A broken leg shows up on an X-ray. A brain injury often doesn’t. Someone walks away from a crash, a fall, or a bike wreck looking fine, then spends the next year struggling with headaches, memory lapses, mood swings, and a job they can no longer do. Insurers know this. Their first defense in many brain injury cases is simple: prove it.
That’s the challenge a brain injury lawyer in Los Angeles has to meet. Winning these cases usually takes neurologists, neuropsychologists, imaging specialists, and life-care planners, plus a lawyer who can explain an invisible injury to a jury. The five lawyers below have done it, sometimes against defendants who insisted nothing was wrong.
Brain Injury Claims in California: Quick Facts
Keep these points in mind if you or a family member suffered a head injury in Los Angeles:
- “Mild” doesn’t mean minor: A concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause lasting problems with memory, focus, sleep, and mood. Several large LA verdicts have involved so-called mild TBI.
- Filing deadline: Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years. Claims against a city, county, or Caltrans generally require a written claim within six months.
- Medical malpractice caps: If the brain injury came from medical care, the 2026 cap on pain and suffering is $470,000 in injury cases. Ordinary accident cases have no such cap.
- Pre-existing conditions: Defendants often blame earlier injuries or learning issues. California law still allows recovery when an accident made a prior condition worse.
- Future costs drive value: Lifetime care, therapy, and lost earning capacity often make up most of a serious TBI recovery.
Five Lawyers Who Win Brain Injury Cases in LA
1. Rahul Ravipudi, Panish | Shea | Ravipudi
Few brain injury cases are as severe as Kamran Hakimi’s. A City of Los Angeles sanitation truck hit him in an Encino crosswalk in August 2024. He suffered bleeding and swelling on the brain, had part of his skull removed, and remained in a coma through trial. The city argued that his shortened life expectancy should limit damages.
In July 2025, a Van Nuys jury rejected that argument and awarded $48.8 million, including $35 million for pain and suffering. Rahul Ravipudi led the trial. For families facing catastrophic brain injury, the case shows the value of a firm that can prove decades of future care costs.
Notable for: catastrophic brain injury verdicts against government defendants
- Office: 11111 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90025
2. Daniel Kramer, Kramer Trial Lawyers
Gary Dean Swisher was cycling on Pacific Coast Highway in 2021 when his wheel hit a sidewalk slab raised nearly six inches. The 69-year-old longshoreman suffered a traumatic brain injury. Kramer Trial Lawyers sued Caltrans and showed the agency had 19 chances to fix the hazard. In October 2026, a Los Angeles jury awarded $11.5 million, according to the Daily Journal.
Daniel Kramer teaches law at Southwestern Law School and serves on the boards of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Consumer Attorneys of California. His firm also reports an $11 million verdict in a distracted-driving case.
Notable for: brain injury claims caused by dangerous roads and public property
- Office: Los Angeles. Contact the firm for its current address.
3. Gary Dordick, Dordick Law
Some of the hardest TBI cases involve clients who already had a brain injury. In November 2024, Dordick Law won a $7.6 million verdict for a pedestrian employee with prior traumatic brain injuries. A malfunctioning traffic gate arm at a business struck him, causing another mild TBI. The defense contested both liability and how much the new injury mattered.
The firm also reports a $1.325 million settlement for a pedestrian hit by a school bus, despite the defense pointing to a pre-existing condition. These results are firm-reported, but they show a willingness to take on the “it was already there” defense.
Notable for: mild TBI and pre-existing injury casesOffice: 1122 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (also Beverly Hills)
4. Steven M. Sweat, Steven M. Sweat Personal Injury Lawyers
Steven Sweat has represented brain injury victims across California for more than 30 years. He writes about brain injury verdicts and case values on his firm’s site, which helps families understand what a claim may be worth. His firm is bilingual in English and Spanish.
His reported results include a $2 million settlement for a Los Angeles crash victim with a traumatic brain injury and a $1.25 million wrongful death recovery after severe head trauma. He has appeared on Super Lawyers lists since 2012 and belongs to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Notable for: steady focus on TBI and Spanish-speaking clientsOffice: 11500 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064
5. Eleonora Zeltser, Braff Law
Eleonora Zeltser leads the brain injury practice at Braff Law. She has been named a Preferred Attorney by the Brain Injury Association of America, the national advocacy group for people living with brain injuries.
That background matters early in a case. Families often need help finding the right specialists, such as neuropsychologists, speech therapists, and rehabilitation programs, before anyone talks about settlement. The firm works on contingency and offers free consultations around the clock.
Notable for: Brain Injury Association of America credentials
- Office: Los Angeles. Call the firm for the current address.
Proving an Injury No One Can See
Two Los Angeles cases show how close these trials can be.
In 2017, a Los Angeles jury awarded $10.78 million to a 10-year-old girl hurt when the car she was riding in was rear-ended. The defense blamed her problems on a pre-existing learning disability. The jury didn’t accept that, because no school or medical record showed the condition the defense described. The verdict was nearly five times her $2.25 million settlement demand.
In 2023, another Los Angeles County jury went the other way. A teenager said the spinning Green Lantern roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain caused a brain injury and sought about $34.7 million. Six Flags argued the ride’s forces couldn’t cause that harm and that her own experts found no physical evidence of injury. The jury cleared the park by a 10-2 vote.
The difference often comes down to evidence. To protect a brain injury claim:
- See a doctor right away, even if you feel fine, and report every symptom
- Ask about neuropsychological testing if memory, focus, or mood problems continue
- Keep a symptom journal, and ask family members to note changes they see
- Save school records, work reviews, or other documents showing how you functioned before the injury
Brain Injury Questions LA Families Ask
Q1. How much is a traumatic brain injury case worth in California?
A: It depends on severity, medical costs, lost income, and future care. Mild TBI cases may settle modestly, while catastrophic cases in Los Angeles have reached tens of millions.
Q2. Can I recover for a concussion or mild brain injury?
A: Yes. Mild TBI can cause lasting symptoms, and Los Angeles juries have awarded millions in such cases when medical testing and witnesses document the changes.
Q3. How long do I have to file a brain injury lawsuit in Los Angeles?
A: Generally two years from the injury. Claims against public agencies usually require a written government claim within six months, so act quickly.
Q4. What if I had a brain injury before the accident?
A: You can still recover if the accident made your condition worse. The defense will likely raise it, so prior medical records become important evidence.
Q5. What doctors help prove a traumatic brain injury?
A: Neurologists, neuropsychologists, neuroradiologists, and rehabilitation specialists commonly help. Neuropsychological testing often documents problems that standard CT or MRI scans miss.
