it takes a life-care planner to project decades of care, neuropsychologists to measure cognitive deficits, and economists to value lost earnings.
That is why these cases turn on expert proof, not just medical bills. We build brain injury claims with the team needed to make an invisible injury visible to an insurer and, when necessary, to a jury — documenting what happened, what it costs, and what your life looks like now compared to before.
Types and Severity of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Brain injuries range from a concussion that resolves to permanent, life-altering damage. Severity is commonly measured at the hospital using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) — 13 to 15 for mild, 9 to 12 for moderate, and 3 to 8 for severe. That documented score, recorded in the ER, often becomes foundational evidence for the value of a claim.
- Concussion and mild TBI — the most common form — headaches, confusion, memory and concentration problems, and mood changes that are real even when imaging looks clear.
- Moderate TBI — longer loss of consciousness and lasting cognitive, physical, and behavioral effects that often require months of rehabilitation.
- Severe TBI — coma, profound disability, and lifelong care needs, frequently involving coup-contrecoup, diffuse axonal injury, hematoma, hemorrhage, or edema.
- Anoxic and hypoxic brain injury — damage caused by oxygen deprivation — during a surgery, anesthesia error, birth, or near-drowning — rather than a direct blow to the head.
Proving Damages in a Brain Injury Case
The damages in a brain injury case are driven by the future, not the past. Acute care and the first hospital bill are only the beginning. The real exposure is decades of rehabilitation, attendant care, lost earning capacity, and the equipment and home modifications a disabled person needs for the rest of their life.
We retain a life-care planner to project those lifetime costs in detail, an economist to value lost earnings and reduce future losses to present value, and treating and consulting physicians to tie every cost to the injury. Illinois places no cap on pain and suffering or loss of a normal life, so the human toll — the inability to work, to parent, to be the person you were before — is fully compensable when it is properly proven.
Why Choose Ori Law Group
Ori Law Group is a women-owned, two-attorney trial firm in Oak Brook. When you call, you reach Joe or Kristen — not a paralegal, not an intake AI, not a rotating cast of junior associates. Joe Ori has concentrated in personal injury and medical malpractice for more than 25 years; Kristen Ori leads our litigation. Together they bring over 40 years of combined trial experience and more than $150 million recovered, including a $12 million result for a child who suffered an anoxic brain injury. They prepare every brain injury case to be tried, not just settled, and they assemble the life-care planners, neurologists, and economists these cases demand. Our Oak Brook office is convenient to Chicago and the entire Cook, DuPage, Will, and Kane County region.
Case Results
Recovered for a 6-year-old child who sustained an anoxic brain injury following a prescription error.
Recovered for a 50-year-old victim of hospital and medical negligence.
Awarded to a minor for a late-diagnosed birth condition involving medical negligence.
Recovered for a construction worker injured when an electrical unit on the site caught fire.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See more results →
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a brain injury claim in Illinois?
You generally have two years from the date of injury under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. Because brain injury symptoms can surface weeks later, Illinois recognizes a discovery rule — the clock can run from when the injury was, or reasonably should have been, discovered. If the injury resulted from medical care, a different period applies: two years from discovery, with an outer four-year repose under 735 ILCS 5/13-212. Deadlines for minors are generally tolled, and claims against government entities carry shorter notice deadlines. It's best to act well before any deadline.
Can I still have a case if my brain injury symptoms didn't appear until weeks after the accident?
Often yes. Delayed-onset symptoms are common with traumatic brain injuries, and Illinois law accounts for this through the discovery rule. The two-year period can run from when the injury was or reasonably should have been discovered rather than the date of the event. The sooner you document symptoms with a doctor and keep a journal, the stronger that record becomes.
What is a coup-contrecoup brain injury and why does it matter to my case?
Coup-contrecoup describes a brain injury where the brain is damaged both at the point of impact and on the opposite side as it rebounds inside the skull. It's common in car crashes and falls and is diagnostic of a high-force impact — which can be strong evidence of how serious the collision was and how badly the brain was hurt.
Are concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries worth pursuing?
Yes. A concussion is a brain injury, and its effects — memory and concentration problems, headaches, mood changes — are real even when a CT or MRI reads as normal. These are precisely the cases insurers fight hardest because the injury is invisible on standard imaging. Neuropsychological testing and a documented symptom record are how we prove them.
How much is a Chicago brain injury case worth?
There is no fixed number. Value turns on the severity of the injury, the lifetime cost of care, lost earning capacity, and the human toll. The lifetime cost of a severe TBI can reach into the millions once rehabilitation, attendant care, and future losses are projected, and Illinois places no cap on pain and suffering or loss of a normal life. After reviewing your case and building a life-care plan, Joe or Kristen will give you an honest assessment.
Can I bring a claim for an anoxic brain injury that happened during medical care?
Yes. Anoxic and hypoxic brain injuries — caused by oxygen deprivation during surgery, anesthesia, childbirth, or a delayed diagnosis — can support a medical malpractice claim when a provider's negligence caused the oxygen loss. These cases follow the medical malpractice limitations and repose rules under 735 ILCS 5/13-212, and they require physician experts to prove the standard of care was breached.
What does it cost to hire Ori Law Group?
There is no upfront cost. We handle brain injury cases on a contingency basis — we are paid a percentage of your recovery only if we win or settle your case, and your consultation is free. You pay nothing out of pocket to get started.
Will Joe or Kristen personally handle my case?
Yes. As a two-attorney boutique firm, Joe and Kristen work directly with you from the first consultation through resolution. Your calls reach the lawyers actually working your file — never an intake associate routing you to a paralegal.
Do I have to come to your Oak Brook office?
No. We meet clients by phone, by video, at our Oak Brook office, or at your home or hospital — whichever works for you and your family. We serve clients throughout Cook, DuPage, Will, and Kane Counties.
Legally reviewed by Joseph and Kristen Ori · Last reviewed June 24, 2026. This page is attorney advertising and is for general information only — it is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship.
Suffered a Brain Injury in Chicago? Let's Talk.
Free, confidential consultation — call (312) 621-0000. No upfront cost, and Joe or Kristen handles your case personally.